Web Analytics Association

This past week started with Basecamp for the eMetrics Marketing Optimization summit. I moderated the panel that was comprised of Judah Philips, Jodi McDermott, Paula Gignac and Brent Bernie. I learned that moderating a panel means hopping up and down out of your seat to open and close powerpoints on a machine you are not familiar with in front of an audience – that’s a bit stressful. But of course the focus is on the discussion from the panelists and here it was very interesting. First of all the IAB and the WAA want to work more closely together in helping people understand the standards and definitions that are being used. Sounds like a yawner but actually these are the kinds of things that make big differences for end users. As time goes on it is easy to see how the web analytics engines are just going to become more and more powerful and my prediction is that they will eventually be the hub for all marketing decisions. To get there though, people who use them are going to have to become less website focused and also learn more about the magic of brands. Kudos to the WAA and Jim Sterne for bringing the road show to Toronto for the first time  – we hope to see more.