Have you ever walked into a room, sat down, and started listening to what is being said and just felt so unintelligent? Yeah…that’s kind of how I felt at this year’s Digital Summit hosted by the Diederich College of Communication and Laughlin Constable, but in the best way possible, I swear.
This year, we were able to gather speakers from extremely well-respected companies such as, Google, Spotify, Microsoft, Laughlin Constable and many many more. That said, now do you kind of understand why I didn’t feel like the brightest bulb in the bunch? I mean seriously, these speakers were incredible. Their expertise in everything digitally related was extremely commendable and inspiring, especially for me, a student currently studying and hoping to pursue a career in the digital media field. This year’s speakers taught me so much more than I could have possibly ever learned in a classroom.
Although I gained a tremendous amount of insight from all of the speakers, I would have to say that one of the best speakers was Laura Markewicz, the Vice President of Digital Strategy at Laughlin Constable. Her insight regarding the future of our digital world and the various keys to success was fascinating.
Laura’s Top Five Rules for Success in the Digital Field:
1.) How we use technology is what matters most. By itself, technology means nothing, it’s how we apply it.
2.) Never think like a marketer, think like a human! (This was said more than once throughout the course of the entire Summit, by multiple speakers)
3.) Dare to be different! Do the opposite! Step out of your comfort zone because that’s the only way that changes will continue to evolve.
4.) Disruption happens every single day, and we need to embrace those changes.
5.) Stick to your roots. Never stop telling stories! You need to tell stories that entertain, inform and inspire in order for them to be most effective.
Later in the day, Laura’s boss, Mark Carlson, the EVP of Strategic Planning at Laughlin, really emphasized Laura’s final rule for success. He explained that as humans, we process over 700 words per minute because of the various amounts of thoughts that are running through our head. The only time that we are able to genuinely focus is when we are being told a good story. Good story telling is what marketing needs to be today, especially with all of the outside distractions.
One of the most memorable quotes from Laura’s presentation was actually from Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, he said: “Do something. Either lead, follow or get out of the way.”
•molly gaughan• 