The first half of day one has set the precedent for the next few days. So far, the speakers have been informative, insightful and above all inspirational.
To start the morning off, Tina Zitner-Chahin, Global Brand Creative at Fisher-Price, talked about strategies in taking brand and product development to a global level. How does your brand stay relevant in the digital age? The web is allowing us to connect with consumers as well as their friends, whom we should recognize as the trusted source. The internet serves as a platform for consumers to converse and tell stories that the brand cannot.
Morrison's Sonia Whiteley-Guest and Sarah Dear help their consumers escape the drudgery of everyday life by incorporating humor, celebration and storytelling into their branding. They touch on the importance of thinking with a different mind by stepping into the shoes of others. The component of storytelling conflicts with authentic meaning is the main driver in branding that keeps your consumer connected.
Scott Power, Kaiser Permanente's Brand Strategist, explores a multidimensional approach by branding the soundwaves. He believes that listening to music can be used to create an enjoyable experience that we are all familiar with. Kaiser Permanente implements Sonic Branding which uses music as a tool to ignite experiences of confidence, compassion, advocacy, peace, experience, happiness.
Chris Downs, Mattel's VP Designer, tackles the unique dynamics of toy packaging and engaging with the consumer. Interactive packaging becomes a potent component in design packaging especially in the toy industry. It puts the product into context for the parent and the child while allowing the consumer to engage with the product before purchase.
The overall arching theme floating through each talk: the act of empathizing with the consumer in the beginning design stages and in that process finding insight that evokes real emotion for the consumer.