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As the hallmark event for marketing and business professionals, I was pleased to see this year’s dmexco maintain its reputation as the key international industry conference – and of course, Tealium’s team were on hand to delve into hot topics including data management and the widely-anticipated GDPR.
This year’s event featured keynote speeches from the likes of Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, WPP’s Sir Martin Sorrell and Procter & Gamble’s Chief Brand Officer, Marc Pritchard. IBM’s Chief Digital Officer, Bob Lord, brought data to the forefront of the conversation, describing Artificial Intelligence (AI) as “the most exciting innovation of the digital era”.
From our San Diego-themed stand, Tealium’s data lifeguards (joined by our data beasts) were ready for action, speaking with delegates about the importance of building a unified view of the consumer, particularly in the lead up to the GDPR.
Unsurprisingly, attendees were concerned about the changes May 2018 will bring – would they need to scrap all customer data on file? Would they need a complete technology overhaul? Will they be faced with eye-watering fines? In spite of these natural concerns, the Tealium team talked enthusiastically about the GDPR – marking it as the opportunity the industry has been looking for – the chance to finally take stock of customer data and build a single, unified view of the consumer.
Delegates were also keen to discuss the challenges that can arise from the sheer volume of data businesses are exposed to. As consumers become increasingly connected, marketers are finding themselves inundated with masses of consumer information, making it challenging to map the consumer journey and restricting the much-needed personalisation that constructs a better customer experience.
Nigel Morris, Chief Digital and Strategy Officer at Dentsu Aegis Network perfectly summarised the consumer value exchange and provided delegates with the key takeaway:
“You have to understand what people genuinely want – that’s where the digital marketing journey is heading. Lead with a purpose to provide more value and relevance to your consumer”.
In a world where brands are faced with targeting time-sensitive audiences, customers are expecting marketers to fulfill their needs without interrupting their day. Marketers need to understand the benefits of creating a value exchange – encouraging customers to share their information in return for personalised, relevant communications.
