Playboy, XBox 360s, big plasma screens displaying images of hot chicks, chances to win tickets to a Super Bowl party and an iPhone. Looking around the lower level of the Altman Building on Wednesday, there was little doubt what everyone assembled at the venue was thinking about: men.
More than 200 media, marketing, and agency executives gathered at the space for Nielsen Business Media's third annual Marketing to Men 18-34 conference, an event staged with the goal of offering attendees a refreshed perspective on how to target and make an impact on elusive male consumers.
The conference was inspired by increased claims by media companies that they capture the attention of this male demo (often in the form of full-page ads in Nielsen's pubs such as Brandweek and Mediaweek). The two previous incarnations took place in Las Vegas, with the 2006 gathering held in conjunction with the Billboard Music Awards. However, despite the draw of what organizers hoped was the fun and sexy locale of Vegas, attendance numbers failed to reach desired levels."The people who came loved it, but it didn't have big numbers," said Matthew Pollock, director of the multibrand conference group at Nielsen Business Media. Based on feedback from attendees recommending a move to New York, the conference came east for 2007. "It's tough to get people to travel, so we brought it to them," says Pollock. The strategy worked: Attendance numbers almost tripled this year.
The one-day industry pow-wow included eight panels on topics including "Reaching Men Through Pop Culture" with Chris Lighty, C.E.O. of Brand Asset Group and Violator Management, and "Brand Case Study: Introducing the Axe 'Gamekillers'" with Greg Anderson, director of engagement planning for BBH, and David Rubin, Axe director of brand development at Unilever. In total, 18 industry professionals offered guests marketing and strategy insights. The downstairs lounge offered what Pollock described as appreciative sponsors (including Ripe TV, Playboy, Massive Inc., Snippies, and AdMob) the chance to showcase their wares, as well as a space for several networking breaks throughout the day.
The move from the hotels of Vegas to the Altman Building did present some logistical challenges. Unable to access the space until the day of the event, Nielsen started loading in at midnight on Wednesday. Additionally, Nielsen staffers who reside in New Jersey and Rockland County spent the night before the event in Manhattan to aid and ease setup activities at 6 a.m. And that rain that brought the city to a near-stop Wednesday morning? It did cause the Altman Building's meeting planner to be delayed in getting to the venue, as well as at least one speaker, but as Pollock pointed out, it pretty much affected everyone's commute. The weather's effect was minimal, only moving organizers to push the start of the conference a half-hour. And the steamy 90-plus degrees outside? No match for the Altman's A.C., which kept the space cool and comfortable.
More than 200 media, marketing, and agency executives gathered at the space for Nielsen Business Media's third annual Marketing to Men 18-34 conference, an event staged with the goal of offering attendees a refreshed perspective on how to target and make an impact on elusive male consumers.
The conference was inspired by increased claims by media companies that they capture the attention of this male demo (often in the form of full-page ads in Nielsen's pubs such as Brandweek and Mediaweek). The two previous incarnations took place in Las Vegas, with the 2006 gathering held in conjunction with the Billboard Music Awards. However, despite the draw of what organizers hoped was the fun and sexy locale of Vegas, attendance numbers failed to reach desired levels."The people who came loved it, but it didn't have big numbers," said Matthew Pollock, director of the multibrand conference group at Nielsen Business Media. Based on feedback from attendees recommending a move to New York, the conference came east for 2007. "It's tough to get people to travel, so we brought it to them," says Pollock. The strategy worked: Attendance numbers almost tripled this year.
The one-day industry pow-wow included eight panels on topics including "Reaching Men Through Pop Culture" with Chris Lighty, C.E.O. of Brand Asset Group and Violator Management, and "Brand Case Study: Introducing the Axe 'Gamekillers'" with Greg Anderson, director of engagement planning for BBH, and David Rubin, Axe director of brand development at Unilever. In total, 18 industry professionals offered guests marketing and strategy insights. The downstairs lounge offered what Pollock described as appreciative sponsors (including Ripe TV, Playboy, Massive Inc., Snippies, and AdMob) the chance to showcase their wares, as well as a space for several networking breaks throughout the day.
The move from the hotels of Vegas to the Altman Building did present some logistical challenges. Unable to access the space until the day of the event, Nielsen started loading in at midnight on Wednesday. Additionally, Nielsen staffers who reside in New Jersey and Rockland County spent the night before the event in Manhattan to aid and ease setup activities at 6 a.m. And that rain that brought the city to a near-stop Wednesday morning? It did cause the Altman Building's meeting planner to be delayed in getting to the venue, as well as at least one speaker, but as Pollock pointed out, it pretty much affected everyone's commute. The weather's effect was minimal, only moving organizers to push the start of the conference a half-hour. And the steamy 90-plus degrees outside? No match for the Altman's A.C., which kept the space cool and comfortable.
Playboy served as a sponsor.
Photo: BizBash
Chris Lighty is C.E.O. of Brand Asset Group and Violator Management.
Photo: Rick Gilbert/Skyhook Entertainment
From left, Peter O'Reilly, director of marketing and fan development for the National Football League; Peter Farnsworth, senior vice president of business development for the National Basketball Association; and Jarry Janoff, executive editor/sports editor of Brandweek, spoke on the panel "Sports Talk: Putting on Your Game Face."
Photo: Rick Gilbert/Skyhook Entertainment
The day concluded with the MANhattan Bash, a cocktail mixer.
Photo: Rick Gilbert/Skyhook Entertainment
Sponsor Playboy set up a display downstairs.
Photo: BizBash
