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Local and international speakers for Johannesburg’s first Digital Lab

South Africa’s first ever Digital Lab, which will be run, at the end of February 2010, in conjunction with Dion Chang’s annual Flux Trend Review – initiating an entirely original creative event for Johannesburg – will feature speakers with international and local credentials in digital marketing.

All speakers will discuss, from their own area of specialisation, the impact of the digital revolution on consumers, business models, markets, and lifestyles – and the implications of that impact for brands and business.

Simon Bond, global head of new business for Proximity Worldwide, will provide an executive-level overview of the digital economy, focusing on the fact that it has completely disrupted the legacy modes of business across all industries by upending distribution models, reshaping customer service expectations, and transforming marketing from a one-way monologue fuelled by insight-driven creative to a complex, multiway dialogue across myriad channels.

Currently based in New York, Bond has worked for Proximity in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia Pacific, growing the last three networks into the largest and most awarded in their regions. Clients included P&G, Visa, Citibank, Pepsi, Mercedes Benz, GE, Mars and Air NZ.    

Providing the South African perspective, journalist, media analyst, and commentator on information and communications technology (ICT), the Internet, and mobile communications and technologies, Arthur Goldstuck, will provide the latest statistics for South African Internet access and mobile Internet usage as well as a 10-year outlook for the impact on South African society of the digital revolution.

Goldstuck heads the World Wide Worx <http://www.worldwideworx.com <http://www.theworx.biz> > research organisation, and has led research into ICT issues such as the effects of IT on small business, the role of mobile technologies in business and government, and technology challenges in the financial services sector. He regularly provides strategic insights and guidance on trends at conferences and corporate events across Africa.

Ian Calvert, co-founder of Instant Grass, one of the world’s leading youth market specialists, will focus on the digital generation and the ‘digilogue’, dissecting the myths and realities of the digital consumer, identifying the 10 key drivers of digital life, and suggesting the rules of engagement for brands.

Calvert started Instant Grass, South Africa’s first specialist youth agency, in 2003. Operating in South Africa, Russia, and East and West Africa, the agency collaborates 24/7 with a network of connected, informed, and influential young people to create consumer-driven solutions for brands.

Stu Stobbs, executive creative director, and Brendan Wade, managing director of progressive creative studio, Studio 4332, will present local and international case studies of the ways in which brands have successfully employed digital techniques.

In addition, representatives of leading digital entities are being lined up to speak and will contribute to a day designed to enable business people to use digital to turn global and local trends to their commercial advantage.

Digital Lab takes place on Friday 26th February 2010 at the UJ  Arts Centre Theatre, with a launch of Studio 4332’s second collection of products taking place on the previous evening (Thursday 25th February, at the UJ Art Gallery), following on Dion Chang’s Flux Trend Review - powered this year by Blackberry.

The theme for the Studio 4332 collection is personalisation – a process made possible by the digital revolution. The products will therefore demonstrate in tangible forms just how creativity, commoditised for digital applications, can be put to work to drive consumer engagement in businesses and brands.

The products will include social tribe keyrings, t-shirts that can be updated with the wearer’s tweets, and stickers that can be used to create personalised tan-toos.

For more information about Digital Lab, go to:   www.studion4332.com <http://www.studion4332.com>


About Studio 4332
Studio 4332, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, is a studio of creative thinkers able to both think and execute across all disciplines and all mediums.

It solves business problems by changing individual customer behaviour. It does this by fusing creative, digital, and direct (with a deep knowledge of consumer insight and data) - and commoditising creativity - to deliver measurable consumer engagement models and campaigns.

By creating content platforms and programmes for brands, Studio 4332 starts a conversation between the brand and the customer, driving active engagement of the customer with the brand.

Brands already influenced by Studio 4332’s team in this way include Cell C, Redgwoods, EuropAssistance, Europcar, Hollard, Hospitality Portfolio Fund, and The Economist