Hayzlett, who also authored a book about this stuff called "The Mirror Test," advises that you look at who you are in the mirror for inspiration. "Who are you in the mirror?" he asked. "Look pretty in the mirror….You can’t be cool and look like Elmer Fudd."

"A brand is nothing but a promise delivered," said Hayzlett. "The promises that we deliver are different." In other words, figure out what you want to promise consumers and go from there. You may have a similar product to your competitors, but you can still take a different angle on your promise that can make them look at you in an entirely different light.

He also recommends keeping your "elevator pitch" to 118 seconds at most. After listening to many pitches on the exhibit hall floor at at:tech NY, Hayzlett said, "Many of you must be in much taller buildings than I am."

You get "8 seconds to hook me, 110 to close me. No more," he said.

If you’re a marketing leader in your organization, you should be creating tension, he says. "Shouldn’t we be causing tension in the operation…getting into healthy debate?"

Tension generally arises when there are risks involved, but that’s ok. "What happens if you make a mistake? No one’s going to die," he said. Learn from it.

Hayzlett had some interesting things to say about social media.

"Social media’s been around forever," he said, adding that people frequently say that the people are now in control, but that they were always in control. "Now they can actually write something and you’re paying attention to it."

And you better be paying attention to it. If someone is cursing your brand, you’re going to want to know about those conversations. The ROI of social media is constantly questioned within organizations. "You tell me what the return on ignoring is, I’ll tell you what the return on investment is," said Hayzlett.

"It is isn’t about building eyeballs and ears," he declared. "It’s about building hearts and minds."

Do you think Hearst’s success in traditional publishing will extend to triumph in the online world? Let us know in the comments section.

With 14 magazines and 23 sites, the company has 40 apps to accompany them. "Our digital library is a huge asset," he said, later adding "It’s not just the assets. It’s what you do with them."

Hearst goes well beyond simply re-creating its print experiences for digital platforms whether they be the publications’ websites or mobile apps. For its sites it creates unique content. For its apps it not only creates unique content, but unique app experiences altogether. Many of Heart’s brand apps offer different services or entertaining experiences that aren’t just reading. And this goes beyond even video, audio, and animation. It’s about creating a interesting experience. 

None of these apps are free. Loughlin says that while much of the Blogosphere says this stuff should be free, he disagrees, noting that these bloggers should see the bills that come along with developing this stuff. 

"It’s not just about brand exposure," said Loughlin. "It’s about creating a sufficiently strong impression."

"When people ask me, ‘Is print dead?’ I say hell no" he added.

Hearst’s paid print subscriptions sold via the web have gone up significantly in the last four years.

While I’ve long been skeptical of the notion that a substantial amount of people will pay for digital content when there is so much other content available for free, 

Hearst has the right idea when it comes to making this work, I think, if it’s really going to.  It’s all about keeping it unique and creating interesting experiences beyond just readable (or even watchable or listenable) content.

Let us know what you make of Loughlin’s thoughts — and if you have any additional ideas — in the comments section.

The beauty of the campaign was not only the innovation behind it to begin with, but the fact that it easily translated to a variety of digital options. What started as simply an app at a kiosk at the event was eventually turned into a web application that anybody could use online and a mobile app that allows the user to take a picture of their friends and do the same thing. 

"In typical client fashion, we asked for a turnaround in like a couple weeks," laughed Jabaji talking about the beginning of the companies’ relationship. The campaign was a success. 

One small, but very important factor of the campaign was that the tattoos looked real. Otherwise, the whole thing would’ve failed miserably, as the two implied. "Tiny production details can make or break it," said LaCivita, referring to things like the tattoos in the app adjusting to the contours of users’ skin and added redness for a realistic effect.

While the details will obviously differ from campaign to campaign and brand to brand, these are indeed words of wisdom. The small details can often make a huge difference. 

Of course, as Jabaji pointed out, it also helps when you can use alcohol to lure people into your kiosk.

"The challenge here is: how do we balance scale with engagement?" said Jeff Plaisted Microsoft Advertising National Specialist Sales Manager. Here at ad:tech NY, Plaisted, along with Adam Hughes, Digital Media Supervisor at Starcom, discussed a campaign they worked on for GMC. 

We won’t get into the whole case study here, but just a couple takeaways. "Make it quick," said Plaisted. "Get to the point really quickly and deliver that value."

This is probably good advice for marketing through mobile or through any other channel. While there are certainly exceptions to the rule, it’s getting harder and harder to command consumers’ attention these days, if for no other reason than the fact that there are so many entities vying for it through all different channels.

That’s why the GMC campaign used an in-app calculator that asked consumers to answer just a few quick questions, rather than a whole bunch of questions. If you’re lucky enough to get them there, don’t drive them away by threatening to use up too much of their time.

The real reasons to increase you mobile marketing efforts are that mobile is "universal" and "insanely personal", as Michael Becker of the Mobile Marketing Association pointed out.

According to Becker, there are 6.8 billion people on planet and over 5 billion mobile subscriptions. In the U.S. there are 277 million subscriptions, with 233 million unique users. Is that enough reasons?

Read here for some mobile marketing tips.

Steven Berlin Johnson,  Author of "Where Good Ideas Come From" and Chairman and co-Founder of local startup Outside.in, had some inspirational things to say on the matter. For one, ideas come from hunches, and it’s crucial that you surround yourself in environments where such hunches can thrive. 

You might check out his book if you want to see examples throughout history, but getting right to the point, think about Google and their 20% time. Think about Facebook’s casual working environment. These are two of the most innovative companies on the web, and they give their employees environments that cater to constant innovation. 

Beyond the actual work environment, the tools are clearly there to spark innovation. "The web has obviously been an extraordinary engine of innovation," said Johnson. "The web is an open platform….It’s the openness of the space that makes all these new forms of connection and innovation possible."

Another part of it is not closing this openness off. "We need to recognize the value in connecting ideas and not just protecting ideas," he said, adding that all the intellectual property law kind of stuff is basically the equivalent of paying an "innovation tax."

One more piece of great advice that Johnson offered was to associate with a diverse group of people. This means not just people in your own industry. While it’s certainly a good idea to get involved with the people within your own niche, innovation can be sparked from seeing things from the points of view from a much broader group. 

One easy way to do this is follow people in different fields on Twitter, Facebook, etc.

A few stats she dropped include: 65 of the Forbes 400 live in NYC, there are 2,000 Google employees in New York, there are 175 funding sources focused on digital in New York, and there are over 1,000 Internet tech companies in NYC. 

One reason in particular that it’s a good time to have an innovative startup is that the big companies are going hog-wild when it comes to mergers and acquisitions.

"Clearly the message is that the stakes are going up fom the M&A perspective," says Gridley. Google itself has made 24 acquisitions this year based on talent and technology. IBM has acquired 15 (mostly geared more toward data and analytics).

Over 200 startups have been founded in NY in last 4 years, she said, and they’re disrupting many established categories. "We think that should be a huge warning sign…" Leaders of traditional companies, take note.

Some advice she had for sellers: "Really consider what your current offering is and what kind of transaction could make you part of a broader offering." Also, she said to think through what your opportunities are, disconnect valuation between buyers and sellers, and act early, because next year, the M&A market might get kind of crowded. "Be reasonable on valuation if you are in a crowded sector," she said. "Build the most attractive customer base that you can before you sell."

For buyers, she had some more advice: consider all potential acquisition candidates (not just the ones in the market), understand the competitive differentiation and potential threats, and stretch for key capabilities as they are only going to get more expensive.

Finally, to investors, she advised, innovation is happening at a faster pace – don’t miss, earlier stage companies – be thoughtful because there are lots of risks, and NYC is "where it’s happening."

At ad:tech NY, location-based services have been a hot topic of discussion (possibly the hottest). Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley spoke about his ambitions for making Foursquare an incredible tool for local businesses. A bit later, Greg Sterling led a panel with Murphy USA Internet Business Director Casey Petersen, Whrrl VP of products John Kim, MTV.com and VH1.com General Manager Kristin Frank, and Gowalla Director of Business Development Andy Ellwood. 

Petersen and Kim discussed how Murphy USA (the Gas stations in front of Walmart) has been utilizing check-in app Whrrl to engage customers, build loyalty, and increase recommendations. Interestingly 44% of check-ins were new customers. More interesting yet, 85% of check-ins came because of the program, in cases when it would’ve been more convenient to go to a competitor.

According to Petersen, those using the app are three times more likely to visit more than once per week vs average customers, about 50% visit over six times a month, 72% are more likely to recommend a friend, and 56% are more likely to increase purchases due to the program.

In terms of influence, Petersen said Whrrl came in just behind email and Facebook, and over SMS and Twitter for Murphy USA’s customers. The three lessons Murphy USA and Whrrl learned from the project, as presented by Kim, were:

1. Align goals of the business and LBS service
2. Building proof should be first goal. Scale second. 
3. Use LBS to highlight real people at your physical business in your broader social media efforts. 

Frank said of MTV, "We’re always trying to set the standards and lead the way in social media. MTV and VH1 were the first media companies to partner with Foursquare on celebrity mode, she said, and MTV has the most followers on Foursquare of any brand. 

"We’ve recently moved to more of an ‘expand the brand’ model," she said.

"Our audience expects us to embrace these different sites…different technologies that they’re using," she added.

"At the end of the day, Facebook is already starting to go there [LBS]…when they open it up to application development….that’s when this thing goes mainstream."

Let’s not forget Gowalla. Ellwood said, "It’s not just the check-ins. It’s also the photos that you take and the comments that you make." 

"Gowalla is a virtual passport for your phone that allows you to catalog places visited, photos taken, comments shared and pins collected."

A question he says businesses should be asking is, "What are the places that my brand should be associated with?" 

The places, by the way, don’t have to be predictable.

"The thing that was interesting is that when it comes to people who are fairly sophisticated….there are a lot of similarities around the world," she said. "Regardless of the level of market development, you find very, very sophisticated social media users."

"The barriers are going to come down," she declared. Barriers will be limited to things like literacy and Internet connections. The point is that everyone is using it, and they’re talking about brands. 

"Now consumers have the microphone, and they’re gonna tell you what they want, and they’re gonna interact on their own terms," she said. "They [marketers] see the value, but they’re not quite sure how to engage. "’Maybe my brand isn’t cool enough’ is what they’re saying…" 

That fact is that brand management teams, she said, are "lacking best practices, and they’re really lacking guidelines. They feel like they’re on the outside looking in."

Many of these marketers and brand managers are simply jumping on the social media bandwagon, without really knowing what to do, Stallworth said. This is not going to lend to a lot of credibility or effectiveness in strategy.

In other words, it’s time to get your stuff together. Social media’s not new and shiny anymore. The longer you wait to develop a real strategy, the worse your brand is going to look and your credibility will diminish. There’s no one strategy. You have to find yours. I’m sure you can find plenty of ideas online. Here’s a few to get your started. 

To put brand social media into perspective, Stallworth shared some wise words: "To connect is to belong. To belong is to believe. To believe is to maybe consider…If I’m considering you then maybe I’m going to think about buying you."

Speaking here at ad:tech New York, he compared Foursquare to a Google Analytics for people who walk in your door. "These are your best customers," he said. "The check-in is kind of a commodity."

"The check-in is ultimately boring," said Crowley, adding that Foursquare is focused on what comes after the check-in. The company wants to deliver more relevant  content based on check-ins, beyond just games. "Every check-in should mean something," he said, though games are still a big part of what Foursquare is about. "The  whole thing is based on Super Mario Bros." he joked. 

But he talked about scenarios such as traveling to Chicago and getting some tips on things to do based on where you’re at and your past experiences in another city like New York. Real, practical uses. He says he’s "really bullish" on the local merchant-related stuff Foursquare is doing. 

"The harder part is consumer brands…consumer packaged goods," he said. For example, things like Foursquare to help sell batteries or cereal. "We’re definitely still in that experimental stage."

Foursquare is not without its skeptics of course. Neither was Twitter when it started, he reminds us. "We’ll be kicking ass a year from now," he says. 

There are plenty of people that still think Twitter is useless, and there will probably always be those opinions about Foursquare as well, but Crowley is confident that once they are able to start showing real metrics and data about why this can be useful, more and more people will start to get it. "I think we’re still in the super early days of this."

Do you get Foursquare? Tell us what you think.

9 out of 10 bloggers are reportedly talking about brands. Obviously that is important to consider in a time where opinions are easily swayed and conveyed (and shared) on the web through blogs and social media.

The State of the Blogosphere has been analyzing blogging growth and trends for 6 years. This year, the study specifically looks at brands in the Blogosphere, professional blogging activities, how bloggers are making money, the importance of Facebook vs. Google to bloggers, and the impact of market trends (like smartphones) on the blogosphere. 

So how are the top bloggers gaining new audiences? What’s the best way to monetize? How should brands go about targeting and engaging bloggers? These are a few of the questions the report aims to answer. He said the number one question he gets asked is ‘how do i become a famous blogger?’ As for the state of the Blogosphere, "It’s never been stronger," he declared.

Accompanying him on stage was Wendy Hutter, Senior VP and New York Managing Director at Penn Schoen Berland, which contributed to the report – the largest blogger survey ever – 7,200 bloggers with an additional consumer survey of over 1,000 people.

Some interesting stats from the presentation as presented by Wendy:

- a third of bloggers have worked in traditional media. 

- 87% of all bloggers use Facebook.

- 81% use Facebook to promote their blog.

- 64% use to interact with readers.

- 45% say FB is a more effective traffic driver than a year ago.

- Pros are more likely to have a separate FB Page for their blog. 

- 73% of hobbyists/88% of pros use Twitter

- more than half link Twitter to their blog.

- One third of twitter nn-isers say they prefer fb for short updates and posting links

- 34% say Twitter is a more effective traffic driver than a year ago.

- 33% say tablets an d smartphones have impacted their blogging style

- 15% are using less flash and 7% are using html5 more often

More Brand and Revenue stats from Jalichandra:

- Half of non-corporate pro bloggers write about brands

- a fourth of bloggers overall, post pdouct or brand reviews monthly

- a fifth of bloggers post weekly

- 71 percent only write about brands and products whose reputations they approve of. 

- a third boycott products.

- 1 in 5 not only blog about them but advocate their audience to boycott products as well

- half of pros and a fourth of hobbyists have been approached by a company to write about their brand or products

- 64% of bloggers say they are treated less professionaly by those brand reps than are the traditional media

- one in four blogs with ads now use an ad network. that’s up from one in 5 in ’09 and one in 8 in ’08

- 54% increase in number blogs with ad tags from ’09 to ’10

- Display ads 27%, search ads 25%, affiliate links 25%, paid postings 6%

- Best-performing ads: 38% say standard display ads perfom best on blogs

- 47% allow rich media, 33% allow paid advertorial posts

"Bloggers are most influenced by other bloggers," Jalichandra said. Check out Technorati for the full report, which includes a lot more info. They’ll be releasing three articles and a dozen interviews with prominent women bloggers. 

Staty tuned to WebProNews for more ad:tech coverage.