Simple, Social, Fun

Those words were an important theme that resonated throughout Day One of annual client summit, Interplay 2011. BJ Fogg, Director of Stanford’s Persuasive Technology Lab, led the day with a provoking keynote presentation on the “power of persuasion,” a discussion of the causes and motivators for changing consumer behavior. With beach balls, ukulele in hand, and a rousing discussion about dental floss, Fogg presented a compelling case for how marketers need to focus on simple behavior changes for maximum results.

Content was a major conversation topic throughout the day with comments by Michael Pachter from Wedbush Securities looking at the role of content in the entertainment and gaming channels with interesting observations on Nintendo, Zynga and Apple across platforms and devices. Pachter highlighted the challenges and opportunities for marketers working to reach consumers – and change behavior – via those channels.

“Content is king, queen and bishop combined,” said Tina Tuli, Director of Media and Digital Marketing in Latin America for RIM. This compelling follow-up statement described the emergence of a digital middle class that is driving the explosion of mobile adoption in Latin America (LATAM). Customizing campaigns and recognizing the nuances of each region is critical for brands to achieve the level of success RIM is seeing in the region today. It also requires risk-taking to experiment with new ideas for content and social interaction, which given RIM’s mobile leadership in LATAM is certainly paying off. Tuli’s call to action: Marketers must have a digital strategy in Latin America with compelling content delivered directly to the devices consumers own more than any other.

Rounding out Day One was a moving presentation by Ellen McGirt, Senior Writer for Fast Company, who shared insights from her work covering and working with many of the innovators and “philosophers of the modern age,” including Mark Zuckerberg, Trey Pennington and Matt Damon. She delivered a powerful message, directing us to think about the impact of marketing campaigns, relationships, and business objectives on a higher purpose. McGirt and LEVEL CEO Tom Adamski ended the day discussing the topic of doing business with purpose and the role of philanthropy as a social imperative. McGirt left us all thinking big.

An energetic and inspiring Day One and a big thank-you to all of our esteemed and entertaining speakers. You can visit http://interplay2011.com for more information on the event, speakers and follow-up insights from the event.

Bj Fogg, Interplay 2011 ©mikelarsoninc

Ellen McGirt and Tom Adamski, Interplay 2011