I’ll be attending Emetrics Summit DC next week, a must for anyone that wants to maintain or increase their connections in the Web Analytics industry – I’ve attended every US based Emetrics since October 2006, about 6 months after starting this blog.

I just want to say this on the onset of what is turning out to be a very long post – Jim Sterne has done an EXCEPTIONAL JOB of rasing the bar, and adding new and better content at this Emetrics Summit.   One of the biggest problems larger conferences face is they tend to get old and stale after a few years – Jim has really outdone himself with this program – I can testify to that – and this conference, especially now, in a lousy economy, is probably the best investment anyone can make in their career – I’d suggest attending – it’s still not too late to register (up till Monday, October 20th, that is).

By the way, here’s a painting I did on my iPhone that contains many of the feelings and ideas I’m posting about – enjoy!

Thought I’d publish my itinerary – and any thoughts that come to my mind about it – tonight (I can still change what I attend – and often, I end up in a conversation with someone at the conference and don’t make it to all the sessions I planned – figuring the connecting with someone is the most important thing about being at a conference like this, but I will try to attend most of the sessions I list here).

Monday, October 20th, 2008

Having a seat on the current Board of Directors of the WAA, I make a special effort to attend community meetings at Emetrics and I enjoy meeting old and new friends at the WAA Reception afterwards – being at Emetrics has been an exceptionally rewarding experience for me.

And honestly, I don’t know what time I’ll end up going to bed Monday night – there’s usually people up pretty late …. talking about Analytics and the Economy, I’m sure.

I want to say that all of Tuesday, I’ll be focusing exclusively on the Social Media track - it seems to me that Jim Sterne has really honed in on Social Media, given the attendees more of what they’re interested in – updated content and, I think, has done an excellent job of putting this track together – along with the rest of the conference.

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

Definitely, making the Jim Sterne keynote is a must, Jim is a wonderful speaker that brings the subject of Web Analytics alive – what could be a dull, arcane subject becomes very alive and interesting when he speaks about it.

11:10 - 12:00 Social Media Metrics – Beech

I’m attending Social Network Analysis – Fred Türling – that’s a must, even though Eric Peterson is also speaking at this time, and normally I’d go to that, I have directed the Social Media Committee at the WAA for some time, have started the ball rolling in defining Social Media Metrics, and therefore – Social Network Analysis is a must attend for me – if nothing else, to see what Fred has to say.    Here’s the Marketing notes from that session:

“…..S01 Tuesday, 11:10 – 12:00

Social Network Analysis

Fred Türling, SHS Viveon AG

Internet based communities have been widely discussed since the arrival of the concept Web 2.0. So far, opportunities and risks of business models based on such user groups are not fully clear. Therefore a more fundamental understanding of community-based social structures is needed. How can web analytics and social network analytics help to analyze communities? Is it possible to create segments within the user base? How can we address attractive groups like multipliers and furthermore is it possible to describe special profiles like expert, salesperson, spreader, etc.? During the session Fred Türling will discuss these topics and show first results for two top forums and one collaboration network. Fred was invited over from Germany after his presentation was so well received at the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit in Munich.

12:00 - 1:05 Birds of a Feather Lunch – Upper Foyer, Lobby Level

1:05 - 1:55     Reputation Management in a Social Media World – Katie Delahaye Paine

Katie Paine is someone I’ve met a few times this year, first at the Social Media Roundtable in Toronto last May, then again, a few months ago in NYC for a tweetup dinner and speaking spot at Converseon’s Social Media Roundtable in NYC.    I also appeared with Katie on a panel at First Tuesday in Toronto when I was attending the first Social Media Roundtable.

Lately, I’ve needed a little lift – and I’m looking forward to getting some of that lift listening to Katie talk about Social Media PR and pick up some of the subtler points of what she’s been saying for a while about Semantic Analysis, Engagement, etc.  Here’s the Marketing Notes:

“…S02 Tuesday, 1:05 – 1:55

Reputation Management in a Social Media World

Katie Delahaye Paine, KDPaine Partners

Social media has turned communications on its head. HITS stand for How Idiots Track Success and even unique visitors no longer have credibility. What’s a communicator to do? Measure the true impact of social media on the business, on your reputation. A classically trained PR authority, Katie is back by popular demand to give you seven simple steps to measure your social media program in a credible, actionable way.

I’ll also attend Hitwise University – Plaza Ballroom at 3:20 - 4:20 as well as Social Media Metrics – Jason Burby between 4:20 - 5:05 – here’s the notes on Jason’s talk:

“…S03 Tuesday, 4:20 – 5:05Social Media Metrics

Jason Burby, ZAAZ
Ryan Turner, ZAAZ

Both brand perception and shopping have always had a social context. Three years ago we accessed the opinions of 5 friends in the consideration process, today we can access the opinions of 5 million fellow customers. Measurement on the social web presents analysts with new challenges: How do you measure word of mouth? Can you model the relationships between online research and offline purchase? What is the value of a comment on a blog post? A connection in a social network? A question in a support forum? A tag on YouTube? How does engagement affect lifetime customer value? Jason Burby and Ryan Turner of ZAAZ will present some insights from their experiences grappling with these issues, and they’ll put forward some ideas about where businesses need to focus as the social web grows in importance over the coming years.

I’ll also stay in the same room for the last session of the day on expanding your Online Community.

“..S04 Tuesday, 5:10 – 6:00

Followers, Friends, and Fans: Expanding Your Online Community

Jonathon D. Colman, The Nature Conservancy
Laura Lee Dooley, World Resources Institute
Beth Kanter, How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

If you aren’t on facebook, twitter, friendfeed, technorati, and delicious, should you be? And once you jump into social media, how do you track and measure success? Tips, tools and stories from the trenches from three people who focus on online engagement and have more links, friends and followers than some small countries have citizens.

Laura Lee on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

I’ll also be at the reception Tuesday night – 6:00 - 7:30 eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit Reception

Wednesday, October 22nd.

I would not want to miss the New York Times Presentation (Keynote) by James G. Robinson, who directs Web Analytics at the NYT; in fact, there was an excellent presentation from the NYT at the last Emetrics Summit in San Francisco, one of the best, if not the best session I attended then – I definately will not miss this one.  Here’s the marketing notes on James Robinson’s keynote:

“…Web Analytics as a Value Driver Across Media

James G. Robinson, Director of Web Analytics, The New York Times – Wednesday, 9:00 - 9:50

A massively well-received presentation in both London and San Francisco, you’ll learn how The New York Times uses web analytics to grow both their print and online audiences, improve web engagement, and increase revenue and profit. The presentation will trace the development of the Times’ web analytics strategy which is mapped directly to value drivers for customer and the business. Learn how The New York Times:

• Integrates online and print data to better track and profile users
• Uses web data to make the print newspaper more profitable
• Shapes insights to flow through “the last mile” to senior management

Again, I find myself drawn to attend the Social Media Analytics Session(s) at Emetrics on Wedensday, including Making Marketing Analytics Work in a Web 2.0 World – Douglas Brooks; here’s the marketing notes on that one:

“..S05 Wednesday, 11:10 – 12:00

Making Marketing Analytics Work in a Web 2.0 World

Douglas Brooks, MMA

While research in the area of social networks is considered leading edge today, it will become required research for savvy brands in the very near future. As marketers continue to discover new sources of information that get them closer to their customers in near-real time, the need becomes even more critical for creative solutions combining new data sources with advanced analytics. Being ahead of the curve in this area will lead to valuable insights and a competitive advantage for those who establish the capability early. In his presentation, Doug Brooks will discuss how some industry leaders are using advanced analytics to translate actionable customer data into business results.

Attendees of this presentation will learn how marketers are using this new data and analytic tools to:

• Understand the impact of WOM/buzz on their brands
• Track for leading indicators and trends
• Inform innovation and product development
• Understand the strengths and weaknesses of a brand, as well as those of competitor brands

After the Birds of a Feather Lunch – Upper Foyer, Lobby Level between 1:05- 1:55 PM, I’ll have my first real conflict in what I want to attend – my good friend, Gary Angel, will be on a panel on DIY SEM: Your Agency May Not Be the Best Resource – Gary Angel, Mark Ruzomberka, David Harrod = and that might be useful for me to attend as well – BUT … I also see myself at the Voice of the Customer Panel – John Fernandez, Lance Jones, Mark Brooks at the same exact time.   Honestly, I don’t really know for sure what I’ll end up attending – maybe I’ll try to split myself in two and go to both – or spend a few minutes going back and forth … not sure.

However, considering that I’m working on matching up Paid and Organic Search from the Analytics perspecting at Monster Worldwide, among the things I do  there, attending Gary’s session might make the most sense, so here’s the marketing notes from that session:

“…. A06 Wednesday, 1:05 – 1:55

DIY SEM: Your Agency May Not Be the Best Resource

Gary Angel, Semphonic
Mark Ruzomberka, Traffic.com
David Harrod, Traffic.com

Tracking the ROI on thousands of keywords seems overwhelming and managing them against business goals feels overwhelming. But outsourcing the task to an agency might not be your best move. Traffic.Com manages a significant ($1M annualized) search engine marketing program that is one of the primary drivers of traffic to their site. Facing competition from Google in their core business, Based on the optimization opportunities revealed by a Semphonic audit, Traffic opted to bring their program in-house and run it themselves. Mark Ruzomberka of Traffic.Com and Gary Angel of Semphonic will describe the process of an agency process review, outline the key decision-factors in bringing a PPC program in-house, and discuss Traffic.Com’s experience managing the program.  You’ll get a better understanding of how to audit your existing SEM program, how to identify the optimization strategies that make sense for your business, and some of the benefits and barriers to managing your own SEM program.

And Jim Sterne really makes it hard for me – he puts two equally interesting panels at the same time, again – I really need to clone myself (or get someone to go to the other session and take notes).    At 3:25 - 4:15  there’s Word of Mouth Marketing Metrics Panel – Gary Stein, Ann Green, Todd Parsons  AND Mobile Marketing Metrics – Michael Bayle   BOTH sound really interesting.

However, I know Todd Parsons fairly well, consider him a friend, use Buzzlogic on this blog – and honestly, I can’t not attend his session, so it’s Word of Mouth Marketing Metrics Panel here I come -

“….S07 Wednesday, 3:25 – 4:15

Word of Mouth Marketing Metrics Panel

Ann Green, Millward Brown
Todd Parsons, Buzzlogic

The voice of the customer is very valuable for learning what your customers think. But they are not just telling you what they think, they are talking to each other. The voice of the customer can also be a powerful outbound communication tool if you tap into it as a marketing instrument. How do you measure the impact you can have on the discussion about your products and services that happens in the wild? This panel describes their efforts to compute how receptive customers are to referral-based advertising in order to determine how much of their promotional budgets should be allocated and how to determine their return on that investment.

Actually Todd Parsons and Breanna Wigle of Military.com, a Monster Worldwide subsidary, were on my Social Media Metrics panel at Search Engine Strategies in San Jose – and the presentation that was put together – which I had a hand in (more to bring the parites together and then step out of it and let them do their work) was exceptional.   People where really happy about the panel I put together and I’m hoping to do it again at Search Engine Strategies Chicago in early December (haven’t heard back yet if that’s going to happen or not yet).  BTW, I still haven’t decided if I’m attending LeWeb03 08 in Paris, which is at the same time as the SES in Chicago.

Finally, on Wednesday late afternoon, I’ll attend Web 2.0 Metrics in Today’s B2B World – Joshua Sile.  Here’s the marketing notes on that session:

“…S08 Wednesday, 4:20 – 5:10

Web 2.0 Metrics in Today’s B2B World

Joshua Siler, Babcock & Jenkins

Based on real-world experience integrating traditional direct marketing with social media (with companies like Intel and Sterling Commerce), Joshua will deliver an overview of the data and analytic challenges involved in making social media accountable for driving revenue. He’ll explore Social Cultivation, the process of building long-term relationships with prospects, and how to manage the databases, analysis and business decisions involved in making social media work. Joshua will also provide overview of the successful business strategies and execution considerations, and follow with anecdotal examples of data workflow, analytic results and integration pitfalls.

I think the idea of “social cultivation” is something I want to explore, it has many applications in marketing of the future – and it just makes sense that you want to culitvate (be proactive) with your customers and friends.  It sounds like Joshua Siler will tell us, technically, how to set up and track the actual process of social cultivation – and this is entirely new to me, so I’m happy that he’s presenting at Emetics DC.

I’ll also attend the Wednesday late afternoon  Keynote: Joe Megibow, VP of Customer Experience and Online Marketing, Hotels.com – Plaza Ballroom and Web Analytics Wednesay following which is sponsored by Coremetrics (I used to work with the Coremetrics platform while at IBM, and Coremetrics bought IBM Surfaid, which I used quite a bit while at IBM).

Thursday, October 23rd

Of course, the Keynote with Kim Johnston, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing Operations, Symantec Corporation – Plaza Ballroom at 9:00 AM, I’ll attend. Here’s the marketing notes to that keynote:

“…The Big Picture – Global Marketing Metrics

Kim Johnston, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing Operations, Symantec Corporation – Thursday, 9:00 - 9:50

Marketing optimization did not come into being because of the Internet. People were managing large marketing budgets before the advent of clickthroughs, pageviews and the Submit button. Kim Johnston has been balancing the needs of the brand, the product lines and the sales organization at Symantec for more than a decade. Most recently she has delivered interactive customer engagements that have yield 4x the industry average in response rates. She will share how this software powerhouse manages marketing across four segments focused on selling to enterprises, governments, small and medium-sized businesses, and consumers worldwide.

And Jim Sterne has done it to me again, putting Search from Now On – Mike Grehan and Measuring Social Media and Video – Terry Cohen in the same timeslot, from 11:15 - 12:05, I’ll attend Terry Cohen’s session even though I’d ideally, like to attend both.  No doubt, Terry will probably mention Comscore’s new Video Metrix product, and infact, just tonight, I attended a New York meetup of the Web Analytics Meetup Group that discussed Video Metrix.  I’m sure she’ll also cover how Digitas measures video and downloadable media.   Sorry Mike Grehan, next time I promise to attend your session.

“…S09 Thursday, 11:15 – 12:05

Measuring Social Media & Video

Terry Cohen, Digitas

Social media, word of mouth marketing, consumer generated content, video and more have become increasingly proven tactics for building brand and driving purchase. Terry recounts front-line experiences tracking and optimizing the impact of these techniques. She’ll cover methodologies including brand impact research, social media monitoring , panel usage, web analytics, and video measurement and tracking.

And then we have a session on Measuring Virtual Worlds – I can’t miss that one either – for obvious reasons – for anyone who knows me and reads my blogs – I’m very much a part of what Code4Software is doing with Virtual World Metrics – and helped to bring that aspect into the Web Analytics realm, where I believe it belongs.  Therefore, you’ll find me at Measuring Virtual Worlds – Jim Bower, Jared Freedman, Matt Bostwick at 1:15 - 2:05 PM.  Here’s the marketing notes to that session:

“…S10 Thursday, 1:15 – 2:05

Measuring Virtual Worlds

Dr. James Bower, Numedeon Incorporated
Jared Freedman, Code4Software
Matt Bostwick, A4R4 Media

Did that avatar look at your in-world billboard? Are those two feathered creatures listening to your animate presentation? Did that amour-plated dinosaur just recommend your products to the business-suited butterfly? What is your return on investment when promoting your services in a virtual environment? What is the impact on the consumer when they can tour your yet-to-be-built hotel, take a test drive in the online version of your vehicle, or redeem real reward points for virtual commodities? What level of granularity can you capture? What tools might help? How do you integrate real world and the virtual behavior with online and call center interactions? These are just a few of the questions to be tackled by people who have been steeped in virtual worlds since they began.

Finally, I can also not miss the very last session with Sebastian Wensel, my business parnter and friend – we started www.blogspeedway.com as a new blog network focusing around verticals and which we want to be a home for Web Analytics practioners – and so you’ll find me at Mobile Analytics is Calling You – Sebastian Wenzel at 2:10 - 3:00 PM.  By the way, I’ve seen the deck t hat Sebastian has put together and it’s fantastic. Here’s the marketing notes to that session:

“..S11 Thursday, 2:10 – 3:00

Mobile Analytics is Calling You

Sebastian Wenzel, Lifetopia Corp.

Sales for smartphones with web capabilities are up each year. Mobile phone subscriptions will reach 5.6 billion by 2013. The mobile revolution is here and moving faster than many anticipated. The web analytics industry will be highly effected and it’s a matter of time until the “third screen will be the first screen”. Are you prepared to measure and analyze that “new” kind of traffic? Do you know which tool fits your mobile analytics needs? Are you able to give usability recommendations for a better mobile experience? Are your Mobile Marketing efforts or your QR Code / Mobile SEO campaign correctly reflected in your KPI reports? In this session you will learn about the challenges and the differences that come with the mobile web. You’ll gain insights and find out how you and your organization can be competitive in the fast-paced mobile web landscape.