Oscar Wilde once said  “We may all be living in the gutter, but at least some of us are looking at the stars”. And it appears that INMA definitely had their eyes skyward when planning the coup d’état that this year’s Gulltaggen conference represented.

Many people there sensed that they were witness to the emergence of a new center of gravity amongst the representation bodies of the marketing and communication industry. Certainly judging by the number and diversity of people at the conference from all parts of the broader branch, INMA might realistically be able to claim to be the de facto organisation which appeals most to the different silos in the marketing branch, whether that be advertising agencies, media agencies, PR etc.

As little as a couple of years ago many agencies still doubted the ascendency of digital.  But with hindsight the reasons for this new center of gravity are, and should always have been, obvious.

1)  The consumers’ world is not divided between paid for vs. non-paid for communication, ATL vs. BTL, brand vs. tactical, or in fact any other division. Consumers see total brand behaviour, and not ads in channels. Whilst for a long time it’s been easy for agencies to ignore this fact, use of the digital space forces this knowledge into action.  In fact, the reality now is that the world is not even divided between digital and analogue communication. The biggest impact of digital has been to force thinking away from the incumbent silo mentality. Everything communicates.

2)  With almost all companies largely reliant on digital methods in the daily operations of their businesses, for the first time the infrastructure of paid for communication is now very closely aligned to the infrastructure of business. So it’s more important than ever to consider the big picture when planning communication.

3)  Digital has radically altered how consumers relate. Not only with messages and experiences, but also with each other. So whilst it may have been helpful in the past to think of “target audiences”, the whole idea of passive audiences waiting to be “shot” at with marketing words of wisdom now looks increasingly outdated and arrogant. People are not a target. People are your partners.

The client need is for communication strategy which solves their core challenges, rather than production oriented communication advice from silo specialists. And so it appears that the client recognition of the role of digital in their overall strategy has forced agencies to take the digital branch seriously.

Even one year ago, who would have thought one of the branch organisations would have envisaged such a stellar international line-up, and that it would come from the “geeks” rather than the old guard (but as it kind of says in the Bible, “the geek shall inherit the earth”).  Gone were the usual talking-heads of seminars, and instead we were presented with a genuinely fresh and inspiring group of thought leaders.

Those who whispered that there weren’t any slides they could take away and use (”steal”?) as they usually expect from a seminar, miss the point. This event was about much more. It was about inspiring people to reach higher, be better, and raise the bar in what is considered best practise in the creation of communication solutions. And in doing that, I hope (and believe) INMA succeeded. However, the rest is down to the individual.

As the old saying goes “if you give a man a meal you’ll feed him for a day. If you show him how to fish, you feed his family for a lifetime”. INMA clearly focused on the latter. A far more valuable mind state to be in.

Didn’t see all the speakers but here’s some thoughts on the ones I was lucky enough to hear.

Virgin Galactic – an inspiring peek inside the way Virgin works; a truly innovative and rule breaking business. I tend to be slightly doubtful about people who say thing like “Virgin is all about PR” or “Virgin is just about a charismatic founder”. They miss the point of truly innovative companies where “creative” isn’t just a department, but a philosophy that runs through the entire business.

Naked, Jon Wilkins:  Ok, we’re obviously  going to be accused of a lack of objectivity if we comment on one of our own family. And as objectivity is part of our DNA, then we won’t!

Google TV– well, anyone want to bet me a trip on Virgin Galactic that within 10 years, Google won’t have bought one of the global media agency networks from someone such as WPP or Omnicom? But on the other side of the table, the media owners will have an increasingly important role. As the gatekeepers to audiences, a big consequence of the ubiquity of technology is to shift even more focus on the value these audience communities represent, especially for those media owners who have strong brands. The increasing ability of digital media owners to deliver tailor made solutions direct to advertisers will allow many to become valued and equal partners to the advertisers, with a mutual interest in the communities which grow around each other’s brands.

North Kingdom – The digital world is truly global. North Kingdom proves the point that great ideas travel easily.  Why limit yourself to the digital offering of one of your local agencies, when you can unbundle, and chose from the best partners the world has to offer - and that doesn’t have to mean more expensive either; often it can cost less. (We have to admit that North Kingdom is one of several partners we work with in different specialities around the world – but we have no vested interest. We work with all our partners for no other reason except that each of them is best in class).

It was an insightful move by INMA to offer the choice of “faglig” + wine & dinner, or just “faglig”, but with no option to have just the drinks & dinner. (If anyone knows a suitable English word for “faglig”, please let me know; we’ve yet to find one). By approaching things the opposite way from other branch organisations, this sent the right signals about the seriousness of their intent to the client community, although not everyone agrees. The audience was clearly listening, and as there were many marketers in that audience, INMA did a tremendous job on positioning themselves as thought leaders. Communication is not just about saying, but it’s also about doing. Once again, everything communicates.

A final quote: “If you can keep your head when all around you have lost their’s, then you probably haven’t understood the seriousness of the situation.” David Brent, The Office.