A whopping 10,000 attendees joined this year’s F&B Innovation Forum in Hangzhou! And it was my privilege to deliver a keynote, sharing 22 years of Branding experience. One key learn from each company where I worked:
– P&G: Always start with WHO. We should start every business strategy by focusing on WHO we serve, who seek to reach, and who would like to engage.
– Apple: Steve Job’s famous question added to that, WHY. Why do we do what we do? Why do we work where we work, and pour our hearts into this brand, product, or service? And why do consumers choose us?
– IHG: WHAT we design, the importance of brand consistency O+O. Does what the guest experience online feel consistent across digital channels? Then, when they enter our hotel, does the offline experience feel equally consistent?
– Starbucks: HOW we deliver innovation, the power of a Digital flywheel to deliver our WHAT and WHY for our WHO.
Then on a panel with CMO of Tsingdao Beer & CEO of Yongpu Coffee,
We discussed marketing tactics that “stop the scroll,” which get consumers to pause as they scroll through social media because of relevant, arresting, creative content. If Ecommerce has transitioned to social commerce, and now to retailtainment, what’s next? If static has shifted to short video and livestreaming, what’s next?
China’s digital and marketing landscape is changing so quickly, those who thrive will place creativity at the heart of all they do, designing human-centered, cross-channel O+O experiences that are insight-driven and grounded in data and technology.