Feeling, flair and a full house
Supported by spectacular technology, the Swiss Marketing Day inspired over 1000 attendees - a record number! - at the KKL in Lucerne. Emotions were provided by keynote speakers, encounters of all kinds - and the moderator. Every presentation was accompanied by a willingness and wit to counter-thesis.
Emotions, as every consumer knows and every marketer should know, are transmitted at lightning speed, in the blink of an eye, so to speak. A feeling arises thousands of times faster than a rational thought solidifies. But in a time when bean counters and controllers have the upper hand in many places, feelings are also a pretty crazy thing. Uncontrollable, difficult to budget and not always easy to nail down in terms of proof of success. However, upon entering the large hall in the KKL at the Swiss Marketing Day, the first feeling that overwhelmed the thousands of marketers in attendance was purely physical: That famous "Wow!" that takes over the pit of the stomach and the brain in equal measure, triggered by a perfectly set up and illuminated scenery. On that day, one could confidently speak of the KKL as Lucerne's communication cathedral. The finest technology was used to present the topic "The main thing is emotion? The perceived marketing". And set to music with flair: Guest singer Martin O., who can pile his voice on top of each other like a cream slice, was a first-class performer.
From the experience economy to "no bullshit"
The three keynote speakers approached the topic of "emotions" in very different ways. The US bestselling author James H. Gilmore presented his concept of an "experience economy". A system that needs to be understood and managed today, one that has long since replaced the earlier stages of the agricultural, production and service industries. Consumer psychologist Simonetta Carbonaro shed light on the current transformation phase of consumer frenzy and permanent sensory overload in a world where consumers want to know more about the values and attitudes of companies. Peppered with witty remarks, the professora also talked about her university in Sweden, where young academics apparently meet on Sundays to swap clothes at "swap parties". With vodka. Even in the far north, the emotion has to come from somewhere. David Bosshart was a lot more sober. The head of the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI) think tank spoke of the healing effect of the crisis, which could shake up a plastic society. More composure, a return to solid Swiss values and a "no bullshit" attitude were called for. The company representatives who appeared in between in the "best practice" cases were particularly adept at using rhetoric to get their own backs up.
The attack came from behind on the left
Philippe Gaydoul appeared as the surprise guest of the day. The ex-Denner boss and current hunter and gatherer of consumer goods companies appeared like the perfect realization of David Bosshart's demands. Calm, sober, far-sighted, the personified "no bullshit" attitude personified. Presenter Susanne Wille was unable to draw him out of his shell with the question of whether he was a grasshopper due to his takeovers of Navyboot, Fogal and Jet Set. Gaydoul, dry as hair gel in the Scirocco wind: "Yes, a good grasshopper". Will and wit were never far away when it came to teasing a speaker after his performance. As soon as the last words of a speaker faded away, Wille entered the stage from the back left, emerging from the neon tube reminiscent of a futuristic subway shaft. The "10vor10" anchor lady cannot be accused of what often characterizes other TV celebrities at such events, namely that they either act complacently or don't get involved in the event at all. She took the speakers to task with quite a bit of impudence. And also brought up things that the professionals in the room had probably already asked themselves. Which meant that Wille at least managed to do something in line with the motto of the day: to touch the speakers and the audience emotionally.
From the experience economy to "no bullshit"
The three keynote speakers approached the topic of "emotions" in very different ways. The US bestselling author James H. Gilmore presented his concept of an "experience economy". A system that needs to be understood and managed today, one that has long since replaced the earlier stages of the agricultural, production and service industries. Consumer psychologist Simonetta Carbonaro shed light on the current transformation phase of consumer frenzy and permanent sensory overload in a world where consumers want to know more about the values and attitudes of companies. Peppered with witty remarks, the professora also talked about her university in Sweden, where young academics apparently meet on Sundays to swap clothes at "swap parties". With vodka. Even in the far north, the emotion has to come from somewhere. David Bosshart was a lot more sober. The head of the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI) think tank spoke of the healing effect of the crisis, which could shake up a plastic society. More composure, a return to solid Swiss values and a "no bullshit" attitude were called for. The company representatives who appeared in between in the "best practice" cases were particularly adept at using rhetoric to get their own backs up.
The attack came from behind on the left
Philippe Gaydoul appeared as the surprise guest of the day. The ex-Denner boss and current hunter and gatherer of consumer goods companies appeared like the perfect realization of David Bosshart's demands. Calm, sober, far-sighted, the personified "no bullshit" attitude personified. Presenter Susanne Wille was unable to draw him out of his shell with the question of whether he was a grasshopper due to his takeovers of Navyboot, Fogal and Jet Set. Gaydoul, dry as hair gel in the Scirocco wind: "Yes, a good grasshopper". Will and wit were never far away when it came to teasing a speaker after his performance. As soon as the last words of a speaker faded away, Wille entered the stage from the back left, emerging from the neon tube reminiscent of a futuristic subway shaft. The "10vor10" anchor lady cannot be accused of what often characterizes other TV celebrities at such events, namely that they either act complacently or don't get involved in the event at all. She took the speakers to task with quite a bit of impudence. And also brought up things that the professionals in the room had probably already asked themselves. Which meant that Wille at least managed to do something in line with the motto of the day: to touch the speakers and the audience emotionally.
Swiss Marketing President Uwe Tännler during a TV interview.
