On April 5th, I attended a presentation with Joanne Zaiac, the president of the New York branch of Digitas, an integrated advertising agency. This presentation, which was in the Herg Auditorium within Newhouse 3, was part of the Newhouse Advertising Speakers Series, and easily one of the more engaging storytelling events that I’ve attended on campus. Being a presentation directly correlated to my advertising major, I found everything Ms. Zaiac shared with us to be interesting, and it didn’t hurt that she reflected Digitas’ interactive nature by sharing various clips from the agency’s portfolio for us to look at and watch.
Ms. Zaiac’s presentation was particularly engaging due to her explanation of rising incorporation rates of social media into advertising. She emphasized effective advertising campaigns, especially those by means of social media as well as other methods of interactive advertising. She showed the ways in which Digitas involves itself in creating active brands, or brands that allow for engagement and consumer participation, rather than relying solely upon traditional advertising campaigns. Whether by means of the Internet, video, or events for consumers, she explained the importance of getting a brand involved on the social media landscape.
Ms. Zaiac’s presentation shed some light on the future of advertising. It was beneficial to me, especially as an advertising student, to hear about the projected path of the industry, rather than only about its history. It’s an exciting time for advertising, and Ms. Zaiac really managed to convey that.
