A look back at the Infopresse 360 ​​day: “Seize new business opportunities”

I'll give you a summary of what I learned from the Infopresse 360 ​​day “ Seize new business opportunities ” with, in particular, Seth Godin. I also recommend that you consult the  Twitter group  dedicated to the event to know the opinion of the people who attended.

According to Marcel Côté, the global economic crisis is leading to major structural changes rendering old business models obsolete. Moreover, Jacques-Hervé Roubert indicates that advertising revenues will decrease until 2010, a direct impact of the crisis. This data will affect the major media, which essentially depend on advertisers to finance their operating costs, and by extension the communications, placement and production agencies. The major media (print, television) and large retail chains, among others, will have to reconsider their strategies, otherwise they will be purged. They will no longer have a choice: they must transform, change . They no longer have the same leeway, cash is dwindling and customers' purchasing power has never been so low.

More concretely, the large television conglomerates will have to offer more fragmented programming. NYT already does this by tailoring its editorial content to the type of content viewed by users of their website. But all changes are beneficial, otherwise there is no evolution . Marcel Côté reminds us of 3 winning attitudes to adopt in the face of a crisis. Caution: capitalize on these strengths and focus these efforts on a simple service offer. Agility: personalization depends on the company's agility to adapt to consumer needs. The opportunism is to make both contribute to the sustainability of the company. 

All cite personalization and digitization as a panacea to the crisis. Everyone trumpets that the Internet is part of the solution to all these evils , we have known this for a long time. I won't complain about it. Was there really a crisis to make them aware, to wake them up? Unfortunately yes. Looks like Côté had just discovered that the Internet offered more than checking emails, reading articles or watching videos. As a strategist, my role is to promote the company's web offer to its senior management, to make it strategic, to break this dogma which dictates that the web is managed by communications, marketing or IT. 

We talk about being different, having a personality, possessing leadership, having a vision, aiming for a unique product offer per customer.

However, Seth Godin , philosopher, points out that the Internet will not improve your product ( Internet will not make your product better ). It must be so intrinsically, otherwise it must be modified to change it, to give it a new meaning. Has the crisis lifted this veil that blinded consumers? Or is it a conjuncture that accelerates this transition to a marketing model based on knowledge and on the involvement of customers in the value chain of a company. Martin Lessard gave him a nice topo .  

Tony Chapman  added on his side by advocating the redefinition of the advertiser-consumer relationship. We must stop communicating a message by pretending to know what the latter wants ; it is rather necessary to include it in the conversation, to put it at the center of the commercial articulation. 

Seth Godin reminds us that commercial success is the declination of 4 steps. By being remarkable(1) you will be able to talk about what you do(2) and people will be interested and will tell their loved ones about it(3). This is when you will get permission to start a relationship with them (4).

In conclusion, the crisis is upsetting the achievements of most companies. All those who do not innovate or have trouble standing out will have to review their way of operating. They will have to look to their employees and to their customers to find the solutions . It is by engaging everyone that they will be able to get by. Nothing new, some will say, but too little listening. 

I'm throwing you the keywords of the day: Crisis, innovation, old VS young, difference, change, uniqueness, transparency, personalization, tribe, leadership