Digital Marketing Conference 6 December 2018

When good technology works it is indistinguishable from magic. As we go into 2019, which are the technologies that marketers really need to care about, and which are the shiny ones causing a distraction that are unlikely to deliver any immediate results? In this session, Jeremy will talk about the future of AI in marketing and explain why we no longer have technology problems anymore, we have people problems!

No matter whether you are a business owner, manager or team member we are all affected and sometimes challenged by 'Growth, Change & Value' as a business progresses on its journey. I will share 15 ideas from my experience to help navigate through these, some thought-provoking, some practical and some will hopefully put a smile on your face!

Most brands are still using traditional financial reward systems for their loyalty programmes. But in an age where consumers are increasingly using digital channels to engage with brands, is it time to bin these traditional schemes and find a fundamental new approach to loyalty? Following in-depth consumer research into customer loyalty across key market sectors in the UK, Floris will share insight on why loyalty is changing, current consumer expectations, and key steps to help your brand become better at fostering loyalty.

How NHS Blood And Transplant use digital marketing and communications to recruit new blood donors and retain existing donors.

In an age where people are increasingly using digital channels to engage with charity brands, Blue Cross are innovating to put the nation’s pets at the heart of their message with Customer Generated Content. Cressida will show how Blue Cross developed an app to enable supporters to make their pet the star of their own Blue Cross film. This was widely shared with friends and family to show how much their pet means to them and to spread the word about the work Blue Cross does to help pets in need. Cressida will reveal the festive version of the app on the day.

What exactly is AI and how can you tell Actual AI from buzzword BS? Natalie Johnson, Head of Sales at Phrasee, will answer these questions and more in her deep dive into Phrasee’s AI brain and how it works. By showing how leading brands like Superdry, Virgin Holidays, and Gumtree are using AI, Natalie will prove how you can transform your CRM department from cogs to engine driving machines.

Why should B2B brands seek to deliver a ‘concierge experience’ online, and what is it? Shaun will look at how you can map user journeys and define personas to identify hidden ‘experience’ opportunities. He will also provide a practical example of how a ‘concierge experience’ is driving a dramatic increase in international revenue pipeline for a technology company.

Logged out searchers still get personalised results. Rank tracking only gives us part of the picture. So is SEO a mass media channel, or should we be trying to talk to an audience of one? How do we even do that in a post-GDPR world? Now is the time to move on from “user experience” as a ranking factor – the only result that matters is the one with the best customer experience overall.

Open Banking went live in January 2018, but what has really happened? Bud, an award winning financial marketplace, are leading the charge in this space bringing it to life with key players such as HSBC. Collaboration is the new norm with more banks and fintechs collaborating and even the Government. Alan Walsh, Head of Network and Partnerships, will show how these collaborations benefit everyone involved, especially the consumer and explain their vision for the future of finance.

Referral is the most effective form of new customer acquisition, outstripping the likes of PPC and social. With CPAs costing up to 80 per cent less than via other channels, it’s easy to see why brands are rushing to offer refer-a-friend programmes to their customers. But getting your programme live is just the start. Robin takes a look at some of the whip-smart psychological hacks brands such as Gap, The AA, and BT are employing to get their customers sharing more and, in turn, those customers’ friends shopping.

The marketing world has been suffering from an unhealthy obsession with the millennial demographic that often leads to misunderstanding this valuable generation. But are you focusing on the right youth group? In this session, Georgios will explore what millennialitis is, how you can do a marketing health check, and will divulge key take-aways for truly engaging your younger demographic.

Whilst some of us emerged relatively unscathed, others have seen a reduction in their database size (not necessarily a bad thing). Whichever way you see it, GDPR represents a new chapter for email marketers. The future is bright, but to succeed post-GDPR we must focus on building trust, providing transparency and delivering value to our customers. Dani explores how to build a data strategy that delivers long-term growth.

Even when you’re working in B2B, you need to take the B2C approach. Decision makers want to be treated like consumers, so a targeted marketing approach is the only way. In this session, Jake reveals how Colt delivers targeted messaging to accounts defined by sales to generate hot leads.

In a quickfire presentation, Gareth will be exploring the pros and cons of the agency versus in-house approach to programmatic advertising.

Jess will reveal how TrustedHousesitters took a century-old scheme and gave it a modern twist for the sharing economy pet care app, and saw the benefit in coverage and links.

Since 2015 Daniel has been leading acquisition and digital marketing at veg box retailer Riverford Organic Farmers. When he joined the brand customer acquisition was reliant on discount driven direct response activity, with the rich brand story taking a back seat. Daniel will share three things that has allowed Riverford to tell it’s authentic story, leverage it’s customer base and make the most of it’s limited marketing budget to grow to pre-offer levels.

Founded in 2016 Patch helps you discover the best plants for your space, whether your home or office, delivers them to your door and helps you look after them. Franky Athill, Head of Marketing at Patch, will reveal how the ecommerce horticultural startup created, and are leading, a new urban gardening category.