Creating personal customer experiences

175 exhibiting companies - including both start-ups and industry giants - presented their solutions and the latest trends in digital marketing and e-business to 4,961 trade visitors. 936 of them had registered for the premiere of the DMM dialog marketing trade fair.

A unique industry meeting with inspiring encounters and stimulating discussions. In addition, a lecture program and a variety of exhibitors that provide all trade visitors with a comprehensive market overview, know-how and helpful contacts, regardless of whether they come from a start-up, SME, large company, e-commerce specialist or a company that is just starting out in digital marketing. The positive feedback on the Swiss Online Marketing and Swiss eBusiness Expo 2015 and the large number of visitors with a high proportion of decision-makers speak for the success of the seventh trade fairs for digital marketing and e-business in Zurich, according to the press release.

Explaining market developments to the company

One of the highlights was the keynote speech by BMW Marketing Director Steven F. Althaus. Due to the profound change in mobility and changing customer needs in the course of digitalization, the car manufacturer BMW is also in the midst of change, explained Althaus. The focus is no longer solely on owning a car, but on simple, flexible, responsible mobility. "The task of modern marketing is to recognize the changing needs of customers and to explain to the company where the market is heading," said Althaus. The brand is in close digital contact with end customers and is involved in the city and mobility ecosystem with solutions such as "Drive now" for car sharing, "Park now" for finding and booking parking spaces and "Charge now" for finding charging stations. Since 2007, when Project i began, his company has learned a lot, for example that it is worth fighting for innovation, constantly comparing yourself with competitors or companies from other sectors and having the right service providers and agencies at your side "in the most exciting time we have ever experienced".

Data as the new economic fuel

"The world has changed and marketers are game changers," Caroline Taylor, Head of Marketing at IBM Europe, predicted in her keynote speech. People and sensors are generating an exponentially increasing amount of data on the Internet, of which only around twelve percent is analyzed and used by companies. Unfortunately, this "economic fuel" is worthless in its raw state, said Taylor. However, companies today have the technologies at their disposal to create relevant and personal customer experiences from this raw material, which these customers now expect from brands. Fascinating examples such as the customer hijacking of the shoe store "Meat Pack" from Guatemala or the digital offering of the tennis institution Wimbledon show what is already possible and show the way forward.

Merging data from their silos and making it usable

In reality, the digital experience of many consumers often leaves a lot to be desired, postulated Zuzanna Gierlinska, EMEA Director Data Management Platforms, Oracle Marketing Cloud. This is due to the fact that a lot of data from different marketing divisions is stored in data silos that are not synchronized with each other. As a result, customers are bombarded with marketing messages that do not match their interests in terms of their content or the timing of the offer. The order of the day is therefore: Combine data in one place, structure it and make it usable. This would also enable targeted targeting and personalized and relevant customer experiences.

On the trail of the multi-screen customer

According to Sandra Emme, Industry Head at Google Switzerland, consumers now use up to six screens to browse the internet. While desktop computers are being used less and less, smartphones are the main drivers of internet usage and enable completely new services. Tablets, smart TVs, wearables and internet-enabled systems within cars also play a role. However, as most web activities start on smartphones, brands need to address consumers there and offer mobile-optimized websites. Online and offline are no longer separate worlds; customers are already switching back and forth effortlessly, says Emme. However, companies are still lagging behind this development. Google offers support with its cross-device and cross-channel tracking tool Universal Analytics.

The mobile shift has already taken place

Dr. Kathrin Kissau, Head of User Research at Net-Metrix, brought further insights into mobile web usage in Switzerland to the trade fair. In Switzerland, the "mobile shift" has taken place over the past 12 months: More than half of traffic already comes via mobile operating systems. Oliver Weinstock, Nemuk, Jan De Schepper, McDonald's Switzerland, Jens Margraf, Salesbird.io, Tom Sprenger, Adnovum, and Chris Baumann, Xsmart Mobile Shopper Activation, discussed how this can be used for mobile marketing and mobile shopping with Fritz Reust, Managing Director and Member of the Board, Smama - Swiss Mobile Association. One conclusion was that mobile advertising must be well done and offer customers real added value, otherwise it will be perceived as particularly annoying on the most personal of all devices.

Branding and performance complement each other

The IAB panel discussion on "Branding vs. performance" provided insights into the impact of online advertising. Bettina Hoffmann, COO Audience Measurement at GfK Switzerland, used a case study to show that online campaigns are not perceived as disruptive if the creation is well done and the contact dose is right. Ad awareness, brand proximity and increasing brand sympathy and willingness to buy can then be measured. "Branding and performance complement each other perfectly," explained Kurt Schwendener, owner and Managing Director of Adresult. In his experience, a pure performance campaign works on its own, but is not sustainable. He was supported in this by Tobias Gärtner, Managing Director of Plan.Net Suisse. Online branding is a long-term investment in future success, builds trust and protects the company against attackers who offer their products at lower prices.

Comprehensive overview

In total, more than 80 presentations and panel discussions as well as the exchange with the 175 exhibitors gave trade visitors a lively impression of which marketing and business trends will be important in the future and which tools they can already use to reach their customers today. Selected presentations will soon be available to listen to on the Swiss Online Marketing and Swiss eBusiness Expo website. The next edition of Swiss Online Marketing and Swiss eBusiness Expo will take place on April 13 and 14, 2016 at Messe Zürich. Further information is available at Swiss-online-marketing.ch to find.