Marketing wisdom for the digital age

Sometimes dreams do come true. If you would have told me 2 years ago that the person that I was the most inspired by at AdWeek NYC in 2016 was going to keynote at my 2018 CoreConnect conference (which at that time was not even conceived of), I would have NEVER EVER believed you. But IT happened. Magic is alive and well my friends!

The person is Keith Reinhard. The madman himself, one of the founders of Omnicom, the man who came up with the concept of “You Deserve a Break Today” that put McDonalds in a completely unique league of its own, he has seen it all by being in the marketing business for over five decades – and he is also currently the Chairman Emeritus of DDB. Keith Reinhard is a true living legend for the marketing world.

Wisdom. Keith Reinhard’s super power is that he is able to distill what works at the core to catapult a brand—for any platform and any timeframe. His brilliant and compelling keynote presentation makes us contemplate whether the “digital disruption” that we live in is potentially a “digital distraction”. Essentially, have we become so obsessed with digital that we neglect the basics of a good idea and branding that can authentically touch people’s hearts and minds?

The proof is in the pudding. He was able to bring his thesis home by showing many examples during his presentation that made the audience feel deeply, laugh…and even a little teary eyed—hearts were beating in unison. This was achieved by showing ads that had good stories for the brands they were associated with. What made the audience lean into the experience emotionally, and by consequence connecting to the brand itself, was not how it was presented digitally, but how it touched them in a human way and provided meaning. The principle is clear and universal, as he explained: “Human nature has not changed; our desire to succeed, to be loved, to be admired has not changed”.

So what about digital? Don’t get him wrong; “digital” is not a bad thing either. Quite the opposite, as Keith Reinhard states optimistically: “We are entering a new era called the “ultimate revelation”, where lessons in creativity are now being enhanced by the wondrous technology world we live in.”

Thank you Mr. Keith Reinhard for your wisdom, genuineness, and showing us that the only way to create impact is by connecting with people’s humanity—even in the digital age.

See his complete Keynote Presentation at our CoreConnect Conference 2018 here:

The CoreConnect Conference focuses on the human element in the digital age and was held in NYC on May 16th, 2018 at the SVA Theatre. Come visit us at www.coreconnectconference.com.

#marketing #advertising #digital #leadership #branding #digitalstrategy #marketingstrategy