VENI, VIDI, VICI De La Cannes Des Festival Lions

Festival is the keyword here. Big, fat festival of international genuinity. 

Most frequently used saying was "tapping into" some source of creativity. It was a tap dance of ideation. 

The changing zeitgeist of the time.. 

Creativity was tried to be defined and it was decided to be left undefined. 

It requires you to take bold risks but it cannot be rushed.. It takes research and reflection. It takes time. Fear of failure will do you no good. Persistence is in the heart of this journey whereas humor is your companion. You need to have fun. All work and no play will take you no where. Come along and maybe you'll find your inspiration in the play ground. 

Remember the time mobile was taking over? Now, its both data and health's turn. Out with the old (metrics) and in with the new (biometrics). 20th century's significance lied upon civil rights movement and it looks like 21st century's focus will be health and wellness movement supported by technology. Diet, nutrition and how you manage stress can actually lengthen your telometers in return prolong your life. Meditation can actually change the way how your body reads your genes. Can't really say that we are about to unlock the mysteries of life, per se, we are getting closer to understand how our minds, souls and bodies are connected to each other.

Data, integrated into music, takes the digital experience into a whole another level. 

Beacons are yesterday's news. Sound is unlocking the ultimate connected experience. The new data-over-audio technology creates a new engagement window.

In this new era, where mobile driven data is used to enhance the engagement on many levels, content may very well still be the king but context is the emperor. Ideas are the new commodity in this world. Brands need to claim a purpose/goal for existing (ie. Nike's brand purpose is to bring out your inner athlete). And tell their stories in a hyper segmented way to touch each and everyone one of us. Those stories must be told in a platform agnostic way. That's the only way to achieve sufficient reach in this audience centric market. 

Storytelling is dead, long live story-doing. You need people to engage with your brand in all the relevant ways and co-create the story together. You'll curate your community like a delicate lace work.  

Then again, we end up at right where we've started. The insight. 

You need to identify the human truths. The functional value that your product/service provides and the emotional levers (triggers) to initiate the first moment of truth: testing. 

emotional: love, joy, surprise, fear, sadness, anger

functional: education (provide new info) I entertainment (fun intermission from daily life) I utility (save money, time, resources) I access (exclusive to me) I community (support a cause)

The never ending search for insight continues where as new platforms and formats emerge. Social media will become 

Shoppable __ watch video, learn how to and purchase online.
Snackable __ get it, digest it and move on. Vine videos
Automated __ artificial intelligence "watson ai" is knocking on our door. organic will move to programatic ~ advertisement's problems of `clutter`, `interruption` and `irrelevance` will be solved via programatic solutions ~
Connective __ south - north korea translator app
Filtered __ hear what you wanna hear
Integrated __ social CRM
Chinese __ biggest contributor to GDP
Subcutaneous __ under your skin, wearable technology going under ur skin
Empowering __ `look at me` austism app

The take home message was to be aware of and be humbled by the blessings you've been given and ambitiously work to align the stars to create your own constellation. 

Intentions resonate.. It's written all over you and your work. Create with good intentions. Remember, we are all wired the same way. The millennial mind has an eye for it. But, eventually we can all see through your intentions. So, be true.  

All After The Insight

We are all after the customer insight. The sole concept of market research is driven from this and shapes products & services. All marketing briefs vaguely define an existing or desired insight to customer's psyche. 

Usually, a desired customer insight is as follows in today's economy "bunların hepsi benim bebişlerim! onları renkli sakız gibi çiğneyip, çiğneyip tüketmek istiyorum." 

When a marketeer puts up such a photo on a brand's page, they want to get this reaction hence see an increase in sales.

You need to put your finger on the insight and drive your campaign from there. You need to ask yourself

- why would anyone care about your brand, really?

- what is the main motivation behind the reason to purchase your particular brand?

- how do the people -who purchased your brand- feel about themselves and your brand? - - how do they perceive you? how do they perceive themselves and other people wearing/using your brand? whats your impact on consumers' lives?    

Think really hard on the possible answers to those questions and create personas. Name them, give them a job and a place to live. Describe a day of their lives and how they interact with your brand. Then, think about the ways to reach out to them and get their attention. 

But, how and why would they be impressed with your message? Content curation and development is a genuine craft. Tailor make the content for your target. Catch them by surprise, make them laugh, woo them if you please.  Its like you are going on a date. You need to act cool but not too cocky, your tone should be warm but not too clingy and you need to keep them on their toes until the end of a perfect night. In your case, it would be 8 to 10 seconds of attention span which an average person have these days. More like a speed date, right? You need to see through them (insight) and chose your words accordingly. 

So, give the lady the reason to love you, to chose you and keep wanting to be with you.       

Midsummer Came Along This Winter

It was about time I get back on the wagon and accumulate some words. At the end, you can only accumulate your thoughts and feelings. Nothing more..

I reckon writing gives me a change to pause for a second to cherish what I've been given. 

I am barely hopeful, maybe as hopeful as Salinger could have been. And it is OK. 

I just saw myself laughing, not a nervous or sarcastic laugh but a genuine one. It was like all Christmas presents wrapped in one, big, fat laugh. It was a brief moment but I was genuinely laughing out loud. I appreciate that blink of a bliss.

I chose to enjoy that moment very consciously. I am in fact very proud of myself. Now, I am digesting the facts in the morning light. And  what doesn't kill us, makes our drinks stronger. I bet Salinger would agree.

It is what it is. You think you play a hand of poker when living your life but you only take the cards from the table and turn them around. It is what you actually do. Nothing less, nothing more. 

So, this hand had an ace in the deck for me. I felt lucky and I am grateful. I don't suddenly expect to e as lucky as this round on the next. But I sure do hope that one day, preferably  when we're both blind drunk we can talk about it.