The first day of the ESOMAR Insights Festival 2020 was amazingly energizing. I only attended the Main Stage, so maybe I even missed the best, but the formula enforced by COVID-19, has characteristics that remain.
The presentations were shorter and more focused and several presentations really used the opportunities of the digital medium, in particular, “A Brand Blueprint for the Future”, but also “Seed Audiences” and “Deconstructing the Media Market” used the opportunities to strengthen the story and trigger the audience to follow. Interestingly, the presentation I found most intriguing, “The New Brand-perception Battleground” by David Evans, was presented as a lecture, but in a relaxed way. It was content-rich, and I was locked to his lips.
Maybe, it is the variety in the manner of presenting, perhaps the speed, but for sure I was more engaged than in a room with an overwhelming 20-meter stage and screen.
Often, at ESOMAR Congress you politely listen to the business presentations because you want to know what is new or how is the competition presenting. At the end of Mondays’ Main Stage there was a more than interesting discussion between Frederic-Charles Petit of Toluna and Richard Thorogood of Colgate Palmolive about the Future of Insights. Only on hindsight I saw it was a business presentation, and that is how it should be. What we witnessed were two industry leaders with a passion for research who agreed on the agility and scalability related changes, and who agreed that agility is not about being fast but about being able to react fast. This is in line with my previous blog on Research World.
Frederic and Richard also agreed that the quality of the response and the data is core. Interestingly, being passionate about the future of insights, they both pictured a future in two totally different colours. For Petit, the platform to democratise insights was tech- and methodology-driven and enabling fast decisions within boundaries. For Thorogood, it was the use of different data sources, it was about better understanding, and not only looking at the middle of the road but more at the people living outside of it. There are different scenarios for the future, but for certain the future of insights will be colourful and vibrant.
I do not know if the Insights Festival will be the new normal, but there is so much value in the new approach; it sets a new standard. For the next year, it will be a challenge to combine the intensity, speed, and presentation quality with being together, have a live debate and enjoy the party. Many great ingredients call for a great chef.
Anyhow, I encourage you to follow the Festival this week, it is a worthy investment of your time. You can register to join the event here.
