Brave New World

We live in a world where the rate of change in communications technology is relentless. And as Mark Schaefer pointed out in his 2019 book ‘The Marketing Rebellion’: “Today is the slowest day of technological change you will ever witness”. It stops you in your tracks if you think about it!

The COVID-19 pandemic appeared, just for a short while, to have stalled some of this change. The march of artificial intelligence, for example, seemed to become not so much a march as a stroll. But then Apple released iOS 14 and all hell broke loose.

We now live in a world where the third iteration of the internet, catchily-titled ‘Web3′, is threatening to thrown us all into the virtual reality worlds our kids are already native to through the likes of Roblox and Minecraft. Where the digital advertising that has been so reliably effective over the last ten years no longer works properly. And where TikTok gets more internet traffic than frickin’ Google!

So as marketing communications professionals, what do we do? Do we bury our heads in the sand and hope it goes away? Or do we look this brave new world straight in the face and say ‘show me what you got’?

At Digital Download Live, we’re putting on our big girl pants and doing the latter.

Agenda

9.00am ARRIVAL & BREAKFAST 

Prior to the start of the main event, a light breakfast of pastries and tea/coffee will be available to those who wish to take the opportunity of some early networking and start the day off by meeting other delegates.

9.30am PRESENTATION: What’s the Latest in Digital Communications?

‘Digital’ means a lot of different things to a lot of people. And during the last year a lot more ‘stuff’ has been dropped into the digital melting pot, with technologies including NFTs and the metaverse adding to the multitude of apps, websites and communications platforms already out there. This session will bring you right up to date with the digital landscape as it stands today, and you will learn how to understand how everything works together in order to exploit it.

9.50am INTERVIEW: Understanding the Marketing Potential of the Metaverse

When Mark Zuckerberg announced in October that Facebook would be rebranded as Meta, a new concept was thrown into marketers’ lexicon: the metaverse. Cited as the next evolution of the internet, Web3 has blockchain technology, virtual reality worlds and cryptocurrency at its core. But it’s an alien concept to most that is difficult to grasp.

The challenge facing communications professionals is not just how to take advantage of this shift but, in fact, whether or not to embrace it at all! In this fascinating session, all will become clear as we explain what the metaverse is and what we need to do keep track of the technology and to understand when is the right time for communicators to dive in.

10.20am DEBATE: Are NFTs Gold Dust for Marketing Communications or Over-Hyped Rubbish?

NFT was named Collins Dictionary word of the year in December, with use of the abbreviation rocketing by 11,000% in 2021! And yet most people don’t even understand what an NFT is beyond a picture of a bored ape, let alone how it might add to a marketing strategy.

Digital Download Live will give you all sides of the story when it comes to NFTs; the good, the bad and the ugly. If you want to understand the marketing potential and utility of NFTs, but also want to hear the hard truth about what the NFT market is really like without all the hype, this is the only place you’ll get that, with a no-holds barred debate between Baz Furby, a strong believer in blockhain technology and Darryl Sparey, a PR consultant who’s run NFT marketing campaigns in the wild!

For a basic introduction to NFTs, listen to episode 99 of the Digital Download podcast.

– BREAK –

11.20am PRESENTATION: How to Capitalise on the Growth of TikTok

During 2021, TikTok gained more internet traffic than any other website on the planet, including Google. It’s a remarkable statistic for a social network that only really started to take off during the first lockdown of 2020.

In this advice-packed session Katy Howell, founder of social media agency Immediate Future, will talk you through the ins and outs of TikTok: what works and what doesn’t, which brands are doing it well and why, and what makes it, well, tick! Katy will give you all the knowledge you need to start implementing effective strategies for your brand or clients.

12.00pm INTERVIEW: Understanding New Strategies for Paid Media

When Apple launched iOS14 in the summer of 2021 it marked the beginning of the end for paid social media and PPC advertising as we know it. Now Facebook and Instagram targeting doesn’t work as well and conversion costs have escalated.

Someone who understands the ins and outs of why this is and what will also shortly be reflected across all digital channels is CEO of Threepipe Reply Farhad Koodoruth. In this open Q&A he will explain what’s happening and reveal approaches and strategies that we have no choice but to adopt ASAP for paid media to continue to be effective.

For a primer on this conversation, listen to episode 103 of the Digital Download podcast.

12.30pm LUNCH 

A big part of the Digital Download experience is its collaborative nature. Many of those who’ve attended previous events have created strong professional bonds that lasted well beyond the day itself. The room is laid out with round tables rather than rows of chairs to enable relationships to be formed, while the breakout lunch is the perfect opportunity to chat to other delegates and speakers alike. There is also a quiet room for those who prefer to catch up on emails.

1.30pm INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Brand Voice for Competitive Advantage

When the pandemic kicked in, brands and organisations were left with little choice but to talk to customers via social channels to stay front of mind until such time as normality returned. It never did, and having a distinct and clear tone of voice is now a critical part of marketing across social networks.

Bethany Joy is an experienced brand voice strategist who helps companies analyse and identify their tone and personality across communications platforms, and in this live workshop you’re going to get your hands dirty on a real-life case study, as you learn the tricks, methods and processes to define a highly effective brand voice strategy for your brand or your clients.

Check out episode 104 of the Digital Download podcast to hear from Bethany.

– BREAK –

3.20pm PRESENTATION: Understanding Google Analytics 4

Largely linked to the tracking issues discussed by Farhad in the paid media session and coupled with the deprecation of third party cookies, if we didn’t already have enough to contend with, Google Analytics is changing as well. And anyone who’s looked at the new dashboards will tell you it’s a mess!

If there’s one person who can explain why GA has changed, how GA4 works and how you can make the most of it, it’s digital consultant Andrew Bruce-Smith. In this session he’ll run through everything you need to know to ensure your evaluation keeps running smoothly.

3.50pm DISCUSSION: What Do Consumers Really Want from Brands Now?

The world has changed radically and for good in the last two years. The pandemic accelerated professional changes such as remote working and the hybrid office, social justice followed as we all considered our place in the world and the way others are treated, and issues such as diversity, inclusivity and sustainability all made their way into the boardroom.

The last session of the day will look at all of these changes together with technological evolution to discuss what consumers want to see from brands in 2022 and beyond.

Leading the discussion will be panelists Tamara Littleton, CEO of The Social Element, Julian Obubo, partner at Manifest London, and Gemma Moroney, co-founder of SHOOK. This is your chance to put any remaining questions from the day to our special guests.

4.30pm NETWORKING DRINKS

Immediately after the main event finishes, those who would like to continue the conversation or unwind and digest all of the information are welcome to retire to the nearest watering hole (which is rather conveniently next door to the venue!) for a little lubrication.