The WPP Stream (Un)Conference was a mash-up of discussions on the industry's biggest challenges, demos of new potentially-disruptive technology, a pitch to solve a major world crises - and so much more!
With no agenda, no PowerPoints and no pre-determined content planned, Y&R worked with an on-site illustrator to capture the loose structure of the conversations, the honesty of the questions, and the openness of the participants.
Enjoy the highlights...and Stream On!
2. DISCUSSIONS
PITCH
GADGETHON
IGNITE TALKS
OFF THE CUFF
The 3-day (un)conference was a mash-up of discussions
on the industry's biggest challenges, demos of new
technology bound to be disruptive, a pitch to solve a
major world crises; and so much more.
Here are some of the things we learned and shared.
3. Consider the differences between the two — the famous
scientists we learn about are often dead historic
figures, while the technologists we admire are our
heroes. Science fairs include one-dimensional poster
boards while technology is composed of hackathons
and live streaming. Science reports usually include
long, boring papers with charts and confusing language.
Technology is about cool, well-designed press releases
(think about Google’s Alphabet release) with great
graphics and design. What would happen if we gave
science the sexy edge of technology? Imagine the
impact on students and future world changers.
WHY IS TECH SO SEXY – AND SCIENCE SO NOT?
4. Baristas have long impressed us (and inspired us to
share pics with all our friends) with lattes that come
with shapes, hearts and smiles.
This year, a 3-D-printing latte machine came all the
way from Tel Aviv company Ripple Maker, and with it
an entirely new form of communication called “P to C”
or Person to Coffee. Consumers can choose from a
wide variety of artwork or use their own to be printed
on their lattes.
The technology is now being integrated into Lufthansa
lounges — imagine printing “I love you” on the cup of
coffee your significant other orders before they board
the plane.
The machines will soon be launched with select
coffee chains.
Interestingly, those who have inquired about bringing
a Ripple Maker machine into their businesses have
not only been limited to coffee retailers. Coffee has
become such an integral part of our culture and latte
art such a commonly shared image on social media,
that brands are thinking creatively about how this new
platform can help drive engagement despite the fact
that their business has nothing to do with coffee.
THE LATEST PLATFORM FOR MESSAGING — LATTES!
5. MRIs of people listening to different music and sounds
show the highest levels of excitement when listening
to Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love” across age and gender.
The impression of sounds is significant and the data
around it can lead to impactful insights and ideas.
So why hasn’t the advertising industry harnessed the
power of sound?
While the rest of the industry continues to evolve —
:60 spot…:30 spots…:15 spots…:06 videos…140
characters — radio has been left alone with little
experimenting and, therefore, minimal advancement.
In fact, some argue radio is more mobile than mobile —
think about the impact of hearing an ad for soap on the
way to the supermarket…
So why is radio not getting more of our attention?
WE’RE NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION TO RADIO
6. Insights from a recent retail study based on 15 billion
data points a day, 1.5 million publisher sites and $700
million in ecommerce transactions per year showed
a correlation between the intent of consumers to buy
something and what they ended up buying.
Noteworthy:
Those shopping for baby clothing and equipment also
bought wedding dresses (spot the trend here).
Those in the market for pornography also bought
high-end camera equipment.
And children’s toys shoppers also bought gaming
consoles — which could be a testament to parents
wanting to buy their kids the toys they grew up with,
like Lego, but also supplementing the physical toys
with gaming consoles that will surely hold their
attention for longer!
INTENTION BEHIND THE PURCHASE IS MORE
TELLING THAN YOU THINK
7. Angelina Jolie’s choice to understand her genetic
makeup allowed her to make informed decisions about
her body.
But genetic testing is a tricky topic. While it has become
significantly more accessible and affordable, the results
of your likelihood for a disease can be difficult to bear.
Knowledge is power, but DNA is not your destiny.
Your “inner space” can now be considered a public
good as researchers, doctors and scientists can expand
their knowledge of the human body and disease.
It’s worth asking yourself — are you willing to help
yourself and others to treat, detect and overcome
disease?
YOUR BODY CAN BE A PUBLIC GOOD
8. An 8-year-old in 2015 runs the same sprinting time as
a gold medalist in 1896.
Why?
Genetics; better diets; dedication to one sport;
knowledge of how to train and what to eat; access
to facilities; bigger pool of athletes because more
people play within athletic associations when they
are in school. In fact, there are significantly more
cases of young kids needing to get Tommy John
surgery (replacing an elbow ligament), which in the
past was only prevalent in professional pitchers at
the end of their careers.
TRENDS IN ATHLETIC CAPABILITIES EXPOSE TRUTHS
ABOUT EXPECTATIONS FOR YOUNG KIDS TODAY
9. Parents need to be careful.
It is their job to help kids understand the permanent
repercussions of the contributions they share.
If the next US president’s life will all be on Facebook,
their career will be defined by data and privacy, and the
skill sets will include expertise in filtering and
processing data.
Regarding screen time, there is a lot of concern about
how much time is too much. How can we ensure our
children continue to healthfully develop?
Distinguish “social” online games that offer an
opportunity for interaction (like Xbox) from those that
involve sitting in front of a computer and are not
social at all.
Manage family screen time in the house by designating
a box for all devices. Walk to use it, then put it away –
rather than in your pocket.
Understand that kids have a different perspective on
problem solving — it’s not about “Can I do it?” but
rather “When will I do it?”
HOW MUCH SCREEN TIME IS TOO MUCH?
WHEN DO KIDS ENCOUNTER PORN AND HOW
SHOULD PARENTS DEAL WITH IT?
WHAT IS SOCIAL VS. UNSOCIAL GAMING?
10. The potential of drones is in the hands of their
dispatcher. On the one hand, drones are being used
to plant trees, using detailed terrain data to build 3-D
maps of the areas to be reforested. Beyond this, the
potential of drones to help in emergency situations;
security, search and rescue, monitoring crops on farms,
clearly gives us hope for their impact on the world.
On the other hand, they act as dangerous tools for
terrorism — like dropping bombs in densely
populated areas — and even scarier than that are
the dangers still unknown.
DRONES AS AN EXTREME GAME CHANGER
11. Looking at the success of Warby Parker, Bonobos and
many others around the world, retailers are all looking
to figure out how to harness the power of both the
digital and physical worlds.
So here’s some inspiration — A store known for its
delightful fragrance upon entrance shipped its cartons
with goods bought online with that same familiar brand
fragrance upon opening the box!
UNTAPPED CREATIVITY WHEN LINKING DIGITAL
AND PHYSICAL
12. While Virtual Reality is still in its early days, there is a
real sense of hope for its power to create a culture of
empathy that physical distance today does not allow,
despite the many connected devices we have.
Imagine caring for your mother from across the world,
where she can see you in your kitchen reminding her
to take her medication as if you were sitting right next
to her in her kitchen.
Picture political leaders envisioning the lives of the
people with whom they are negotiating.
Visualize a student from Brooklyn and another from
Kenya collaborating on projects and understanding
the resources, skill sets and challenges that each side
brings to the project.
VR can bridge differences and create a culture of
empathy and understanding in the very places that
need it most.
THERE’S A REAL SOFT SIDE TO VIRTUAL REALITY
13. If consumers’ expectations aren’t met on digital, they
quickly become frustrated.
So if you’re integrating a new technology into a retail
store, it better work well!
But problem solving should not always rely on
technology. For example, a service that allows you to
schedule a delivery with a 10-minute window to try on
the product is brilliant. If you are not happy with your
purchase, you hand it right back to the delivery person
instead of shipping it back. Eliminate unnecessary
expenses and the hassle of logistics.
RETAILERS ARE WORKING TO CREATE HIGH-TECH
EXPERIENCES THAT FEEL SIMPLE AND PHYSICAL
EXPERIENCES THAT FEEL ADVANCED
14. Remember when you went out for dinner and
discussed an episode of your favorite show from
the previous night? Today you discuss the entire
season, perhaps the entire series.
TV isn’t dead. It’s on steroids. According to the FX
Research Department, “The number of first-run scripted
cable shows has doubled in just the past five years,
tripled since 2007 and grown a staggering 683% since
the turn of the century.”
It is worth pondering what will happen when the
NFL’s contracts with TV networks expire in the next
few years.
Who will own the precious driver of live viewing?
Who will partner with whom? Who will take the lead?
TV ISN’T DEAD. IT’S ON STEROIDS. AND ADVERTISING
STILL PAYS. BUT WHAT’S NEXT?
15. As more and more products and objects become
connected to the Internet, the product itself becomes
the media channel, which opens up entirely new
possibilities for personalized communications and
experiences. And these aren’t just typical objects —
phones, cars, appliances — but everyday products like
shampoo and soft drinks, and thanks to the
development of “connected packaging,” they can link
to personalized experiences, reorder themselves, etc.
The key will be the underlying software layer that can
serve as the infrastructure to ensure there is seamless
connectivity between everything.
CONNECTED PRODUCTS WILL REORDER
THEMSELVES
16. When choosing a brand ambassador, YouTube stars
are quite attractive — they make your brand more
accessible, are aspirational personalities and may be
more relevant to your audience. Will Smith may be
a sure bet but too safe; Kim Kardashian may be too
strong of a brand (She was quoted in Cannes as saying,
“I know some of the brands I work with might get
frustrated. I will only post a picture of a brand I like
if I really love it.”); YouTube stars seem to easily and
seamlessly gel with young consumers.
Keep in mind, there is a level of engagement that they
typically expect — they look for brands that share their
values and their level of engagement depends on it.
THE HIGH COST OF SOCIAL MEDIA STARS
17. The field of economics assumes people are purely
rational and have access to perfect information, when
in fact this couldn’t be further from reality. One might
say that marketing is the science of knowing what
economists are wrong about! Being able to understand
the systematic ways in which people are “irrational” can
help us be better marketers, product developers and
policy makers. For example, the “IKEA effect” shows us
that people become more attached to products and
objects when they feel ownership over their creation/
construction. Similarly, simply putting a picture of eyes
near a tip jar increases donations and reduces theft.
A REASON TO STUDY IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOR
18. A UK police detective shared the challenges facing
police forces in the UK — unconscious bias on behalf of
the police and low confidence in the eyes of the public.
With old-school technology, budget cuts, siloed
departments, how can the organization both improve
on its unconscious bias and improve its perception
and confidence among the public?
Marketing experts in the audience suggested solutions
such as creating a platform (perhaps Facebook) that
allows the community to communicate with the police
as it relates to crime; inspiring the police to smile more
on the streets; showing police officers are just like us —
(given the insight that kids with a friend whose father
is a member of the police have a very different opinion
than the general public); transferring police officers to
different cities so that they can get experience working
with different kinds of populations, etc
Ultimately, you can’t build the plane, fix the plane and
fly it too.
Sometimes innovation has to be built separately from
the business so that it can continue to function.
UK POLICE DETECTIVE CHALLENGES THE EXPERTS
TO HELP SOLVE A MAJOR PERCEPTION PROBLEM
19. There is not enough content being produced;
production costs are still high; directors are challenged
with the best way to use the 360-degree perspectives
that VR allows. Some are recommending bringing in
theatre directors and sculpture artists who understand
the multidimensional spaces in a different way.
While there is so much promise for industries to
transform their businesses with Virtual Reality — ranging
from medical, education and entertainment — the
consensus was that the porn industry will take the lead
as a pioneer (as it did with video streaming, pay-per-click
banner ads, stimulating traffic and profitability, selling
and sharing content, and real-time credit card processing).
Only then will there really be a chance for it to become
mainstream.
LOTS OF TALK ABOUT VIRTUAL REALITY — BUT IT
HAS YET TO BECOME MAINSTREAM.
20. Six teams formed to find and present their solution to
a team of judges. Here’s what they came up with:
TEAM 1: “SECURE BANKING” presented M-PESA,
a mobile banking solution, popular in Kenya, for safe
secure banking that can be offered at Registration
upon arrival in a new country.
TEAM 2: “PROJECT TRIAGE” wanted to leverage the same
technology that powers SMS messaging from a carrier
(that you receive upon arrival to a new country about
data and text messaging costs) to share immediate help
and support to Syrians upon arrival to a new country.
TEAM 3: “LYCA” connects refugees to jobs using a
connected platform.
TEAM 4: “MAKE HOME” (inspired by Burning Man) seeks
to set up a maker-like community in refugee camps.
TEAM 5: “AYADI” (My House is Your House in Arabic) is
an app that connects volunteers with refugees.
TEAM 6: “AMAL” (hope in Arabic) is a virtual nation
supported by a marketplace to exchange services
between locals and refugees.
Team 5 took home the prize!
WITH A SURGE OF MIGRANTS LANDING ON EUROPEAN
SHORES, HOW CAN MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY
HELP REFUGEES GET THE MONEY, NETWORKS AND
SERVICES THEY NEED TO THRIVE?