{"id":248356,"date":"2020-11-27T15:08:59","date_gmt":"2020-11-27T14:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.testbirds.com\/?p=248356"},"modified":"2024-02-12T11:57:48","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T11:57:48","slug":"digital-thinkers-forum-first-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.testbirds.com\/en\/blog\/digital-thinkers-forum-first-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Thinkers Forum \u2013 The First Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Digitalization<\/strong> sets the stage for new and exciting times, and we wanted to establish a platform where we can discuss and talk about those changes, as well as the challenges and opportunities they bring with them.<br \/>\nOur <strong>first Digital Thinkers Forum<\/strong> took place on October 28th and we were very happy to have two top speakers for our first edition \u2013 <strong>Julius van de Laar and Gerriet Danz.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Julius is a <strong>political strategist<\/strong> and <strong>communications expert<\/strong> with strong campaigning experience. During the 2008 and 2012 US Presidential elections, Julius van de Laar <strong>worked for Barack Obama&#8217;s winning campaigns<\/strong> in nearly a dozen states.<\/p>\n<p>As a <strong>best-selling author and lecturer<\/strong> at the Management School St. Gallen, Gerriet Danz examines the conditions under which people can <strong>think outside of the box and innovate.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With the theme <strong>\u201cInnovate Faster, Communicate Smarter\u201d<\/strong> they introduced us to the secrets of US political campaigns and the innovation culture of Silicon Valley.<br \/>\nTo get a first impression, watch the highlight video as a starting point \ud83d\ude0a<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"ratio ratio-16x9\"><iframe title=\"Digital Thinkers Forum | Keynote Highlights\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" data-trucookiecontrol=\"social_content\" src=\"\thttps:\/\/prod-origin.truendo.com\/pc\/placeholder\/v2\/de.html?domain=www.testbirds.com&#038;service_name=YouTube&#038;category_id=social_content&#038;service_id=google_youtube&#038;mode=2&#038;font_color=%23ffffff&#038;bg_color=%2300c376&#038;btn_color=%2300455b\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NL2Oa9-VBKQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Julius van de Laar \u2013 from storytelling to microtargeting<\/h2>\n<p>Being a <strong>political strategist<\/strong> who worked for Obama and his winning campaigns, everyone was obviously curious about Julius\u2019 predictions six days before the 2020 US election. However, he said that he\u2019s very cautious with predictions and better not make any.<br \/>\nAfter a short introduction, he took us deeper into the topic which wasn\u2019t all about politics, but rather about the <strong>tactics behind the campaigns, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.testbirds.com\/blog\/big-data-in-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">use of big data<\/a>, the targeting of voters, how to deliver the right messages<\/strong> to the right people \u2013 or, to sum it up \u2013 storytelling.<\/p>\n<p><b>#1 Define your message, stand for something<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The most important from Julius\u2019 point of view is that you (no matter if you\u2019re a presidential candidate or a start-up entering the market) need to be able to answer two questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Why me?<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Why now?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>By answering these two questions you\u2019ll be able to <strong>say what you stand for<\/strong>. And \u2013 this is also important \u2013 you <strong>must stand for something.<\/strong> Otherwise, you\u2019ll only be one of the many that no one will remember.<\/p>\n<p><b>#2 Set clear goals <\/b><\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve defined your message it\u2019s crucial to <strong>set a clear goal<\/strong>. Goals are always <strong>determined by data<\/strong> \u2013 that\u2019s why we want to analyze data in the best possible way.<br \/>\nThis big goal then needs to be broken down into <strong>smaller goals and targets.<\/strong> Data shows us where we want to spend our advertising dollars and where it\u2019s rather useless.<br \/>\nIn his example, he said that there\u2019s no need for the Democrats to invest in targeting committed Republicans that won\u2019t change their minds anyway. You need to concentrate on either those you can convince to go vote in the first place or those who aren\u2019t sure who to vote for yet. Those are your targets and it\u2019s with them that you need to spread your message.<\/p>\n<p>But how do I know <strong>where it makes sense<\/strong> to spend my money on advertising and where not? Y<strong>ou need to know your audience!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>#3 Know your audience <\/b><\/p>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re a political candidate, a big company, a small company, or a freelancer, you\u2019ll always have two factors that limit you: <strong>time and money.<\/strong><br \/>\nThat\u2019s why it\u2019s essential to <strong>decide who to talk to, whom to target.<\/strong> And for that you need data. The more you know about your target group the more accurately you can address them.<\/p>\n<p>The big advantage as a political strategist in the US is that you have a huge database right from the start because you can simply buy voter information that is gathered from the registration to vote. On top of that, you have all the commercial information that you can match with the information from voter registration. Imagine you had <strong>20,000 data points<\/strong> for every single person in your customer base \u2013 the Trump campaign had that for every voter.<br \/>\nHowever, it is possible to build a model of who to talk to (and who not) with fewer data points, but less is not more when it comes to data points \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n<p>So, now that we know who we want to talk to we can get to the crucial part \u2013<strong> how can we reach and convince our audience?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>#4 Inspire your audience <\/b><\/p>\n<p>If you want to mobilize your audience, if you want them to do something \u2013 no matter what it is \u2013 <strong>you need to inspire them.<\/strong> You need to <strong>create a vision<\/strong> they can follow \u2013 not only data and plans. This leads to a simple rule: S<strong>ell the problem you solve, not the solution.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What does that mean? Instead of talking about the details of your product or political strategy, you need to <strong>show what problem it, or you, will solve.<\/strong> No one was interested in how exactly Donald Trump wanted to build the wall \u2013 they were interested in the fact that he will stop migration from Mexico. And to underline this he even blew up the problem to a big threat.<\/p>\n<p><strong>So: Sell the problem, not the solution!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>From storytelling to microtargeting \u2013 lessons learned <\/b><\/p>\n<p>What we learned from Julius\u2019 keynote was, especially, that <strong>message matters.<\/strong> You need to have a <strong>compelling narrative<\/strong> and you have to <strong>stand for something<\/strong> by answering the questions <strong>\u2018why me\u2019 &amp; \u2018why now\u2019.<\/strong><br \/>\nOtherwise, you don\u2019t need to spend a single dollar on advertising. Besides all the strategic work and all the planning, data, and other stuff you need to do, you should <strong>be open to take an opportunity when it arises.<\/strong> Always stay nimble and respond quickly to changing circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to know more about Julius, his expertise, and work, visit his homepage <a href=\"https:\/\/www.juliusvandelaar.com\/)\">juliusvandelaar.com.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>After this interesting and inspiring keynote, Julius handed over to Gerriet, expert in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.testbirds.com\/blog\/innovation-freedom-flexibility-and-failure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">innovation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Gerriet Danz \u2013 Expedition Innovation<\/h2>\n<p>Gerriet started his keynote by introducing us to t<strong>wo different kinds of people<\/strong>: the ones who embrace change and the ones who deny it.<br \/>\nHe pointed out that a misunderstanding of the future can lead to the death of your product, your company, or your brand.<\/p>\n<p>He then introduced the factors that are needed for <strong>innovation in your company<\/strong> \u2013 and emphasized that being innovative is not about work specifically, but about personality. So, which factors foster innovation?<\/p>\n<p><b>#1 Creativity<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Although most of us don\u2019t consider ourselves creative, <strong>we still are<\/strong>. Everyone is creative as we all have a brain that can solve problems. The thing about innovation is that it\u2019s always <strong>about connecting things that haven\u2019t been connected before.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>How can you foster such ideas<\/strong>, how can you open your mind for new connections? The easiest way according to Gerriet, is to do things you<strong> wouldn\u2019t do normally.<\/strong> Like reading a print magazine you haven\u2019t read before (and maybe aren\u2019t even interested in) or go to concerts with music you haven\u2019t heard before. Although this sounds strange in the first place, it will help create new pathways in your brain.<\/p>\n<p><b>#2 Collaboration<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Another important factor for innovation is <strong>collaboration<\/strong>. We all naturally surround ourselves with people that are at a similar age and have similar professions or areas of interest. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important for your company to <strong>bring different people together<\/strong> and let them talk about their ideas, dreams, and failures.<br \/>\nThis shouldn\u2019t only be concentrated on work,<strong> it should include topics from inside and outside your company<\/strong>. This will broaden views dramatically.<\/p>\n<p><b>#3 Error Culture <\/b><\/p>\n<p>Accept errors as a <strong>normal occurrenc<\/strong>e and something <strong>you can learn from<\/strong> rather than something you have to avoid by all means. If you experiment with new ideas and try out new ways you will <strong>surely also fail sometimes<\/strong>. If you take such failures as reasons to let somebody go or get him or her into serious trouble, no one will ever try out new things.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why Gerriet asked us to <strong>allow and foster an error culture<\/strong>. Maybe we could even introduce an award for the most productive failure. Whichever way you handle errors, make sure to <strong>use them for good and not give them too much attention<\/strong>. Don\u2019t get stuck on things that went wrong, move on and concentrate on how to make it better next time.<\/p>\n<p><b> #4 Freedom <\/b><\/p>\n<p>Finally, <strong>without freedom there won\u2019t be innovation.<\/strong> Creativity doesn\u2019t happen from 9 to 5. It happens whenever and wherever it happens. And you need to give yourself and your employees the freedom to <strong>develop new ideas.<\/strong> This has direct consequences on your leadership style \u2013 <strong>you have to trust your staff.<\/strong> Someone who\u2019s being micromanaged will not have time or courage to introduce their ideas for doing things differently than before.<\/p>\n<p><b> Freedom and trust are the foundation of new and innovative ideas! <\/b><\/p>\n<p>If you want to know more about Gerriet, visit his website <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gerrietdanz.org\/\">gerrietdanz.org.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>After these two inspiring keynotes, it was time to open the floor for our panel discussion.<br \/>\nWe were happy to welcome <strong>Jennifer Rivas<\/strong> from DAZN Group, <strong>Ugo Bui-Xuan<\/strong> from Gameloft, and <strong>Stephan Heimbecher<\/strong>, former Director Innovations &amp; Standards at Sky, as well as <strong>Gerriet.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>But why don\u2019t you just watch it instead of me telling you what it was all about? Enjoy!<\/p>\n<h2>Digital Thinkers Forum \u2013 Panel Discussion<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"ratio ratio-16x9\"><iframe title=\"Digital Thinkers Forum | Panel Discussion\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" data-trucookiecontrol=\"social_content\" src=\"\thttps:\/\/prod-origin.truendo.com\/pc\/placeholder\/v2\/de.html?domain=www.testbirds.com&#038;service_name=YouTube&#038;category_id=social_content&#038;service_id=google_youtube&#038;mode=2&#038;font_color=%23ffffff&#038;bg_color=%2300c376&#038;btn_color=%2300455b\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XvDStBBq58k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Digitalization sets the stage for new and exciting times, and we wanted to establish a platform where we can discuss and talk about those changes, as well as the challenges and opportunities they bring with them. Our first Digital Thinkers Forum took place on October 28th and we were very happy to have two top [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3048],"tags":[23781,23775,2325,9410,2563],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.2 (Yoast SEO v22.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Digital Thinkers Forum \u2013 The First Edition - Testbirds<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.testbirds.com\/en\/blog\/digital-thinkers-forum-first-edition\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Digital Thinkers Forum \u2013 The First Edition\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Digitalization sets the stage for new and exciting times, and we wanted to establish a platform where we can discuss and talk about those changes, as well as the challenges and opportunities they bring with them. 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