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BCBusiness + BCAMA International expert Rory Sutherland to discuss modern marketing at VISION 2018
Rory Sutherland, vice-chair of Ogilvy & Mather Group U.K., and a renowned TED Talks speaker, will address the VISION 2018 marketing conference in Vancouver on May 10.
The secret to marketing success in today’s hyper-connected world is to dig deep into human behaviour, says an international marketing guru.
“It’s about discovering the real why’ of why people think and act the way they do, and to nudge them to get them to think differently,” said Rory Sutherland, vice-chair of Ogilvy & Mather Group U.K., also a renowned TED Talks speaker with millions of online views.
The charismatic ad impresario will speak in Vancouver at the VISION 2018 marketing conference on May 10, revealing expert advice involving behavioural science discoveries that are changing the face of marketing.
Today’s marketers face the challenges of overwhelming choice, demands and expectations. They’re presented with a variety of platforms, tactics, data and new technology.
VISION 2018 is an opportunity for marketers to step away from their desks to gain some breathing space, re-evaluate their techniques, and think about the important driving forces that are shaping the industry today.
Sutherland warns about embracing new technologies, including artificial intelligence.
“One-third of my talk will involve puncturing a few digital balloons which I think have been over-rated,” he said. “We’ve become distracted by every shiny thing that has come around and I think there are cases where technology is potentially dangerous.”
Not only that, but AI can be “hideously wrong, to the sense of the absurd.”
If we start using machines to make decisions for humans, Sutherland explained, they will provide us with things they think we want, rather than what we actually want.
This is a misdirection in marketing, added Sutherland, because often the only way to discover someone’s true feelings is to offer something to them.
“An example of this is Red Bull, which defies conventional logic. It’s expensive, it comes in a tiny bottle and it tastes disgusting,” Sutherland quipped. “But because Red Bull satisfies some unconscious need that we can’t give voice to, it’s very successful.”
Also consider the transportation system. Ask train passengers how they would improve their service, and they would likely mention punctuality. But if you offer WiFi on the train, does it really matter if the train takes 30 minutes or 45?
“By redefining what the real problem is, you can find simple and less expensive ways to solve it,” said Sutherland, founder of Ogilvy’s behavioural science division, OgilvyChange.
As keynote speaker at VISION 2018, his talk will aim to get to the heart of why marketers need to have a strong focus and understanding on what truly motivates you, your organization and your audience.
The speaker roster also includes:
VISION 2018, hosted by the B.C. chapter of the American Marketing Association, is a full-day conference scheduled to be held at the BMO Theatre Centre Goldcorp Stage, 162 W. 1st Ave. in Olympic Village, on May 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit the BCAMA VISION 2018 website.