Last week I had the opportunity to attend Ad Tech, the number one event for digital marketing here in New York City. Not only did I have full access to the event, but I was one of the few that got to sit in on the press briefing; 10 companies making 10 announcements about new product offerings they would be introducing here at the event.
To set the stage, this event encompasses all the biggest digital players in the game from big names like Google, to the newest and coolest startup companies in and around the digital marketing field. What type of companies and products make up this field? Here are just a few of the coolest things I saw here at the conference.
Searchandise – A company that allows manufacturers to assert control over product placement online while at the same time allowing retailers to turn online search into profit center. The blending of the in-store and online experience have been merging for quite some time. People research online what they are going to walk into a store to buy the same way they look and research homes online before going out to see them or work with an agent. Now, with Searchandise, manufacturers can bid for higher placement within an online retailer where people are looking at the products. This allows the manufacturer to get more exposure during the consumer research phase and allows the retailer to be compensated for the eyeballs and the research they are helping consumers facilitate.
ShareItUp – A social coupon and deal platform for Facebook business pages that allows a business to reward their fans who actually engage in purchasing a product by giving them the best deal. Businesses can set levels, so the deal they get is based on how many people share. In addition, you as the business only pay as people engage in taking advantage of the deal.
Mobile App Tracking – The best and most viable idea I heard about during my time at the conference, this platform allows you to track which advertisers and advertisements, affiliates and publishers are driving the traffic to your app downloads. This allows you to track the ROI and derive the cost per install of your application. As mobile and applications within the real estate market continue to grow, this application will become a necessity. Having an app in real estate—mobile or native—will be a necessity within the next twelve months, not just a differentiator. Having the ability to know who is downloading the app and how they are getting there will help you track where your advertising dollars are best spent; you may be quite surprised.
Overall, having a chance to attend this event was great. It was truly an eye opener of all the amazing technology and creativity being implemented to better target advertisements to the right consumer demographic. The better the advertisers are, the less irrelevant ads we as consumers will have to put up with.
John Lim is the CEO of Mobile Card Cast. For more information, visit www.MobileRealEstateID.com.
