Nightshift

Just came back today from an interesting hop into Lausanne for a Global Agency account session.

On a preliminary note:  Most of the time I am pretty agnostic & easy about the hotel rooms as long as the bed is big, the wireless works, and as long as I can find one switch that controls all the 15 different light sources in the room - but, I have to admit that even the most rational being would have been moved and impressed like I was when I opened the curtains this morning. What a brilliant view on the Lake & the mountains. Totally stunning with the mist clearing over the Lake and the sun shining through. Yesterday evening we had dinner in the Chateau de Chillon: grisson, cheese fondue and chocolate cake. All the ingredienst I see go by day by day and might make you understand why I never took up the challenge to start fatblogging. I am totally set up for failure right from the start. But anyway, it was amazing to be back in the castle that I still remember visiting when I was around 10 years old. It all came back like a flashback.

This morning we had an interesting conversation with Nigel Morris, CEO of Isobar. While this was an internal meeting and conversation, Nigel has been vocal on most of his points in public at many occasions so I’m not unveiling many secrets here. Just the top things that we live and breathe every day, that we keep making in many presentations ourselves, but that struck me anyway:

• This new world is one of partnerships. Agencies of whatever type - creative, media, strategic, consultings services - and digital publishers like ours and technology providers will need to form partnerships to turn the new consumer reality into a new marketing reality. It’s not going to work without significant partnerships.
• Rivalisation is good. It is speeding up the digitization of media & the development of the cross media trading platforms
• Data and technology is ultimately going to be the key facilitator - because data give insight & targetting opportunities. However, even with the best possible targetting we still need to inspire people, persuade them with ideas, help them make choices. I think that particularly this point is forgotten too much in the latest agency technology discours. Even with the right people in front of you and giving them the right message, it still needs to be an inspirational story.
• The good old debate on integrated versus specialisation is non sensical. It needs both to be succesfull.

Good meeting - good vibes. Thanks to Nigel for being an inspirational speaker.