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Jeff Hayzlett, CMO for Kodak and immediate past chairman for the Business Marketing Association, summed up the Chicago conference best during lunch Thursday, saying that as he looked out over the room of attendees, he didn't see a recession, but a resurgence.

And resurgence was the primary theme throughout many of the conference sessions, featuring such marketing stars as Joe Pine, Al and Laura Ries, and leaders from JP Morgan Chase, Aon, Navistar, Google and elsewhere. Many of the seminars dealt more with emerging practice versus the economy. The recession rages on, but marketing mentality, at this conference anyway, seems to have moved on.

Even the economy has to a certain degree, Strategic Horizons co-founder and The Experience Economy author Joe Pine argued during his presentation Thursday. After transforming from an industrial to a price-centered economy, with some focus on goods and commodities along the way, Pine says it is valuable experiences that consumers want now, not merely stuff. Starbucks may be selling a commodity - coffee - but its price point is justified by the Starbucks experience. ING Direct also provides European style bistros at some urban locations, while American Girl stores provide memorable experiences for girls, such as a tea room, photo studio and hair salon, not just a bunch of dolls on the shelves. The idea is that people respond more favorably, and spend more generously, on something that provides a deeper emotional meaning than a bare commodity or service or business transaction.

Following Pine, Sam Sebastian, director of local and B2B markets for Google, shared some new data regarding Web usage for the C suite, small business and government, with 73%, 93% and 100% of people, respectively, using the Web to conduct work related research. Other findings showed 80% of small businesses find search engines to be most effective for online research, while nearly one in five C Suite responders said they would rather watch video than read text. Plenty of outreach opportunities, Sebastian pitched.

His talk paved the way for several digital discussions throughout the day. During the direct digital marketing session, three factors for successful e-mail campaigns were shared: test and measure subject lines, placements, links; segment and optimize data; and target and personalize content. Later in the day, LinkedIn's director of advertising sales and operations, Steve Patrizi, shared five ways to maximize the Web site's business potential: leverage your best assets, listen to your customers, target and engage them, converse with them, and experiment with the features. The mantra for the B2B social media seminar - you can do it, and you should do it; even if you're worried about time and management approval, you can ask for forgiveness later.

Not everything was about the future. The father and daughter Ries team discussed business blunder after business blunder for their Friday morning presentation promoting their new book War in the Boardroom, which showcases how management and marketing approach business differently. Not surprisingly, the Ries' suggested that too strong a managerial mentality, without clear marketing perspective, is a problem. A major reason why General Motors got into so much trouble, Laura said, is because it neglected to clearly define its brands like other companies (Toyota = reliable; Volvo = safety, Mercedes-Benz = prestige). Similarly, New Coke and Crystal Pepsi may have been deemed smart moves by management, but without the big picture that marketing provides, they bombed. Consumers wouldn't buy into the packaging of New Coke and deemed Crystal Pepsi "too watery" strictly because of its appearance.

All in all, grand sessions and teachings, many of which may be revisited in future Marketing News stories. We're already slated to run a column about BMA conference speaker Al Salitel, vice president of marketing for Navistar International Corporation, written by the presentation's moderator, MN columnist Michael Krauss. Keep an eye out for that.