GroupM's nextM '19 - the media industry's insights in a nutshell
For the first time I was part of GroupM's conference NextM - which is a unique innovation and technology plattform for marketing, tech, culture and science taking place in Düsseldorf. It was not only my first event in the media industry since joining #Essence in August, it was also great for getting many inspirational insights from a wide range of top-speakers. Let me give you my top 4 insights of the very different keynotes from this year's #nextmde:
Never waste a good crisis by David Benson, Google
David spoke about how to channel energy from crisis and how that involves cows. Crisis calls for radical change and as human beings we usually try to avoid that. David emphasised how important it is to sometimes throw the rulebook out of the window. It can spur innovation like using machine learning to help Dutch dairy farmers improve animal welfare. Of course it was not all about happy Dutch cows but how crisis drives innovation in the media industry und is one of the most sustainable sources of energy.
Dr. Shermin Voshmgir about Token Economy - how blockchain tokens revolutionize the internet
Tokens are as crucial for the web today as websites were for the WWW in the 90ies. Dr. Voshmgir from Vienna University of Economics explained how blockchain and smart contracts have made it easy for everyone to create a token with just a few lines of code. They can represent anything from an asset to an access right, gold, a tiny piece of a picasso painting or concert tickets. Tokens can also be used to reward socal media contributions, incentivize the reduction of CO2 emissions or even promote watching ads. Overall Dr. Voshmgir gave us a very inspiring reason to learn a bit of code.
Rob Burnet, Shujaaz inc. on the power of radio and on why good things are not coming if you wait for them
Rob illustrated the story of Shujaaz, a company that improves the lives of millions of young people in East Africa. Shujaaz created an amazing piece of content marketing about a rebel Radio DJ who gives inspiration on how to shape a future for the critical radio audience. It also demonstrates the power of radio for storytelling and how it creates real social change by reaching 56% of young Kenyans between 15-24 years. It also showcases the power of story and how trust is the essence of change.
Oobah Butler's unorthodox guide to 21st century success
Last but not least was Oobah's speech about "How to Bullsh*t Your Way to Number 1". What's the secret of a story going viral today? Oobah told the audience how he made it to TripAdvisors #1 with his non-existent restaurant "The Shed" and how he fooled his way as "Georgio Peviani" to the Paris Fashion Week. Oobah proved there is a grain of truth in "fake it 'til you make it" and deconstructed social media. It was a great input on how to make an impact (may it be real or fake) in the internet era.