The main aim of this networking event is to offer
an alternative to the vast number of conferences and training sessions that have
sprung up in recent years. Indeed, this was the tone set by
the opening remarks of Tomáš Jindříšek, the main host and moderator of the expert panel
discussion.
The opening remarks were followed by a very energetic, fresh and, I would say,
entertaining yet informative presentation by Jaroslav Haž, digital manager at
Jan Becher – Pernod Ricard. The main message he wanted to convey to us
agencies and hammer home was a single word: ‘education’. The education of our clients, that is,
company marketers and their bosses.
Next to present was Ivana Giardi,
who works at Google’s Czech branch in Prague as an agency business
manager. It is clear that Google really strives to ensure their
clients have precise figures on the effectiveness of every campaign and its real impact on business.
This was confirmed in the second part of the presentation, which focused on the current
situation in the field of mobile devices, the number of visits (currently
in the range of 7–10% of the total) and, above all, their future.
I must emphasise her point that, thanks to the use of mobile connectivity,
users will in future make purchasing decisions in physical branches in real time, i.e. with the help of other users’ reviews and their satisfaction levels.
This was followed by a panel discussion featuring both
speakers, as well as Robert Hass (co-founder of the Symbio agency), Petr Kleiner
(Marketing Director at ČSOB Pojišťovna), Michal Popelář (Director of the
Wunderman Interactive agency) and David Martinásek (freelancer for Škoda
Auto’s digital activities).
The discussion took place at a relaxed, informal pace and sought to
build on the topics raised by both speakers. The main point of contention
arose from differing views on the balance between emotion and the budget of each campaign.
Robert Hass based his argument on the ‘rules’ of the client’s
buying department, which is not so much concerned with return on investment, but merely
with meeting objectives whilst reducing costs by a certain percentage. On the other side stood, above all, P.
Kleiner, who, as a manager at ČSOB, must ensure the overall profitability
of individual projects. The position of D. Martinásek was also very interesting; he
spoke about planning Škoda Auto’s marketing campaigns a year
in advance, which I consider a real advantage and an ideal position for project
development. To my great surprise, the audience also joined in the debate,
with the entire hall full, an estimated 80 people. I think that one question in particular
from a colleague at Symbia could be carved into the surrounding stone cladding: “How
do you tell a client they’re an idiot without offending them?” I fully understand this question.
The final part of the conference lived up to its name
and introduced participants to Indian cuisine, which was truly delicious and full of
flavour.
I believe that the whole concept of “La Degustation Online” is a
pleasant way to unwind after a working day, and I am very much looking forward to the next series, which,
as I firmly believe, will follow, even though the organisers’ original intention
— namely, to attract primarily marketers from larger companies —
did not succeed.
Interesting links: