Accountants, Strategists, Copywriters or Art Directors, we are all Communication people. And one of the first things you realise when you enter the industry is that you need to understand the context in which you’re doing communications campaigns for your clients. Sure, some people tend to forget to get the pulse of society anymore, but we at Minio Studio truly believe that the most important thing is understanding: understanding the consumer deeply, understanding the real business needs of clients, understanding the things that move people.

That’s why the Minio Studio team made the most of the 2023 conferences. Yes, we went to almost all of them. And now we invite you to read our impressions and highlights from our colleagues.

1. To which conference did you go and what was it about?

I went to Retail Revolution powered by Biz which was held up to the world, literally and figuratively. It was held on the 21st floor and delivered some great topics. The most well known and important brands in the retail industry were there. They either had a moment as speakers or watched intently from the audience. 

2. What was the most interesting topic discussed there, from your point of view?

This year there has been a lot of talk about new strategies for attracting and retaining consumers, and new technologies that have emerged to help with this. I loved the 5ToGo moment because it slowly, but surely, transformed itself from a small corner coffee shop to a chain that crosses borders. But I think what I found most interesting was the ingenuity of the brand as it continues to “battle” with big names in the coffee niche. They’ve created a new flavour called Makali Shisha – from green apple & hookah – that goes perfectly in a cappuccino or latte. For an avid coffee drinker I found it fascinating.

3. Who was your favourite speaker and what drew your attention to them?

I liked several of them. Valentin Suciu is someone I follow with interest whenever I get the chance, as well as Nicoleta Scarlat, Sales & Marketing, eisberg. This time I also discovered Victor Teioșanu, See Q-Commerce Associate Director, Glovo. IWhat I appreciated was that he came up with a well-structured presentation, was off the cuff and, most importantly, came up with sample commercials. I say commercials because they were black and white, which means very old. I’m naturally curious and I liked learning more about the Glovo app that I sometimes use and wasn’t aware of how it fully works.

4. Tell us one super-awesome thing you learned at the conference, something that changed the way you do things.

I found out that Primark supports sustainable fashion and that’s something I really appreciate in brands, especially those in the fast fashion industry. That aspect, and the variety of products, partially convinced me to give the store a chance. Their sales director who attended the event talked about how the brand is interested in consumer’s needs, being present where they need it, and most importantly, being affordable for them. These are two extremely important details when managing the expansion of a new chain of this scale.

5. Tell us one thing that simply amazed you, something you first learned there.

Fast food salad is eisberg. :)) I should`ve known that somehow, but I didn’t, and I find it even more fascinating that they sell around 160 tons. Seems like a lot when you hear the number, but people actually eat greens too. But compared to how much is eaten in general and how big the population actually is, it’s quite a bit. And we also found out how important the notion of private label is to the eisberg brand and how much it should be used by other brands.

6. If you were to be invited to a conference, whatever the specifics, what would you want to talk about and why? What would be the title of your panel? Would you have guests? 😀

I would love to talk about what I do, about working with influencers and how the traditional approach with them should change. I know there are a few other voices talking about this topic, but coming from a GenZ I think I would bring a fresh perspective to the topic. And I’d also like to discuss niches not exploited at all, or insufficiently, by brands: gaming, books, sports, streaming. Every day new “bubbles” emerge in Social Media that we should be exploring, instead of using the same ones on and on.

My panel would be called “Find Your Influencer” – and would be a mix of know-how and practical implementation with audience members, similar to a workshop.

7. Which conferences are you planning to attend in the coming period and why?

I’d like to make it to the Influencer Marketing Conference and Digital Divas. It would be like going to Santa’s factory, because both events are part of my professional area of interest and can provide me with relevant and valuable information. Plus I always meet new people at such events or meet people I already know, networking is one of the main pieces that keeps this industry going.

8. Conclusion: closing thoughts on your experience at the Digital Marketing Forum or at conferences in general.

I liked it at Retail Revolution, although it’s somewhat outside my professional area. I was able to learn insights about brands I frequently use and discover the people who run them. For every small and perhaps seemingly insignificant action in retail, a lot of work goes into it in a complex way. I’ve also found that AI technology and the decision to use a bolder approach are two important components in a brand’s expansion – a theory I’d like to apply to my own PR & Influencer job.