The rules of engagement for marketers have changed dramatically, said Didrik Fjeldstad, VP of marketing at Scandinavian Airline Systems. Marketing has had to adapt from a creative-first approach to a more analytical and data-based discipline, he said.
“Digitalization has fundamentally shifted our focus,” Fjeldstad told Velocitize Talks. “It is a journey for us. What we’re seeing is a ruthless race to be relevant.”
In that race purpose will come back with a vengeance, said Fjeldstad: “Corporate social responsibility)—sustainability, people care—has to be in the core of any brand,” he said. “Purpose-driven marketing will come back.”
In that context, betting on the technology of the future is not as important as how to apply it, said Fjeldstad. The brand that will win will manage to balance those fascinating new technologies in a way that can be scaled and made relevant for customers, he said.
One technological development that looms large now is the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) being enacted by the European Union. The tighter rules set a very strict and clear standard for marketers, but it’s a welcome development. The restrictions generate extra work for marketers in the short term, but as marketers get used to exercising discipline over data, it will be more useful and communications better received by customers.
“It feels like we’re cleaning up our cupboards,” he said. But he added: “It’s sort of a necessary bump on the road.”
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