By Mark Kersteen - October 2nd, 2015

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We asked the speakers for Incite Summit: East what talking points have been discussed to death. Do you agree?

The marketing space is especially rife with buzzwords, meaningless concepts, and general hot air. We asked the speakers for Incite Summit: East what they were absolutely sick of hearing about. While we’ve all heard a lot about everything below, in many cases I think that it’s not that we’re sick of hearing about the concept itself. We’re sick of hearing the same things over and over, without any solutions or new insights on offer. 

Millennials!

Has any generation been more remorselessly analyzed in thinkpieces and halfhearted polemics? They’re the best! They’re the worst! They love TV! Their parents are literally helicopters! Digital natives! Participations trophies! I think we’ve all had enough of the generalizations and stereotypes. Sure, they’re different, but are they that different?

“Capturing the millennial marketplace. Are we trying to trap them? Perhaps I'm sensitive to this because I'm an older millennial, and I remember the world before text messaging.” - Maia McCann, Director of Content for LittleThings.com

“I’m sick of hearing about how to market to millennials.” - Ann Marie Gothard, Senior Director, Communications Strategy for EmblemHealth

Social Media!

Well, maybe not all of social media. But there are some aspects that have been talked to death.

“I'm tired of hearing about people who abuse social media. It's a very powerful tool, and too often we hear about users—often politicians and celebrities—not thinking before posting. More often than not, the words that a user puts out on the internet are there forever, even if a post has been deleted. It's time that everyone, including brands, start to think more carefully and thoughtfully about what they're sharing to make sure it's an accurate reflection of the brand, and not something that will need to be taken down later.” - Elanah Entin Elanah Entin, Social Media Manager at BaubleBar

“Facebook changing their backend for pages and ads. As Canadian pop star Avril Levigne once sang, 'Why ya gotta go and make things so complicated?'" - Sue Funke, Digital Brand Senior Manager, TV Land

Big Data!

We get it, numbers are important. We have to draw real insights. We have to have a strategy. We need data translators. We need to use data to predict the future. No one’s denying that data is critical for every marketer, but how about less on what we have to do, and more on how to do it?

“I’m tired of hearing about the power of big data! With overwhelming volumes of articles, white papers, demonstrations and presentations on this topic, marketers understand the potential of capturing data and using it to target the right message to the right audience. It’s time to treat big data as a given and talk more about how to use it to address new, specific marketing challenges.” - Patti Girardi, Vice-President, Marketing and Creative for Compass Group

“I’m sick of hearing about big data and personalization.” - Doug Zarkin CMO at Pearle Vision

Native Advertising!

I hate new words for old things. Can someone explain to me how native content is any different from a soap company sponsoring a radio play a hundred years ago? Not to mention the unsettling trend of half-baked advertorials being disguised as genuine articles from reputable publishers.

“Native Advertising. It smacks of desperation, and is serving to prop up mediocrity at the expense of excellence. We're all going to have to work hard to earn back the trust and credibility that the trend is fast eroding.” - Jeff Pundyk Vice-President, Global Integrated Content Solutions for The Economist.

Mobile!

Guilty. I think I’ve said, “This is going to be the year of mobile!” every year for the last three years:

“‘Next year will be the year of mobile.’ Unfortunately, it seems that we hear this every Autumn. Mobile is here and has been. Responsive websites that arrange content for mobile-friendly viewing, simple and fast checkout processes for mobile devices, native in-stream ad content through apps, the increase of localization searches. Mobile is playing a huge role in shifting how consumers find, share, and process information. Brands and businesses that can embrace this mobile movement and generate targeted content for each will be winners now and in the future.” - Justin Racine, Director of Marketing and eCommerce at Geriatric Medical

Content Marketing!

I know content is my job, but I am constantly astounded at how much we keep finding to say about it. It’s not a mystery: make interesting, engaging content that you’d want to read yourself. It’s not easy by any means, but the core idea is simple, and doesn't require endless discussion.

“Content Marketing! The hype is overwhelming, which means we are headed to the ‘trough of despair’ phase of adoption—both as a practice and for the technology supporting it. Marketers better get through the disappointment phase quickly and move into a sustainable and measurable return on investment phase that will drive long-term productivity gains.” - Bruce Rogers, Chief Insights officer, Forbes

“Its importance to my role and irony aside, I’m so tired of hearing the phrase ‘snackable content.’ - Adam Cohen, Social Media Manager for Thomson Reuters

Internet of Things!

I still don’t get why so many marketers flip over this. So I can turn on my oven with my cellphone? It seems like a natural progression of technology, more than a revolution.

“IoT. People have been talking about this for years. We’ve seen some new developments and new players emerge, but for all the potential, we have not yet seen mass consumer adoption to drive scale and actionable insights.” - Heather Sears Vice-President of Marketing at YP

And More!

How is it we don’t have more universal measurement yet?

“Click through (anything about) - Click through is used to measure everything, and yet it’s a measure of nothing.” - Greg Stuart, CEO of The Mobile Marketing Association

This. I am #SoOverThis:

“What are you tired of hearing about? Hashtag anything. Simply placing a hashtag in front of a topic or brand does not make it new or relevant.” - Bluford Birdsong, Vice-President, Total Retirement Solutions Marketing and Strategy at Prudential Retirement

And, finally, some parting words.

“Short cuts. Marketing and advertising is not the most complicated thing in the world, but it's not as easy as people want to make it out to be, either. And while answers can be collected on a spreadsheet and trends can be found — the insights and the craft of making a meaningful brand, or branded anything, don't come without thinking/acting in service of people's emotional needs.” Donna Peeples, CMO, AIG (Former) 

What are you sick of hearing about? Tell us on Twitter at @incite_marcomms

The Incite Summit East 2015

November 2015, The Marriott Brooklyn Bridge

The USA's best brand-focused marketing conference. Featuring CMOs, SVPs and marketing leaders from Dell, Citi, Chobani, Activision, HSBC, Mondelez and many more.

Brochure Programme
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