Fanfara is a student marketing conference organized under the auspices of the Student Section of the Slovenian Marketing Association (ŠSDMS). More than 300 visitors attended the lectures by experts from different areas who presented their vision of the future of marketing.
In the digital age freedom begins with ownership of personal data
Dr. Mitja Pirc was the first in a series of speakers, each of whom added their own piece to the final mosaic of the conference. The current president of the Slovenian Marketing Association said: “Marketing is important for business of companies, the only question is does it want that function? We don’t need a new definition of marketing, we just have to use and implement the one that we already have.”
Next speaker, Gregor Žavcer, one of the co-founders of the Datafund project, talked about the role of personal information in today’s world and politics. “We live in a society driven by personal data. Everything revolves around quality leads. They gave strength to both Brexit and Trump. In the digital age, freedom begins with ownership of personal information!”
What will the future look like in the field of free time and travel? “In the future, human will be in the centre of travel, and the technology will develop to such an extent that it will facilitate travel and allow us to devote more time to real experiences,” says Žiga Lukša, co-founder of blockchain startup Futourist, the first online platform for global appraisal of services. It will reward both writers and creatives with Futourist Token.
Travel is not everything. Today, marketing is increasingly penetrated by popular culture. But is marketing penetrating popular culture? This is what Damjan Obal, a researcher and designer in the Norwegian startup company Xenet talked about. He linked marketing to a superhero story: “We are the ones who write stories. Superhero is a metaphor for the user, and the product is the one that gives the power to the buyer or user. Our job is to turn the customer into a superhero, and help them feel good.”
Mercator Šiška among 15 best supermarkets in the world
Three speakers from Mercator presented the store of the future. Mercator Šiška was presented by Dr. Barbara Navala, who worked in several different fields and has been successfully utilizing this experience in the development of marketing appearances and the brand of Mercator Šiška, Miha Zajc, Mercator’s head of operative marketing, and Mateja Zagode, who brings into her work years of experience in the field of brand development. According to IGD, the leading organization in the field of trade, Mercator Šiška was ranked among the top 15 supermarkets in the world.
Two speakers from the New Moment Ljubljana advertising agency, Boštjan Prijanovič and Luka Kobale, presented the past of marketing as their introduction to the future of marketing. “Although we have witnessed great trends in history, and despite the fact that changes are the only constant today, advertising always finds its own path in time and space. Today, the only difference is that if you want to do your part in the advertising world, you need to know 70 different channels, not just one.”
Slavimir Stojanovic, famous Serbian designer who works in his own studio Futro, presented his career path: from sketching, over painting to illustration and, finally, design. He pointed out, above all, the importance of mentoring: “It is important to have someone who directs us. It is good to listen to those smarter, wittier and older than us. And admit that such people really exist.” And how do you become successful in this business? Slavimir says: “I achieved success when I started thinking about how I could help my clients, and not about how great designer I am.”
The future is also hidden in the global component, as confirmed by Ana Lukner Roljič, who runs the branch of ABC Accelerator in San Jose. She shared with the attendants her experience from the Silicon Valley: “Work is the value there. It is based on high integrity and trust. The current trends are AI, machine learning in blockchain. We are entering the domain of hyperdigitalization, decisions need to be made now and immediately, you have to be aware of what’s going on around you, what trends are there, so you could know where you are going.” Still, it’s not as complicated as it might seem. “So many technologies that we have at our disposal today had never existed before, but they are still just tools. It is up to us how we will use them. In the end, human being is the only important factor.”
Image is powerful. Combined with a story, it is eternal!
Last speaker who shared his advice was David Urankar, TV host, model and blogger. “If you share your ideas, it is less likely that someone will steal them, and they are more likely to become incredible.” According to his experience, all news should be launched in all media, and for each find a different way of communicating. In premium branding, nothing is left to chance.
Along with the program in the large hall, two workshops were held in smaller halls. In the first one, Aljoša Todorovič, head of digital marketing at the Madwise Performance Agency, introduced Google Adworks, or, in other words, how to boost sales with simple digital tricks. At the second workshop, Anja Križnik Tomažin, an expert on public and business speaking, explained the importance of non-verbal communication in public appearances.
After the conference we can safely say that the future of marketing is certainly bright. Despite the new technologies and trends in the market, marketing in essence still plays a significant role in our society. Only its shape and appearance change little by little every day, and adapt to all market and consumer demands. If we were to quote Miha Zajc: “An image is powerful. Combined with a story, it is eternal!”
