Marketers must take more risks

Speaking on a panel discussion at the event, of which new media age is a media partner, Andreas Hilger, VP of marketing Europe at Ahnheuser-Busch InBev, said marketers and brands “need to be willing to make mistakes, and make them faster” in order to keep pace with the changes happening in digital, as well as realise the opportunities it creates.

Alexander von Schirmeister, Ebay’s VP of marketing, advertising and operations, called for brands to invest more in digital, adding that for marketers to maintain the required “creative DNA” brands must get rid of “ring-fence budgets”.

“If they’re given more budget flexibility it helps remove the fear of taking risks and making mistakes, and that gives them the ability to innovate,” he said.

However, Norm Johnston, global digital leader of Mindshare Worldwide, said it’s important not to fall into the trap of “innovating for the sake of it”, particularly when it comes to social media. He said certain brands that create Facebook pages “aren’t doing enough to maintain engagement. They’re good at sticking their toe in the water but then do nothing with it.”

While von Schirmeister agreed FMCG brands have a way to go before they fully grasp the potential of digital, they’re “starting to wake up to the richness of targeting methodoloigies”.

The panel, chaired by the EIAA’s Alison Fennah, also included Stan Sugarman, MD of G+J Electronic Media Sales.

This story first appeared on newmediaage.co.uk