The first-ever DX3

Posted by Melissa Summers on Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Does Canada have a Rookie of the Year award? In our book: yes. This year's nominee is DX3 – the first ever trade show in Canada focused on digital marketing. We had great conversations with businesses from start-ups to national brands who were out gathering new ideas to implement into their marketing mix.

Jennifer Kopp, VP of Business Development at ePrize, spoke in a breakout session at the Spotlight Theatre on activating and motivating consumer behavior. She showed case studies of a social loyalty and mobile executions, where brands can keep the conversation going with consumers by rewarding behavior across web, mobile and social networks. [See ePrize's own example of the social loyalty platform called "New Year of Prizes"] We show you how to reward activities for engaging, while educating on our product and building brand affinity.

There were about 100 exhibitors in all, including Facebook U, LinkedIn, and the Canadian Marketing Association. Visa demonstrated its digital currency system with an instant ice cream machine. Who doesn't love that? You know a booth is successful when people are lined up 20 deep!

We also attended a fascinating keynote speech on the Future of Retail by Doug Stephens of Retail Prophet. If his predictions are true, retail as we know it today will not be recognizable once the technology has dominated the market.

A few highlights of ideas that are emerging:

• Point your phone at a detergent jug or soda bottle and get a virtual offer
• Refrigerators that keep track of your family's diet
• Watch a TV show, sync a phone app, order a product that an actor is wearing
• Virtually try on merchandise with augmented reality

Stephens predicts that brick and mortar stores will become a media center/experiential destination – not just a distribution center. To retailers, it shouldn't matter to the brand where the consumer buys – just create a great brand experience to create loyalty so they want to purchase from you everywhere.