Zurich / Frankfurt, 30 October 2020
Yesterday, the eleventh Smart Business Day of the full-service digital agency Namics - A Merkle Company came to an end – this year purely digital and spread over three days. Under the motto "Data-driven Transformation", the focus was on data-driven marketing, leadership and business innovation from 27 to 29 October. Speakers from international companies and academia (Danone, Siemens, AMAG Group, dentsu, University of St. Gallen) spoke about the profitable use of data, modern leadership in an agile environment and new digital business models. The closing speech was given by science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar, who took a look into the digital future.
In this extraordinary year, the symposium took place purely virtually for the first time. The speakers were connected via live stream. The transmission with moderator Tim Dührkoop took place live from a studio in Thurgau and reached around 160 participants from Switzerland and Germany. During the presentations, they were able to interact in the chat, address their questions to the speakers or use the virtual networking in direct exchange with each other. The Smart Business Day is one of the most important information platforms on the digital transformation in Switzerland and has been held annually since 2009.
"This year we have digitally transformed ourselves – instead of apero at the GDI networking via chat. I am all the more pleased to be able to look back on a successful virtual Smart Business Day. The enthusiasm and expertise of the speakers, the exciting insights around digital transformation and the lively exchange with the guests also worked very well digitally."
The first day on the focus "Data-driven Marketing" started with Anastasia Roumelioti (Head of Digital Centre of Excellence, Danone Specialised Nutrition UKIR). She gave an insight into how Danone is dealing with increased customer expectations, the role of data and technology in this and the results the company has achieved in two years since its digital transformation. Azlan Raj (Chief Marketing Officer, EMEA - CXM LOB, dentsu) then explained how marketers create a complete and meaningful customer experience – taking into account both the visible and invisible customer experience. His credo: "The little things count".
The second day was dedicated to the motto "Leadership". Clarissa Haller (Head of Group Communications, Siemens) opened the presentation streams and showed what modern leadership looks like. Success factors for leaders have long since ceased to be the period of employment and the greatest expertise. What is needed instead is a fresh breeze, courage and trust in one's own employees. Michael Rottmann (Account Director, Namics – A Merkle Company) then explained how data has become a success factor in a leader's internal and external communication and how managers can reach every employee – from the hesitant laggards to the young innovators. "Give data a chance, but judge critically," he appealed. In conclusion, Prof. Dr. Heike Bruch (Director of the Institute for Leadership and Human Resource Management, University of St. Gallen) explained why a genuine new work and leadership transformation is urgently needed. "New Work needs Unbossing", she emphasized, clarified myths of New Work Transformation and showed important steps towards real transformation.
The third and final day focused on the topic of "Business Innovation". In his presentation, Philipp Wetzel (Managing Director AMAG Innovation & Venture LAB, AMAG Group) spoke about the transformation of mobility and how AMAG gains new insights and develops innovative business models with the help of the Innovation & Venture LAB. At the end of the Smart Business Day, science journalist and physicist Ranga Yogeshwar took a look at global innovations and the future of his grandson: What will Emil's world look like? "Everything that is annoying will be made digitalizable," he showed using supermarket checkouts as an example. With all the groundbreaking technical developments, which are supported by data, the discussion about ethics and limits should not be forgotten, according to Yogeshwar.
The recordings of all lectures are available at the following link: https://namics.com/smart-business-day-2020.
