Dietmar Dahmen - Data is Life

Marketing guru and entertainer Dietmar Dahmen rocked the Gartenbaukino and informed about a series of "next big things"

On the big screen of the Gartenbaukino, Superman (or is it Batman?) breaks through the walls. Just like this, "Bam, bam, bam," Marketing Guru Dietmar Dahmen calls out on stage, "Gutenberg in the 14th century, Edison with the light bulb in the 19th century, and the digital economy today breaking through the wall." It's about "loving uncertainty" and "burning for the search for the new, the never-before-seen," says the stage person Dahmen. Dietmar Dahmen provided about four hours of entertainment on October 9 at the Dietmar Dahmen (DD) Marketing and Sales Class, which he referred to as the DD University show, in front of around 500 viewers at the venerable Gartenbaukino with its 60s flair. In his own rapid style, the native German presented the latest insights, especially on topics such as data, digitalization, and the Internet of Things, with striking styling and engaging gestures. One insight: "You must understand the core of your business." This means that automotive companies today need to deal with the topic of mobility, and Uber is no longer just a taxi app, but a new kind of logistics company. Dahmen is convinced that "Connected Services" are the future. Furthermore, it's about simplicity, and the goal is to reach the consumer and user "in the context of their interests in real time, now," and possibly "before time" - that is, making predictions based on existing data that simplify the user's life and do so "quickly." "Data is our atmosphere" "Daten sind die neue Atmosphäre" (Data is the new atmosphere), says Dahmen energetically in front of the oversized screen and its large projections, as he energetically moves around the stage, sometimes sitting, sometimes standing, and then walking along the stage again while images behind him manifest the content of his speech. Data as an atmosphere because data today gives birth to new life, they infuse ideas with energy - "all business and all power now come from data." In parallel, according to Dahmen, human knowledge is exploding - since 2010, human knowledge has been doubling every 13 months. Before that, knowledge doubling occurred only every 25 years, and in the 19th century, humans could only double their knowledge every 100 years. However, Dahmen notes, it is emotions that ultimately move people. However, this must be based on trust - and today, humans place their trust not only in people and brands but also in machines: "Today, I know that Checkfelix searches for the cheapest flight for me, not the person sitting in the travel agency." This means: the algorithm makes the decision, it knows more. In this way, Dahmen's presentation eventually leads to the Internet of Things after a well-organized lunch break, reporting on the latest developments, from smartwatches to smart living and robotics. "When another (robot) takes over tasks, the human can do something more beautiful," Dahmen believes, becoming a preacher of progress and its benefits for all of us. After all, the farmer also got used to machines taking over his work, which he used to laboriously do himself with a plow a century ago. Progress drives development. For example, Smart Harbour Hamburg has tripled its revenue without geographical growth thanks to efficient data-driven communication in a very short time. However, it's about the communication between systems; silos are obstacles. And so, Dahmen concludes, technology also drives marketing, which is constantly evolving. Today, the Unique Selling Proposition is the Individual Selling Proposition, as the algorithm is tailored individually. Other trends that Dahmen mentions: Video is the big thing. Amazon and other e-commerce platforms are going offline because free shipping costs them billions, eating up all profits. The brand must make something cooler - think Starbucks beating Tchibo. Well, then let's move on to the next (data-driven) dimension. About Dietmar Dahmen Dahmen began his career at the major advertising agencies of the world: strategist at Lintas Hamburg over 20 years ago, Springer & Jacoby Hamburg, Heye & Partner Munich, and finally from 2000 at Ogilvy Vienna. In 2008, Dahmen briefly worked as a CD at BBDO (now PKP BBDO). Dahmen had already been a "freelance CD" with his "Büro für Werbung" founded in 2002; since 2011, the digital agency ecx.io has been Dahmen's platform, where he works as Chief Innovation Officer. Just for the years 2014 and 2013, his website lists over 55 lectures, keynotes, and seminar appearances - in Germany, as well as in the USA (Los Angeles) and India (New Delhi). [Birgitt Schaller, HORIZONT online]