What to Expect from Advertising Week APAC 2023 with Clive Prosser
Advertising Week, a global event for all adland residents to get together, encourage, inspire, and debate the current status of the industry.
Panels are hosted by adland royalty, creatives get to meet and mingle with other like minded individuals and information is shared among the masses to digest and deliborate.
It is a buzzing hive of innovation, collaboration and draws attention to what is new and exciting within the industry. To learn more about Advertising Week in preparation, LBB’s Casey Martin spoke to Clive Prosser about what to expect from this legacy event.
LBB> What are the origins of Advertising Week, and what is the thinking behind the global brand?
Clive> Advertising Week was started in New York by Matt Scheckner and Lance Pillersdorf after 9/11 to help reinvigorate Madison Avenue. Since then, it has expanded to London, Tokyo, Mexico City, Johannesburg and Sydney, and each of these global cities have a unique position in their respective markets on all aspects of what we cover from media owners, media agencies, tech, creatives and marketers.
LBB> Ad land is renowned for its love of events and getting together, what is it about Advertising Week that makes it stand out?
Clive> I think it's great thought leadership, I honestly do. We always try to make the event fun and do everything with a smile, but the thought leadership is so important to everyone at Advertising Week.
There’s a lot of choice in terms of the programme and not really any repetition across the multiple stages and studio so delegates are always able to learn something new. I get asked a lot about what makes us different and it’s our focus on learning, we’re good for careers and no one ever stops learning.
LBB> What should we expect from this year’s event? Who should attend, and is there anything that really sticks out for you this year?
Clive> What hasn’t changed this year are the venues. We’re back at Luna Park for the main campus, MCA for the Thought Leadership breakfasts and Mary’s Underground for the Culture & Commerce Lunch series.
There’s a real cross section of content and speakers - debates, panels, fireside chats and keynotes that cover so many different topics that are relevant for anyone in the five industries I mentioned earlier. So much of it is good but how can I not mention that we’re beaming in William Shatner as a hologram live from his house, come on that’s pretty good.
LBB> How has Advertising Week evolved since first launching in AU, and how are you looking to measure success?
Clive> It’s not just us, it’s the whole industry. We’ve evolved together. We launched in 2018 where we had a great conversation with Fairfax Media and TikTok didn’t exist, so that’s an example of how quick things change. We also listen to what our partners want and need from us and have a great Advisory Council that are emotionally invested and are honest with us when needed if we are heading in the wrong direction.
Success is full rooms and our partners and delegates being happy and coming back next year.
LBB> There is a vast diversity on the schedule combining both the data and creative elements of marketing. How is that dynamic changing, and what should we expect to be different this year?
Clive> I think that there are so many ways of measurement now and the tools at hand make things live or in real time, so things change much quicker now.
Creative has always been important and always will be, and the data now is so robust it’s got to work hand in hand. I’ll let this year’s speakers explain it in more detail and much better than I can next week.
LBB> You can’t move for our industry having opinions on everything, and this year AI is the buzzword on everybody’s lips. Is this going to be a much- discussed topic this year?
Clive> That’s an interesting one. AI is certainly top of a lot of people’s minds and I’m sure it will be discussed a lot across a lot of topics, not just the tech or innovation tracks. It’s something that affects so many things as part of day-to-day life so I can’t point to any specific sessions, but it will come up.
Sustainability is also something that will be important to the whole industry as well as individuals that will be front and centre.
LBB> How will the event combine talking about current concerns (for example the cost-of-living crisis) with the evolution of the industry?
Clive> It’s all linked. The cost-of-living crisis means people spend less, this affects revenue on businesses, so they cut back on advertising or shift priorities etc.
Creative campaigns are always important. When things are going well there’s more advertising and when it’s not you still need to have cut through with your creativity as it’s always important. This industry is constantly evolving regardless.
LBB> What are you most excited to showcase at this year’s event?
Clive> For me personally, it really is the people. What we’ve been through recently shows the importance of connecting with each other and solidifying old relationships and making new ones. What we do is put the best in the industry on stage to help inform and educate and then all get together and network afterwards.
