10 key takeaways from the Marquette University Digital Summit

1. Conferences = networking opportunity

Hundreds of students and professionals rubbed elbows at the Digital Summit, including participants from Laughlin Constable, Spotify, Google, Microsoft and more. Some Marquette students had the opportunity to get up close with speakers as student ambassadors by greeting them and introducing them. But anyone has the opportunity to network at a conference like the Digital Summit by sitting at a lunch table where you don’t know anyone, exchanging business cards and then following up with a LinkedIn connection or an email. You never know where it might lead.

2. Keep personality and character in brands

Laughlin Constable practices what they preach by keeping personality in brands. For example, they personalized the face of cancer in a campaign for Aurora, they’re proud of their local roots by transforming a concession stand into a mock super club, they’re unafraid to tell it like it is when it comes to beer, socializing and college student.

3. Spotify and Pandora are targeting Millennials differently

Spotify and Pandora who are often looked at the Coke and Pepsi of millennial music are fighting for control of the digital music industry. Both companies claim that they are attempting to sell an experience, and not just technology. Pandora’s recent summer concert is part of a bigger event-marketing trend that both CMOs agreed is hugely important to attract millennials.

4. Study claims that Ireland may in fact be the best country in the world

Ireland, aside from being one of the most aestetically pleasing countries in the world, has apparently also given the greatest contributions to the world as well. Donald Trump has a long way to go if he wants to make America great again. The U.S. ranked 21st on the list, right above Costa Rica and Chile.

5. We are living in the collaborative economy

A collaborative economy is a hybrid market model that refers to peer to peer based sharing of access to goods and services. Examples of this would companies like Uber, Airbnb and Venmo. The new advancements with mobile apps are shifting our economy towards a much shared style.

6. Spotify has nearly 30,000,000 shares as early as 9:00 A.M.

Spotify, one of the largest music and entertainment organizations in the world, has 27 million shares yesterday, before you were even eating lunch. This means that its getting an average 1 billion shares per day.

7. Digital strategy is the practice of leveraging technology

Many would say that digital strategy has to do with incorporating email, websites and social networks into marketing and communications efforts. Some might say it has to do with accepting electronic payment, registrations or donations. Others would say that it relates to “going mobile”.

8. Mobile is not a techonolgy-its a behavior

The rise of mobile phones is clearly apparent to anyone who living in America today. It wasn’t more than 15 years ago that it seemed as though only adults were using mobile phones. From 1993–2013 the rise of mobile phones in North America alone has gone up 94%. In Latin America it is even higher at a 115% rise over the same time period.

9. 1 in 4 searches on our phones are done by voice

Theres not just siri anymore, with the additions over the last couple years of Cortana and Google Now, it is easier than ever for people to use just talk into their mobile phones now. Apparently it is also a big hit with teenagers who are having a hard time with their homework. According to a study 31% of the time teenagers are using siri, it is to help them with their studies.

10. Passion is the multiplier; The exponential force

Always pick passion over pure skills because these are the people that will carry an idea forward. They can see what needs to be done and because they don’t rely purely on their overdeveloped skills, they are capable of thinking laterally.