"Despite the fact the dufuses own the advertising market!"
They also need to stay on the ball and keep their feelers out for opportunities.
Several months ago, I joined the Advertising Club of New York's Interactive Programming Committee (that's programming as in social events and lecture series).
Present at the first meeting were regional VPs of Interactive Marketing for AOL, Yahoo, YoYodine, Prodigy, and three marketing VPs from Microsoft! But Apple was strangely not present.
I immediately fired off an e-mail to Nancy Paxton, PR director for Apple in Cupertino. I explained that the ACNY is a major trade organization for the ad industry in NY and that they were forming the Programs committee to establish the ACNY as the center for Interactive resources to the NY ad community. "New York is considered the world's advertising mecca and it would be a shame for Apple to be left out of this opportunity to develop relationships with the creatives who normally use Macintoshes."
I also explained that we were developing an Interactive Career Day event for the High School of Graphic Design and that Microsoft had already pledged technical training and equipment to this event.
Within 72 hours, Apple presented me with Mar Kuffler, Apples Executive for Interactive Development and Entertainment. After several weeks of e-mail tag, I introduced him to the chairman of the committe and invited him to a meeting. Apple is now sponsoring all of our events and has offered computers and other equipment as prizes for several competitions we are sponsoring.
Apple was quick to react on this one, but they should keep their eyes open.
Mr. Kuffler liked the fact that our events are very tightly focused to the interactive community and have real marketing value to Apple.
I've passed the ball to them, let's see if they make the basket!
Bill_h |
