“You need to get out on the other side of your desk and start talking to people” (Maura Packham).
DMA &THEN Marketing Conference 2015 – Boston, MA.
After much anticipation and excitement, I finally arrived to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center for the 2015 Direct Marketing Association &THEN Conference. This was the first year the conference was running and there was a fantastic turnout of both speakers and attendees. I went in very unsure of what to expect and I was blown away!
I am thankful to my Advisor for presenting me with this opportunity. I was one of very few students who took advantage of the initiative and stayed for two days, beyond the Student Career Forum. The opportunity was more than I could have imagined and I am appreciative to the DMA for allowing Students to attend. There were many professionals who were knowledgeable in career paths I am interested in pursuing post graduation and others that I learned more about.
Oct. 5 + 6 were full of reputable keynote speakers, events, and entertainment. Listed below are some of my favorite highlights from both days:
Blake Mycoskie, CEO Tom’s Shoes on ‘The Power of Authenticity’
“Giving doesn’t just feel good, it’s great for business”
- Create a unique mission, unlike other brands, to stand out
- Take inspiration from surroundings for business ideas
- Improvise as much as possible (especially in tough situations)
- “Intimacy of Giving” – The experience that changes your life
- Telling and selling the story
Student Career Forum feat. Khurrum Malik, Rob Reger, Justin Drake, Magda Losonczy, Anthony Oland, Maura Packham
“When you have someones life in your hands, it makes you sit up straighter in your chair” (Maura Packham).
- How psychology moves markets
- Never be afraid to approach people; communicate with them
- Start talking to people from the other side of your desk
- Find a mentor who can effectively guide you
- Acknowledge and adopt weaknesses
- Look at & embrace growth to achieve marketing success
Ian Greenleigh on Finding the Social Media Side Door to Reach, Influence, and Revenue
Be an egomaniac (it’s human)
- New landscape of influence
- The power to slow, stop, and accelerate
- Use social media to find a job
- It’s harder to influence, so stay connected with upcoming trends
- Find more shots at winning attention
- Create credibility by communicating with established parties
Kevin Roberts, Executive Chairman Saatchi & Saatchi – The Age of the Idea
“It is only crazy people that keep ideas alive”
- Technology is nothing without ideas
- Strategy is what you do when there is nothing to do
- People like technology, but they love people
- Create a movement, not a brand
- Revolution begins with Language
The Marketing X-Factor feat. Amy Radin, Bridget Russo, John Sisson, Lisa Shalett, Stacy Martinet, Sue Burton
“You don’t even know what you don’t know” (On Millennials)
This empowering group of women has shattered the glass ceiling by finding success within their career paths. Each had very unique input on how to survive and thrive at a company. I enjoyed this presentation most of all because they spoke highly of millennials and young women, in particular.
- Be aware of how we interact as humans
- Invest in emotional currency and “story-telling”
- Connect the heart + mind with technology
- Diversity makes sense for business
- Embrace the new and, whenever possible, lead the path
This conference was an eye-opening, learning experience for me. I have gained insight to the Marketing World and many of the opportunities for expansion through technology and social media. I got to see John Legend and many other influential Keynote Speakers. If I had not attended the conference this year then I may never have found the opportunity again. Why? Because DMA &THEN 2016 will be held in Los Angeles, California. Fingers crossed the conference returns to Boston or New York again in the near future.
Congratulations to all of those who won a 2015 Marketing ECHO Award!
Be Your Own Brand.
(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i[‘GoogleAnalyticsObject’]=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){
(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),
m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)
})(window,document,’script’,’//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js’,’ga’);
ga(‘create’, ‘UA-68567211-1’, ‘auto’);
ga(‘send’, ‘pageview’);