Printed magazines will continue to be an important piece of the consumer’s life; this is the message I walked away with during last week’s Magazine Day – an annual gathering hosted by the Advertising Federation of Minnesota (Ad Fed) to discuss the role magazines play in a time of mass communication and ever evolving technology.

I arrived at the Graves | 601 hotel in downtown Minneapolis not knowing what to expect. Much like others, I was weary about the state of our publishing industry, with increasing numbers of prominent companies moving towards more of a digital frame. In my mind, I was the only person who still kept various subscriptions. Vogue, Harpers, Time and Real Simple – tools needed to reinvigorate my addiction to constant information. Magazine Day, The Future of Magazines in the Digital Age, provided answers to questions not only I had, but also those heard amongst the side conversations surrounding tables of the hotel’s fifth floor ballroom.

With an incredibly inspiring introduction by Dom Rossi, senior adviser of marketing and advertising, Magazine Publishers of America, five important aspects of magazine publishing were laid out: social discussion, experience, engagement, advocating and comparison. These aspects are essential to understand where magazine stand, where the digital age is leading us, and how publishers can use the information to better connect with their consumers.

And that’s just the thing. It’s all about connections – managing the connections and the flow of one’s message in a digital age as best as possible. The voice of hope was reiterated by a panel of distinguished individuals, all leaders in the magazine field – and moderated by the ever charming, Jason DeRusha of WCCO-TV. Leslie Picard, president of Time Inc. Branded Solutions; Jeffrey W. Hamill, senior vice president of advertising, sales and marketing at Hearst Magazines; Richard Porter, executive vice president and president of media sales at Meredith Corp.; and Gary Johnson, president at MSP Communications, all shared their respective insights. During the course of the luncheon, the intricacies of the magazine business were discussed, debated and debunked. It truly felt like no question was left unanswered.

From the controversy of Pinterest’s unmistakable presence, to the sometimes confusing concept that is free content – the discussion of how magazines continue to remain steadfast in an industry of constant change, was both inspiring and educating.  I learned instantly that magazines must work to have control over their content – especially how the content is delivered and how the consumer interacts with it.  It is not merely important to produce content each month that sells, but more valuable to understand the context, and create work that speaks to the reader, engaging them in every way possible.

Why do people still buy magazines?  Well, magazines offer the experience of engaging with information that far exceeds that of any other medium.  We are therefore, humans who appreciate the tangible, we may rely on technology to offer us a fast response to our daily desires, but it cannot top the emotional experience we attain when at the hands of a well produced magazine.

Our discussion at this year’s Magazine Day left us with one particular question:  In this digital age, will magazines survive?

Yes.  For it should be noted that as a reader, if the brand is your passion point, you will consume it in any way you can, print or other.  What does this mean for the publishing industry?  A marriage of two separate frames of thoughts– that of print, and that of the web.  Leverage, control, and utilize the power to bring both into your corner, and the rest will follow.

My subscriptions are quickly being refilled.  2012 would be bleak without their presence.

For more blogs by Joan, check out The Brown Girl Files: http://thebrowngirlfiles.tumblr.com/

Picture, for a moment, a large room. In the room there are rows of tables. Neatly stacked upon these tables are magazines. Not just a few, thousands. Every title imaginable is free for the taking, from GQ to Wired, Glamour to Newsweek. The doors are open for the attendees to freely grab as many titles as they can fit into their bags.  Welcome to, Ad Fed’s Magazine Day.

Last year, there were about 200 attendees of Magazine Day, ranging from ad sales representatives to high-level publishers. The atmosphere was calm as attendees grabbed their magazines for the “magazine grab” portion of the day. Following the conversations by swooning young women over Andy Samberg on the cover of Wired magazine, was a sit down lunch. Attendees enjoyed a delicious meal and listened to Kelly Leach share insights with the group about magazine publishing.

Magazine Day 2012 is going to be just as great! This year, the event has been given a face-lift. There is going to be a tech bar, where the publishers are going to show their mobile and tablet editions of their titles. Coming from a self-proclaimed internet/Twitter/social media addict has been appointed chair of all things social, you can bet your bottom dollar that the social media integration will be stellar.

Ad Fed  has a great panel of speakers lined-up for this year’s Magazine Day. It’s not just any panel; these people know what they are talking about, they are leaders and experts in the publishing industry.  You’ll also get a chance to meet Jason DeRusha, from WCCO, the moderator of the Magazine Day expert panel. While this all going on, you will also be able to enjoy some amazing food. The event  being held at the Graves | 601 Hotel, and you can rest assured that your palate will be pleasantly satisfied.

Finally, you’ll go home with more magazines than you’ll know what to do with. Maybe you’ll discover something wonderful in a magazine and you’ll decide to subscribe; it’s the event that continues all year long!

Click Here to find out more about Magazine Day and Register to attend.

On Thursday night, April 19, the first annual Bowl-O-Rama, at Memory Lanes and Throwback Café in Minneapolis, was a new hit event for the Advertising Federation of Minnesota (AdFed)!  Twenty-one lanes contained 100+ AdFed members and others from the ad community ready to bowl their hearts out.

Dress was casual and some teams created their own theme. The team from Knock Agency, called themselves the Knock + Rollers, and dressed in brown and orange. “We like any excuse to make bowling shirts”, Natalie Lutz of Knock shared. The Ad2 team, dressed in a combination of green headbands and Hawaiian shirts, definitely went all out in their attire.

There was quite the competition line-up with these teams on the roster:
Celarity

Digital People

Compass Point Media

Splice

KNOCK Inc

Vetta-Zelo

Creatis

Morsekode

Spyglass Creative

High Point Creative

Prior to the games, there was a buffet of various bar foods: waffle fries, mini-corndogs, breaded mushrooms, green bean fries and late night pizza.  The food went rapidly, but the beer was plentiful.

After each team bowled its first game, one team member would be chosen as part of the Strike Off. In something that could be described as ‘poetry in motion’ (or graceful organization), 21 bowlers all tossed their bowling balls simultaneously, and those who earned a strike would bowl again. In the end, Jeromy Knapp won the Strike-Off and walked away with $50 in gift certificates for his team to CRAVE and Urban Eatery. After the second game, the awards were presented. The winners took home a shiny trophy and an array of gift certificates from various businesses such as The Rail Station, Muddy Paws Cheesecake and Pizza Luce. Matthew Martin won the award for Highest Male score, Erin McCloskey won the award for Highest Female score, Matt Jollie won The Gutter award for the lowest score and Splice Here won the High Team score.

Casual and fun were the ongoing themes the entire night. Rather than the formal speeches that often occur at agencies and other structured networking events, the Bowl-O-Rama was an event where everyone could let their hair down and enjoy themselves in a laid back atmosphere with a little friendly competition in a good ol’ game of bowling. Next year’s Bowl-O-Rama can’t come soon enough!

Click Here for more Ad Fed events.

In front of a full crowd at International Market Square in Minneapolis, Ann Mack, director of Trendspotting for JWT, revealed the top ten trends that will shape 2012. There was no mention of the end of world, so we’re good in that respect.

Ann spoke in-depth about a variety of trends, the societal and economic forces behind them, and ultimately how they would continue to impact the world. Young or old, rich or poor, there is a trend that will affect you in 2012.

Perhaps, you are part of the aptly named Generation Go. Who, instead of just waiting for the economy to rebound, decided to make their own luck. Generation Go’s  familiarity with technology and DIY work ethic has given them the ability to create their own job opportunities instead of hoping established businesses will recruit them into their ranks. Members of Generation Go are idealistic and are not willing to accept the world as it is.

As the global trendspotter for JWT, a global agency, Ann communicates with planners around the world, so she knows which trends are gaining traction in which markets. Only the trends that have worldwide appeal make the list.

There were a lot of questions from the audience wondering which trend was the most important. According to Ann, it is purely situational. A person may be affected by some of these trends in their professional life and some in their personal life. One thing is certain: If you work in advertising, at least one of these trends is manifesting itself in your target market. You just have to figure out which one.

To see an abbreviated (and animated) version of the Top Ten Trends, check out this video <http://youtu.be/9MyizJ6KMWI>

Click Here for upcoming Ad Fed events.

Written By: Leah Zins & Lacey Cobb

The Special Events committee has decided to try something new and exciting to parallel the other annual Advertising Federation of Minnesota (Ad Fed) events. We bring you: Bowl-O-Rama 2012. Come one, come all. Regardless of your skill (or lack thereof), you will want to be here, and here is why.

1.     CAMARADERIE:  You spend upwards of 40 hours every week with your colleagues inside your respective offices and cubicles – but have you participated with them in a leisure sport?  Think of it as team building — subtracting the ropes course and adding the beer.  Win-win for all involved.

2.     HISTORY:  You get to say you were there when it all began.  There will be dozens of stories you can tell your interns, and your interns’ interns.  Picture them gazing at you in adoration as you shower them with your infinite wisdom…

3.     VENUE: Memory Lanes and Throwback Café is a fantastic retro-themed alley that is home to the Twin Cities Ad League. Just when you thought your Ad League bowling season was over, we have 30 spectacular lanes ready for one more night of friendly competition.

4.     COMPETITION: Speaking of competition, who doesn’t like a fresh new set of bragging rights? Especially when said rights come with spectacular 70’s style bowling trophies.

5.     SUPPORT AD FED: Ad Fed is dedicated to providing quality resources, educational programs, networking opportunities – with an overall aim of keeping it fun and interesting.  Your continued support helps us achieve our goals and mission, so that you, your interns, and your interns’ interns have a highly regarded association to contribute to the advertising thought leadership in the Twin Cities.

It’s clear that attending the inaugural Bowl-O-Rama will be a memory maker for years to come. Bring your shoes and shine your bowling balls – we’ll see you on April 19^th!

And if you don’t already have team, Ad Fed will put you on a good one. See you there.

Register Here.

On the 10^th floor of a once abandoned Ford plant (that now towers over Target Field) in Minneapolis’ Warehouse District rests the new home of Olson. While taking a tour, it’s not hard to be amazed at the amount of space and openness on each floor. With the windows still preserved from the former tenants, the light shown through illuminating each floor with ease.

Each room and each floor in Olson has unique features, from the bar table common area found on each floor, to the wooden stairs that were once elevator shafts for the 1920’s autos. Olson is a place of energy and creativity.

In the expansive cafe area, attendees were provided delicious snacks: cheeses, crackers, taco dips, salsas and various finger foods. Drink selections were beer, wine, coffee and bottled water. Once all150 attendees gathered in the cafe area, the networking and mingling began. The fact that all the attendees could fit easily on one floor was another plus of the evening.

The first speaker was Christina Clawsen, who has been working at Olson for five years. She provided a light introduction about Olson: “I love my job. You can’t have it!” These words brought smiles and laughter to many. She then introduced the Vice President of Olson, Paul Ratzky.

Paul began with a brief summary of where he has worked, including three years at Olson. The presentation began with the displaying Olson’s lengthy and impressive client list,\ including: Target, UV, General Mills, Mini, the American Red Cross, Live Nation, Brisk, Amtrak and Best Buy.

The theme of the presentation was community: ”Connection is all that counts; people are not here to purchase, but to connect with brands; people are a collection of communities; [there is] a common bond and a shared belief.”

It was an amazing networking and learning experience at Olson. From seeing the spacious interior, the food, drink and vast networking opportunities and the presentation by Paul Ratzky; this was a spring night to remember for all in attendance.

Photos by Ryan Murray

Does the term, “Work hard, play hard” mean anything to you?

Our volunteers for Ad2 have been working hard all year to bring you some of the best networking events in the country – and that’s no fanciful claim. Ad2 Minnesota was officially awarded First Place by Ad2 National Operations for Club Achievement Programs 2011-12! What better way to celebrate an enormously successful year than to join us for our annual Pub Crawl!

You’re officially invited to attend The Ad2 Pub Crawl of the 2012: Summer OlympiAd²! This is our chance as Ad2 members, volunteers and friends to celebrate the “play-hard” side of things by combining networking, food and copious drinking into a pub crawl sure to take over the Uptown scene.

This crawl of semi-Olympic proportions starts at 5:30pm sharp with the Opening Ceremonies at Williams bar on Hennepin Ave. in Uptown where competitors will enjoy drink specials and attempts at showing pride in their respective agency by competing in darts, foosball, or skee-ball. Make sure to start withon time to receive your participation surprise,while supplies last! The crawl will migrate at 7pm to the Cafeteria at Calhoun Square where all of Ad2’s “athletes” will be able to socialize and feast on appetizers fit only for a world champion gold medalist. At precisely 8pm, the party will stumble heroically to the Uptown Tavern where athletes of the 2012 Summer Olymipad² will be able to stand tall in all their glory atop the podium of champions with special respect going to the best dressed Olympiad. Where the night leads after that is a mystery, but the Uptown Tavern is by no means to be considered the closing ceremonies! Please assign a designated driver or be sure to call a cab.

The Details:

• Thursday, May 17^th 2012.
• 5:30 – 8:00pm.
  • Williams Bar: 5:30 – 6:45pm
  • Cafeteria:  6:45-8:00pm
  • Uptown Tavern: 8:00pm – ???
• Dress like a summer Olympic athlete!

• FREE for registered members! ($5 at the door if you don’t pre-register as a member)
• $10 for students
• $15 for non-members

See you at the Ad2 Pub Crawl of the 2012 Summer Olympiad²!

Mood Board created by: Caesar Wirichaga

On Thursday, April 5, 2012 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., OLSON invites members of Ad2, students and professionals for a night of new!

As a “house warming party” and a chance to show off their new “pad,” Olson is kicking off the evening with a tour of their new office space that was designed by the masterminds themselves.  Selecting a space in the Ford Center, a historic building in the Warehouse District in downtown Minneapolis, the company now has room to grow and stay connected; they were previously located at several locations throughout Minneapolis. On the tour, you will be able to experience how the space they designed generates and promotes creativity. Maybe you will even come up with a new pitch of your own! One thing is certain, you will be awed.

However, their genius is not only seen in interior design.  Olson has a client roster full of campaigns, events and media coverage that shows why they are one of the fastest growing and influential agencies in the industry. Working on campaigns such as Missoni for Target (think, sold out shelves and a website crash), “Hometown Heroes” for the Minnesota State Lottery (featured in the Start Tribune March 28^th) and “That’s Brisk, Baby” for Brisk Ice Tea (Super Bowl commercial), this agency knows innovative thinking and how to stay ahead in trends, competition and fun. During the evening, you will be able to hear first-hand from a few of the Olson members that make it all happen. One tip: come armed with questions!

As a company that,“believes connection is all that counts,” Olson would like to provide students with a chance to make a few of those “connections that count.” By registering for the event, the team has offered to look over creative students portfolios on Thursday evening. Space is limited so act now!

Visit AdFed.org/events for more details on how to make a connection that may just last a lifetime.

This weekend I had the pleasure to announce through National Ad2 Social Media and to my Ad Fed and Ad2 colleagues that Ad2 Minneapolis Won 1st Place Programs from the National American Advertising Federation.

This award goes back to representing your Ad2 club nationally and getting to compare notes and compete with other talented clubs on Club Operations, Education, Membership and more. Programs is something that Minneapolis has seemed to stand-out in the crowd with over the years. Our themes are always different and we always come up with something new each time to keep reinventing the concept of Advertising and Career Education in our very own local community. We like to network, after work it’s nice to have an adult beverage or cold drink and if we can take away something that involves an agency showing us what they did in a case study, or the newest software they are using to edit video or even a role or discipline you never thought about becoming- then Ad2 has accomplished what we have set out to do!

Our winning submissions for the 2012 1st Place Programs included the required 3 events and 1 special program, began with Drive Thru event held in October 2011. The record-breaking-attendee Campbell Mithun event whom people are still talking about that was in November 2011. Martin Williams event held January 2012 where 2 Gingers Whiskey and a 20-second video contest clearly stands out in the crowd. Then finally, the annual pub crawl which was held in May 2011 on LynLake known as Rock the Yacht.

Individually these events stood out to Allie Eide and I while choosing for the submissions in January 2012, because they were all very diverse, yet had this special theme and quality about them we liked.

Ad2 continues to grow and each event keeps out doing the other. The agencies and talented businesses locally keep stepping-up to show us what they can show the ad community and the committees that run the events are getting more passionate and stronger.

It’s hard to imagine how it used to be back when I would be planning events solely for about 30-50 people and it was before the hash-tags where enabled for events. Now our venues on average need to hold 150 and we are continuing to channel new groups through social media! Thanks to the individuals that help the events before become a success over the years. It not only are the talented volunteers that are active in the committees and events now, but the ones that I worked with back in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Each one of us have different career paths leading us to finding a job, starting our 60-hour work weeks or even being laid-off. Work-life-volunteer-balance is crucial and it has brought many different people in my life. This next generation volunteer group will continue to exceed expectations and I have faith in the on-going leadership involved with Ad2.

I’m happy to share this 1st Place Programs honor with all of you!

Stay tuned for a few more rocking events to finish off my last few months as your Ad2 President and Programs Director. OLSON will be hosting the Thursday, April 5th event and this one will be one for the books. Register today! Then the final HOORAY of the 2011-2012 Program year will be the  OlympiAD² Pub Crawl, so put May 17th on the calendar and register before you forget.

Thanks again for reading and participating with our nonprofit organization. This MN Design Gal won’t be going away, the party planning, ideas, innovation and leadership lives in my blood.

What’s going on behind mono’s blue door? A lot, actually.

About 100 advertising professionals and students joined Ad2 on Thursday March 22 to hear about the latest goings-on at the agency and to mingle with the teams who dreamt up and executed projects like MSNBC’s “Lean Forward” campaign and Blue Cross Blue Shield’s “The Human Doing.”

Many were happy to see people we hadn’t seen in awhile. Mono served yummy food, especially the cupcakes; The layout of mono is very dynamic; streamlined and functional, but without the distracting clutter. It was easy to see the many gracious and friendly people at mono; and it’s very clear there is a lot of creativity that comes out of the agency.

In one corner of mono’s office, creative co-chair Paula Biondich presented Blu Dot’s “Real Good Experiment”, a project that capitalized on Manhattan’s “curb mining” pastime and outfitted 25 chairs with GPS tracking units in order to spread the word about the grand opening of the company’s flagship store in New York’s SoHo.

In another corner, creative co-chair Travis Olson offered insight into the SoundAffects experiment for Parsons The New School for Design. “We asked, ‘what if we changed the way we look at our cities … and listen instead?’” Olson said, describing the ideation process for the project. What began as a task to “start a conversation about design today” for Parsons turned into a social experiment to learn how musical composition reacts to its surrounding environment.

The Human Doing, which won Best in Show from Ad Fed’s The Show, was presented by creative co-chair Troy Longie. For this campaign, mono put a man in a glass apartment at Mall of America for a month, dependent on community votes of support to get him healthier. And creative director Larry Olson provided an animated account of mono’s campaign for Virgin Unite called “Do Whatever It Takes,” which asked Millennials to literally pledge to do whatever it takes to raise money and end youth homelessness in a digital social good campaign.

While the conversations about mono’s work were interesting, what made the evening truly fascinating was the candor surrounding the agency’s approach to the experimental solutions for clients it has come to be known for. “The conversation we have at the wall is, how are we going to change this business?” Olson explained when a visitor asked about mono’s process, “We ask, what would be interesting? What would be cool? And then we try to do that in our own way.”

For more Ad Fed events, click here.

To view all event photos from Ad2’s event at mono, go to Ad Fed’s facebook page.