We’re active and successful in over 40 markets worldwide, but there is more to us than that. Beyond providing our market knowledge and expertise, we also see it as our task to inspire, provide information on trends, discuss future-focused topics, network and learn from one another.
Is the solution a new world?
In an introductory speech, Klaus Böhm, Director Media & Entertainment at Deloitte, spoke about the metaverse from the consumer’s point of view. The metaverse: you could call it a three-dimensional internet, or as Klaus Böhm says, a second world – that is, our real existence with all our needs and interests extended into the digital world. It is clear that data protection will be one of the most challenging topics in this regard. But what opportunities does this parallel world hold for marketing? A representative survey commissioned by Deloitte found that 30 per cent of people would use technology to meet with friends. Twenty-six per cent might be enthusiastic about virtual travel. Shopping, with 25 per cent, ranked in at third among the most preferred areas of application – a development that BCN will take into account in addressing target groups and in developing holistic solutions for customers in general.
The future is a gamble
‘The future is a gamble’, emphasised Alessandra Vigano, Global Business Director of Hearst, and Anna Winkler, Head of Global Operations. The follow-up question ‘what are we betting on?’ united everyone in attendance. Hearst boasts 72 brands throughout the world and is working on solutions that function on a global scale. As a publisher, you have to be an expert on everything, and that more than ever in a time of conflict and radical change. That is why the focus is on the market and its progress, but even more so on the following question: how far along are the consumers? ‘Print is the core business, but we’re focusing on the next level in order to stay relevant in the long term’, says Alessandra Vigano.
Many paths to the consumer
Julian Daniel, Senior Vice President of ELLE International, spoke about the many paths to the consumer. For ELLE, these paths occur in the real world in particular. The brand, founded in 1945 by women for women, now employs 45 editors all over the world. It will be opening its Maison Elle in Paris in November and is also opening a hotel in Mexico and cafés in Taiwan and Saudi Arabia. The brand lets people immerse themselves in its world. The metaverse plays a role here, too, as there appears to be a market there for luxury brands in particular. Virtual product presentations or fashion shows offer great, new marketing opportunities. However, ELLE ultimately sees the empowerment of women as its overarching mission, and this throughout all areas of life.
‘The metaverse is coming!’
Prof. Fabrizio Palmas, Creative & Technical Director at straightlabs, spoke about how we will communicate in the future. His company develops interactive, innovative and scalable solutions in the field of corporate learning, and he is certain that the metaverse will come. He predicts another seven years for its development, which has been expedited by the pandemic. This is rather similar to Mark Zuckerberg’s estimate of there being one billion people in the virtual world by 2030. Fabrizio Palmas advises companies to have a strategic vision in order to be successful in the long term. Addressing the dangers of fake avatars or the possibility of seemingly altering reality via technological progress, he refers to ethics and responsibility. Every technology offers the possibility to use it for good or bad. People are the ones who decide what to do with it.
How creative is AI?
The presentation by Luke Lewandowski, Creative Director at b.famous, was titled ‘The power of (human) creativity’. The importance of the curly brackets in the title became clear when it came to the abilities of artificial intelligence (AI). A few words are all it takes to turn an idea into digital reality. Luke Lewandowski proved that AI – when used correctly – can be a tremendous help. To what extent it can replace humans remains to be seen.
In his presentation ‘Revealing the “why” in campaign performance’, Ben Money, Head of Research & Strategy at dres consulting, spoke about the dos and don’ts of analysing advertising effectiveness and asked the audience the following question: does a campaign reach the target group and was the best result actually achieved?
Our intention was to provide our clients with concise insights regarding marketing on a global stage and in a new virtual world, which people might not necessarily have access to otherwise. We are very pleased with the feedback from our partners and clients and look forward to further establishing this event as a permanent format for our clients, agencies and customers.