Will Tech Help Marketing? 3 Takeaways from Tug Life IV Technology Special
Our final session for Wednesday was our Technology Special, where we heard from more of the big players – adidas, ITV, Triva, Clear Channel alongside many other fantastic contributors. Our speakers shared their musings on the question: Will tech help marketing?
Voice will disrupt the shopping journey, and the way we consume media
Smart speakers are not only growing in popularity across generations, they’re also increasingly being used at various stages of the shopping journey. Tom Simpson from Simpson Carpenter shared some fresh findings on voice search, which showed that people love their smart speakers, and predicts that they’re going to use them more and more as time goes on. He believes that the voice revolution will “disrupt the entire shopping journey.”
Similarly, Faz Aftab from ITV talked about how voice search is changing the way people consume media. She said: “the evolution of technology removes the friction between you and the programmes you love.” Being able to ask your smart TV to play the latest episode in your favourite series creates frictionless viewing, saving people’s time and frustrations.
Taking back control of marketing
Jelle Oskam from adidas had a bold and brave view of how tech could help influence the future of marketing: by allowing brands to market themselves without relying on Google and Facebook. He sees the future lying in affiliate marketing and influencer marketing. He wants brands to own their own marketing, and take back control from the tech giants.
Google and Facebook know everything about their customers and advertisers, although they are not transparent themselves.
Jonathan Acton from Clear Channel held a similar view. He spoke about the fears that we have all undoubtedly had at some point – that tech is moving too fast and that we’re too reliant on it. He emphasised the importance of being transparent, personal and useful to the client through tech marketing innovations.
Brands love creating and marketing with tech
Nivea’s Matt Marlow and Katrin Baumgarten from Kirsch and Mann both presented their own examples of how they had used tech in recent marketing campaigns. From transforming a corner shop into an immersive acoustic experience, to using influencers and a smart t-shirt to demonstrate the effectiveness of deodorant, brands like Nivea and Red Stripe achieved real results with marketing campaigns that used tech innovation. Tech advances enable brands to create meaningful connections with their audiences, and give them amazing experiences.
Missed these events? Make sure you head down to Thursday and Friday’s sessions, which will be focusing on the sectors which have been most affected by tech innovation.
