Alex Schoenfeld este unul din invitatii de marca la Digital Marketing Forum 2008. Cu 20 de ani de experienta in design si branding, a jucat un rol esential in dezvoltarea cu succes a proiectelor de comunicare si creare a identitatii pentru o gama variata de clienti din industrii precum telecomunicatiile, auto, finante, FMCG sau divertisment. A lucrat pentru branduri puternice precum Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Nestle, Deutsche Telekom, Panasonic sau Warner Brothers.

Ca un mic preview la ce va urma maine, Alex a fost amabil sa-mi raspunda la o serie de intrebari. Aveti mai jos raspunsurile lui

1. Tell us a little more about yourself, beside the things already known about you. Give us a small insight about your connections with the digital marketing markets

As an artist I got hooked on the internet in 1994 when I had my first video installation connected to the “Well”, internet’s first online community. It was about the appearance of the internet and called “Infancy”.

Since 1996 I have been professionally developing online presencies of large corporations. Everything started when I founded fork unstable media with two friends. We launched the intl. Nivea (Beiersdorf) Online Sites and unwillingly published the “Diana Tunnel Racer” the first infamous viral game, that brought us a lot of attention and trouble from the royal british family.

After that Warner Music in 1998, the MunichRe and since I have designed and accompanied corporations like Nestlé’s corporate brand and its large consumer brands into the digital realm. German Telecom and its sales and transaction driven banner ads. Volkswagen integrated CRM and complete Online Architecture followed, Mercedes Benz first mobile TV Premiere and Ericsson’s branded entertainment sponsorship at the last Volvo Ocean Race.
Today I help define Landor’s Digital Vision and inspire our clients to think ahead of the curve.

2. What do you know about the Romanian market? How do you see the market evolving for the next year or so here, and what is the general image about the digital (especially online) market in Romania?

Honestly, I’m about to find out right now. I assume though, it’ll be close to your neighboring countries and other Eastern European emerging markest as well. Which means the people in the cities will make a quick jump in terms of broadband connectivity and smaller cities and the country will follow. I’m looking forward to learn better though. For sure is, that Romania won’t have to go through all the tiresome phases the western countries had to go through.

3. What are the main challenges that the digital marketing has to overcome in order to become more well-suited for the Romanian market? What are the elements that the agencies (and clients) need to ‘import’ from the more developed countries.

It’s all going to be about Virtual Haptics. And about performance driven design, result measuring and a tangible difference in real life caused by online activities. For Landor this is mainly accomplished by a brand led digital experience. Let it be communities of brand advocates, social connections, driving environmental care or sales.

4. What will you be talking about at the conference? Any sneak preview yet about the things that will be discussed?

Yes. I’ll try to remind the participants that they shouldn’t get carried away by mere technology. That happened to me and my peers in the past to many times. And then otherwise contradict exactly that by showing how fast things develope and that your visions can’t ever be too visionary. I’ll talk about virtual haptics, that companies turn into media corporations and that the digital brand experience will be the only experience a consumer will have with your brand in the future.