Why Digital Is More Exciting Than Ever and Definitely Not Dead

LBB> You’re going to be judging the Digital and Mobile category – what is it about that category in particular that makes it an exciting one to judge?

JL> The fact that everything is always changing. Digital and mobile have no boundaries – you can wake up in the morning and there’ll be something new that you have never seen before. We live in a world where mobile, social and digital have created an increasingly always-on lifestyle for consumers.  It is no longer an afterthought for brands but a key driver in shaping their business and how they interact with consumers.  

LBB> I loved the quote from your President’s message that digital isn’t dead – what do you think has lead people to make such proclamations?

JL> Some only see digital as a communications channel or a means to deliver advertising, so in that sense they think it has been done, because nowadays all communications have a digital component in it. But digital has changed its form, shape, scale, and influence dramatically in the past five years. It is no longer enough to simply adapt traditional advertising into the digital format.  Digital has moved beyond being just another communications channel. Digital’s true power lies in being a tool, a disruptor, an enabler for creating and changing experiences, business models and processes to innovate the way brands are built. Rather than just lying at the heart of a marketing plan, digital should lie at the heart of a business plan.

LBB> With Apple Pay and Samsung revealing that its new Tab phones can be used as part of an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, mobile is becoming ever more all-encompassing. Does that make it more exciting or more overwhelming to judge?

JL> More exciting. It shows the sky is the limit when it comes to using innovation in the mobile space to transform people’s experiences and help brands connect with consumers wherever they may be.  Mobile is the most intimate medium that you can expect, and now when it is connected to the ‘last mile’ – where we conduct transaction – it opens up new windows to marketing and business possibilities. 

LBB> What words of advice or guidance are you going to offer to the rest of the jury?

JL> It’s when digital is used beyond just communications, that the bold ideas stand out and that’s what I’ll be looking for, and encouraging judges to look for, in Spikes entries this year.

LBB> And, outside of the seminars, what do you think the will be the hot topics of conversation among the delegates?

JL> Perhaps the IPO of Alibaba, and what it would mean to disrupt the industry further when brand and commerce comes hand in hand together in a more compelling way.

LBB> Do you have any Singapore secrets for Spikes first-timers?

JL> Beyond Marina Bay and Orchard Road, if you can, make a quick trip to the Newton Circus to grab some delicious street food! 

Jean Lin is Global CEO of Isobar