What do you know about ‘creative destruction’ and what’s the major trend which is yet ‘unbeknownst to most of us over 30? The answers to these and many more questions about the digital space can be found in the 2015 edition of the Irish Digital Outlook from Shane O’Leary.
He has brought together 30 individuals that are creating or advising in the Digital world and has been kind enough to include Rob Hartnett of Sport for Business for a second year.
These are the original answers we provided for the outlook, not all of which made the final edit…
What one big trend do you predict in Irish digital/social for 2015, and why?
Like the tagline for a blockbuster movie, in 2015 it gets personal. Ireland is a small market and we can lead the way when it comes to creating personal experiences for individuals that can then be amplified by others.
Everybody should feel they have a chance to get that special offer, special message from a star or special ‘I was just passing’ moment. When they do they will like the brand more, love the team or personality more and become a peer advocate.
We know that we are part of a target for brands to sell goods but we are entering a phase where the actual selling makes me feel special. That’s a powerful shift.
What’s the best digital/social campaign you’ve seen in 2014?
In Ireland the AIB campaign around The Toughest Club Championship was very strong and very reactive. The content was great.
Internationally I loved P&G’s ‘Like a Girl’ campaign. Promoting Women’s Sport has and is a big passion and this was a campaign which simply and very elegantly summed up why it’s important in so many more ways than physical fitness.
What are your thoughts on the state of Irish agency land, and how will it evolve in 2015?
When we set up Sport for Business I was told it would never work because agencies would never willingly put themselves forward in areas of collaboration.
I think we’ve proved that wrong. We work with over 20 agencies from PR, Sponsorship, Advertising and Marketing and every one of them is great, obviously.
What are your own personal hopes/dreams for the new year?
To be strong enough and smart enough to deliver for those who have had faith in what we are doing to improve the ways in which sport, business and society connect.
To be open enough to learn something every day from the people I work and live with.
To be persuasive enough to extend the appeal of what we do to every company that has an interest in seeing what sport can do for their staff, their customers, their profits and the society in which they exist.
To bring to life two very exciting projects we are working on at the moment that will enable the first three hopes to come true.
To find the time to be a good husband, father and son.
There’s 100 more as well because I’m a great believer that you have to be ambitious to make a difference.
Within sport and sponsorship, what big technology/digital trends do you see occurring in 2015 with regards fan activation and experience?
I want to be brought to places I’ve never had access to before. I want to be in the dressing room, in the tunnel, at the track, seeing the training session.
Not all the time, obviously but content which is controlled by the teams and sports will be vital in locking in the committed fans and bringing in those who are on the fringes.
The experience of being at the ground needs to improve to the level of immersion I can ironically get by sitting at home and watching on the TV.
I’d also like to see activation around activation of the general public. Smartphones, apps and technology to get us moving and get us fitter will become more powerful if I have some reward / connection to my teams based on what I have done for myself.
To see and read the rest of the crew including Marie Ennis O’Connor on Health and Digital, Rachel Ray on the exodus of brands from Facebook, Hugh Curran of Atomic on mobile payments, Hugh Linehan on the future of media, paywalls and podcasts and many more go on over to ShaneOLeary.me and download it for free (or with a tweet)
