CMO.com Team Coverage Of Dmexco 2016

Thousands of global marketers have gathered in Europe for the annual two-day digital marketing exposition and conference Dmexco.

Customers are demanding great experiences and brands must deliver them, while the traditional role marketers play as advocates of that experience has never been more important.

That was the over-riding message from Germany this week, where a record 57,000 visitors, 570 speakers, and 1,013 exhibitors met in Cologne for the annual digital marketing exposition and conference Dmexco.

As this new experience era gathers pace, a new wave of disruption is impacting businesses.

Marketers are now “selling experiences; products and services are just along for the ride,” said Adobe vice-president of marketing strategy Suresh Vittal Kotha.

“[This wave] isn’t about us or what we sell, it’s about the customer and the experiences we give them. It’s about goosepimples, smiles, and bringing people together,” he added (Adobe is CMO.com’s parent company).

Across the two-day event, CMO.com heard from the likes of BMW, Mercedes, Pixar, Lego, and Red Bull among others.

How are these brands building out the customer experience? How does data help drive storytelling, creativity and relevancy? And what will the future of advertising look like?

Check out CMO.com’s complete coverage from Dmexco to find out more.

Data Empowers Emotional Storytelling At Pixar

Matthew Luhn, veteran storyteller at California-based computer animation company, reveals the secret to getting an emotion response from audiences is actually data.

Lego Gives The Next Generation A World Of Possibilities

The company focuses on the experiences it wants to deliver and tries not to become a slave to technology, says the Danish toy maker’s CMO Julia Goldin.

3-Point Checklist For Innovating Customer Experiences

Brands can earn consumers’ loyalty by thinking about their needs and inventing new services, according to Matt Gee, head of digital transformation at the marketing agency Isobar.

VR In Action—Put An Audi On The Moon

Virtual reality isn’t just a novelty feature, it’s a way of bringing a new experience to customers that the carmaker is rolling out across its showrooms.

Adland’s Future Is Speedy Relevancy, Not Intrusion

Fears of ad overload are overblown. Advertising is going to become smarter, with faster use of data to reach the right customer with the right message.

The Era Of Experience—The Third Wave Of Disruption

The first wave was the automation of back-office systems, the second focused on front-office activities. The one happening now is about consumers and the experiences they receive.

Online And Offline Channels Are Victims Of Measurement Inequality

Traditional methods under-report viewership in TV, while in digital, it is not clear which standards are comparable to linear. Dmexco participants call for a step change.

Brands Have To Create Magnetic Content, At Scale, In Real Time

Marketers should not be chasing their target audience among the millions of people online. They need to generate content that consumers value and are drawn to.

Want Better Experiences For Consumers? Context Is The Key

Companies have to create the right content based around where customers are and what they are doing, and then deliver it across the right channel.

Don’t Just Tell Customers The Story, Immerse Them In It

Storytellers are using virtual reality to put audiences in the centre of a piece of content, and the resulting emotional responses will soon be used by brands too.

Watch The Game And See The Comments On One Screen

Twitter is about what’s happening and the conversation around it, said Jack Dorsey, chief executive of the online social networking service. Next step is life-streaming.

Mercedes-Benz Tries The Route On Amazon’s Home Page

Customers flock to the popular website to find information about various products. Why not about the new E-Class model, says Natanael Sijanta, the carmaker’s director of marketing communications.

Bench Attracts ‘Social Butterflies’ With Nectar Of Serendipity

The fashion brand’s key audience are driven by digital and obsessed with social media. It is very difficult to catch their attention, according to CEO Dr Bruno Sälzer.

Weave Data Sets Together And Deliver Real Insights

Brands need to recognise how to use data effectively to get closer to customers, says Laurent Faracci, senior VP of global marketing at Reckitt Benckiser.

Mobile Connectivity Is Changing Driver Experiences Forever

BWMi’s Dirk Arnold explains how customers’ expectations to be always connected to everything, including during their car journeys, are prompting brands to innovate around this need.