Collision Day 1: Travel, education, 5G, Gen Z, misinformation... and Covid-19.

One of the world’s biggest tech events, Collision Conference happened online this year. Here are my notes from the first day.

Spotify's battle to win hearts, minds and ears: Dawn Ostroff (Chief Content & Advertising Business Officer at Spotify) explained that podcasts are becoming valuable assets for digital streaming platforms, as a way to differentiate their offer, while music catalogs can be quite similar. Monetization and advertising are still a challenge. Metrics are fragmented, but podcasts are a good way to reach a younger audience outside traditional media. During the pandemic habits have shifted: music listening is happening in family spaces and devices (including videogame consoles) at home instead of a solitary experience. Family and kids content has risen, as well as mood-based playlists (chill, relax...). As people return to their workplaces, consumption is changing again, but some habits may become permanent after isolation.

Building a new (design) culture: Mauro Porcini (SVP & Chief Design Officer at PepsiCo) told his journey to implement cultural changes in large organizations, especially regarding design, also highlighting that companies should be able to recognize and respond to changes in their own industries.

An abnormal beauty industry: Nicola Kilner (CEO at Deciem) explained to Martina Fuchs (Switzerland Correspondent at China Global Television Network CGTN) the extra-ordinary strategy of beauty brand Deciem. She used the example of "aspirin": you know the effectiveness and safety of this medication, being able it at a reasonable and known price in a pharmacy. Deciem strives to do that with skincare products, which is not usually the case with traditional well-known brands. She defends that price point doesn't define luxury. Pandemic had a positive impact on their activity, as their online business already existed and prospered during the isolation period. They also managed to use their store teams to temporarily advise consumers from home. 

Travel in a time of no travel: Interviewed by Alyssa Newcomb (Technology & Business Contributor at NBC News), Gillian Tans (Chairwoman at Booking.com) said that before the discovery of a vaccine or a treatment for Covid-19, many people won’t feel safe to travel. It will take years, not quarters, for the travel industry to recover. Policies will vary. Travelers will look for different options to experience the world. Booking.com will focus on building better experiences for their customers, also finding solutions with their partners. The future of business travel recovery is not yet clear. Local trips are resuming, business trips are up from 45% to 70%, and reservations are being made with short advance.

Pushing the retail boundaries: Fernando Madeira (President at IPSY) and Ashvin Kumar (Co-founder & CEO at Tophatter) discussed with Cale Guthrie Weissman (Editor at Modern Retail) the power shifts within modern retail, somehow amplified by the pandemic. People are spending much more time online, looking for affordable things to do and to. They are also opening the apps more frequently and spending more time on ads. Thus, home-pages should always have fresh content. Platforms are using feedback loops and machine learning to improve their customer experience, catalogs of brands and products, also suggesting improvements to individual sellers (in marketplace platforms). Human touch remains an important component.

Shaquille O'Neal: Changing the game for workers: Shaquille O'Neal (NBA legend, Investor at Steady), Adam Roseman (CEO at Steady) discussed with Jemele Hill (Staff Writer at The Atlantic) how Steady is helping people to ease the crisis facing millions of gig and hourly workers.

5G to usher in a brighter future: Alex Rogers (President at Qualcomm Technology Licensing) discussed with Patrick Moorhead (Founder at Moor Insights & Strategy) what 5G is going to bring us. Qualcomm developed a large portion of IP (intellectual property) used in 5G networks. A USD 10 billion research investment, enabling a USD 4 trillion potential market. Covid-19 has reinforced the importance of connectivity. Companies moving to a new normal outside the offices will rely on network security and reliability. 5G goes beyond the smartphone business, it will become essential for industries everywhere (eg. automotive, smart cities, infrastructure, agriculture…).

How will Gen Z shape the future of legacy businesses? Nadja Swarovski (Member of Executive Board at Swarovski), Vanessa Colella (Chief Innovation Officer at Citi), Vinay Solanki (Head of Channel 4 Ventures) and Andy Serwer (Editor-in-chief at Yahoo! Finance) discussed how to secure brand loyalty of a gen Zer - a generation that spends USD 45billion per year. Legacy brands have a history of close consideration to consumers Gen Z is pushing them toward sustainability questions beyond government and regulations. "Purpose" has reached mainstream status. It's not only a part of CSR (corporate social responsibility), but should also be embedded in products and services. Is Gen Z “really different” from other past "young generations"? They were born in a world were entitlement, and availability of information and products. Authenticity is key for business dealing with Gen Z - vocal and authentic. Channel 4 program and productions had to be adapted for cover time; protests coverage in a meaningful and purposeful way.

Misinformation in the time of coronavirus: Justin Smith (CEO at Bloomberg Media), Ben Smith (Media Columnist at New York Times), Larry Madowo (Africa Business Editor at BBC) and Sally Buzbee (Senior Vice President & Executive Editor at Associated Press) debated the challenges of fighting against fake news in these trying times. Media groups have been suffering from the decline of advertising. They were able to continue producing journalistic content during the pandemic, with the help of tech and connectivity tools. Misinformation always existed, but now is a major challenge to media companies. News organizations need to be credible and structured (not loved, but believed), working with transparency and fact-checking. 

Why you should start a company in a recession: Renata Quintini (Founder at Renegade Partners), Mark Fernandes (Managing Director at Sierra Ventures) and Ravi Viswanathan (Founder & Managing Partner at NewView Capital) discussed with Kimberly Weisul (Editor-at-large at Inc.) about the advantages an economic downturn can offer for startups. VC investments have not stopped. Starting in a recession forces companies to focus on operational efficiency and sustainability. There's also more talent availability. New opportunities arising: workforce management, basic needs like food and education, supply chain, telemedicine.

Paid-for content: Unavoidable or elitist? John Ridding (CEO at Financial Times) spoke to Michelle Manafy (Editorial Director at Digital Content Next) about paywalls and availability of information and the future of news. Their paid model started as a necessity from a struggling business, with declining advertising revenues. Instead of cutting down their newsroom, they believed in the value of their own content. Advertise-based and paid news can coexist. More effective marketing campaigns can be built with user data while respecting privacy rules.

What makes a good logo? Amy Choyne (CMO at US Tennis Association) and Sagi Haviv (Partner & Principal Designer at Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv) told Martin Swant (Reporter at Forbes) the story behind the rebranding the US Open Tennis Championship. US Open 50th anniversary was the opportunity to change the logo. They claim a good logo doesn’t need to be pretty. Instead, it should be persistent in mind (memorable), simple, distinguishable, and appropriate for the organization they represent. A brand is much more than a logo, but the logo must be “foolproof” and easy to “slap on” anywhere. Responding to criticism around their new logo, the said that it's not about likability but being a long term symbol.

The future of consumer and brand loyalty: David Eun (President at Samsung NEXT), Steven Wolfe Pereira (CEO at Encantos) and Michelle Ebanks (Former CEO at Essence) debated brand loyalty as consumers move towards experience and away from mass marketing. Markets are moving towards personalization, enabled by big data and AI (artificial intelligence). Mass-market is starting to be perceived as lazy and not catering to consumers' needs, especially struggling to deal with diversity. Also, people pay attention to company leaders. It’s not any more acceptable to be headquartered in a community and not engage with it.

Is education on the cusp of a revolution? Takara Small (Tech Columnist at CBC Radio) discussed with Rhonda Lenton (President & Vice Chancellor at York University), Arne Schepker (CEO at Babbel) and Matt Hulett (President at Rosetta Stone) the new challenges and opportunities in learning enhanced by technology. Some of the behavioral shifts and adaptations made during the pandemic will not be permanent, but definitely digital transformation has been accelerated. Blended learning resources will be much more relevant. Technology will improve equity, equality and access to education, not leaving behind anyone from the diversified student community.