Roadmap to the future of marketing

I received this interesting chart on the roadmap to the future of marketing. It didn't come with a source.  If anyone knows who developed it, I'd like to learn about the author.

Banks@Google in Paris & visiting the Google Cultural Institute

I'm in Paris today participating in the Banks@Google event. In the afternoon, we visited the amazing Google Cultural Institute to see how they are digitalizing the World's best artwork from the most prestigious museums. The hi-res artwork was projected on a massive screen and you could zoom in and look at all the details. Fascinating.

It made me imagine how much technology will impact they way future generations will learn.

Below a video I found on Youtube explaining how to use the their online resource.




 One of the pieces digitalized is Sans Titre from one of my favorite Brazilian grafitti artists: Osgemeos, from the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art. I loved the experience.

BrazucaCam bringing technology to the beautiful game

This week at the 2014 Cannes Lions, I had the opportunity to listen to Fabio Costa from TBWA Chiat Day Los Angeles present the Adidqs BrazucaCam in the Innovation Category. In a sport with such a huge global following, especially this month with FIFA World Cup, it was wonderful to see technology bringing fan excitement to the beautiful game.

Considering how complex sports rights are, I hope this initiative will gain traction, offering viewers with a different perspective of the game.

Inspired by Skype's Campaign

I'm waiting to board my flight to the 2014 Cannes Lions reading Adweek's article on the 25 campaigns they predict will win this year. I fell in love with Skype's "The Born Friends Family Portrait" campaign by Pereira & O'Dell, San Francisco. A truly inspiring story and how the brand seemlesly facilitates a beautiful connection.

It made me think of how certain brands are finding and communicating their higher purpose. In my marketing role here at BBVA, I wonder what real stories exist among our millions of customers we have around the World that could inspire our brand communication?  

Welcome to Knowledge Banking

Banking is going through fascinating change, the type of disruption that has impacted so many other categories.  This video was produced as a glimpse into the near future of the type of bank we're building here at BBVA, one that is more flexible to adapt to the transformation that is taking place with the advances in big data, smartphone penetration, simple product design and a combination of technologies that empower people to bank anytime, anywhere.

We're calling it Knowledge Banking.

How much has your banking experience evolved over time?

"Madrid We Are the Champions"

Being involved in sports marketing here at BBVA with the title sponsorship of LigaBBVA and NBA, I'm always looking at what other brands are doing in terms of sports marketing.  As Europeans get ready for next Saturday's UEFA Champion's League Final, I loved this Heineken billboard that appeared all over Madrid this week.  Since the city hosts the two finalists:  Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid, the excitement here is amazing, almost religious.  Fantastic copy:  "What happens in Lisbon, stays in Madrid.  Madrid We Are the Champions."

In the world of marketing, few things generate more excitement than brands that do sports marketing well.

Ibiza, Phoenicians and the Balearic Salt Production

After a year travelling around beautiful Spain, I fell in love with the Balearic Islands.  In our last visit to Ibiza, two weeks ago, we drove past the Sal de Ibiza salt evaporation ponds located in the southern part of the island.  Beautiful scenery, which I later found out has an amazing history.

When I travel, I like to discover local brands as much as I do local flavors.  So, I did some reading about the origins of the salt industry on the Sal de Ibiza website.  I was amazed to learn that Ibiza was originally colonized by the Phoenicians in the 8th Century BC and the first official reference to Ibiza's sea salt dates back to 540 BC when the Carthaginians conquered the island.  Under the Roman Empire, the saltworks were run from 122 BC until the empire fell in 476 AD.

How many industries can trace their history so far back in time?

It's fascinating to see how Sal de Ibiza has brought innovation and design to such a traditional category:  sea salt with hibiscus, with chili, a line of chips lightly salted with Sal de Ibiza,  and even a chocolate bar a la flor de sal.  I guess once the snacks marketing is still in me.

BBVA's Corporate Responsibility Report

In this past year it has been fascinating to see the work that BBVA's Corporate Responsibility team is carrying out, led by an inspiring professional called Antonio Ballabriga.  How do you measure the impact of CR initiatives in society at large?  Here's a section of an infographic that they put together to tell their story.

Refreshing concept to sell architectual services

One of the good things about living an urban life in a pedestrian city is that you're more connected to the city dynamics.  Sorry suburbia, but I love checking out what's new in the neighborhood retail scene, stopping at a sidewalk café or buying the newspaper at the kiosk on my way to the office.  Life on the streets versus behind a wheel.  While walking yesterday, I saw this storefront that caught my attention.  It looked like it could have been a bagel shop but it's actually an office offering architectual and renovation services.

Simple name:  The Architect.  Simple concept:  Low cost architecture.

As my wife I discuss a real estate investment we're interested in, I'll certainly drop by to get to know these guys.  The way they promote their services feels refreshing.

New BBVA Spain Campaign airing tonight

Here are two BBVA spots that will be airing in Spain starting tonight.  The campaign, created by DDB Madrid, is called 'Quiero' and it communicates the many advantages of being a BBVA customer.

Reading about shades of grey overlooking shades of blue

Holiday in Ibiza.  Yesterday was the perfect day at one of the many amazing calas.  I just read a fantastic article in The Economist called 'A Billion Shades of Grey' about how an aging population in the developed world is changing demographics, the economy, the workforce...  and for marketers that means opportunities for new business models meeting new consumer needs for a cohort with time, disposal income and aspirations to leave a legacy.

Talking to Anuncios - Spanish publication on advertising

Meeting David Edelman

For the past months, I've been following David Edelman - McKinsey & Company - through different sources of social media, enjoying his posts, insights and pieces of wisdom.  He has a fascinating way of explaining how companies have to re-think, evolve and adapt to a business environment that is going through amazing change based on the adoption of technology.  A theme that is at the center of any business discussion no matter what category you work in, no matter where you are in the World.  Disruption is around the corner, a block away from opportunity.

After a few phone inspiring phone conversations, I finally had the opportunity of meeting him earlier today here in Madrid.  It's great to speak to people who make you think but who also provide rich discussion that enables you to find solutions to complex issues.  Great conversation.

Spring Festival combing 5K, Live DJs, Color... welcome to Holi Run

This past Saturday, our teenage daughter said she was going to a running event with her friends.  I didn't quite understand because she's not particularly into running at all.  Then, she told me it was an event called Holi Run, so I looked it up and realized it's an event inspired by the ancient Hindu religious festival, primarily observed in India, Nepal and other regions of the world with large Hindu populations.  The Holi Run event is a spring festival that combines a 5K, live DJ and a carnival atmosphere with lots of color.

Through Wikipedia, I learned that Holi is celebrated at the approach of the vernal equinox and the festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring and for many a day to have fun with friends, laugh, get drenched in color, forget and forgive.

By looking at the photos uploaded to her Instagram, I realize that for this generation event marketing takes on a whole new meeting.  As a marketing professional, it makes me think that to connect with this demographic we need to consider mashing up culture references like music, sports, entertainment... where social connection is the new currency.

Getting inspiration from Pixar

Yesterday, my wife took our family to the Pixar - 25 Years of Animation exhibit at CaixaForum here in Madrid.  An outstanding experience well worth visiting.  The exhibit is a wonderful peak behind the scenes of the creative process of the company's 12 feature films through drawings, models, videos and installations.  It's an amazing demonstration of the power of combining art, technology, storytelling... and business.

What a powerful inspiration for marketing teams as we develop campaigns with our creative agencies.  

How can we build more compelling storytelling for our brands?  

The Advantage of MyTaxi App for a Parent of Teenage Daughters

Here in Madrid, I'm hooked on MyTaxi App and like any good service I've talked about it to friends.

Since it has been a year now without a car, as a Family, we use a lot of cabs.  Anybody who uses these taxi apps today knows how convenient they are.  However, I realize there's another clear benefit for someone like me who has a pre-teen and a teenage daughter.  It's wonderful from a security perspective.  When we need to send a cab to pick one of our daughters up from an after-school activity we usually use a taxi driver we have known since we arrived in the city.  However, the other day he was off duty so I used the MyTaxi App.  The piece of mind is that the app displays the driver's name, photo, vehicle and license plate.  For someone who has personally been a victim of urban violence, this is a great product feature.

I wonder what other ways technology can provide people with a sense of security?

Handmade still has its charm

At a time when anything remotely cool seems to have a technology label on it, it's quite surprising to see entrepreneurs placing a bet on the charm of handmade.  A friend of mine who is very much an early adopter for interesting stuff was wearing a pair of Palens Wood Sunglasses the other day.  She told me about how she found this little workshop in Barcelona with local guys who found a market niche and are producing with a sustainable approach, using social media to make their story heard.

Cool story.

Small contribution to the soccer-related economy

Just a little over 2 months before planet earth stops to watch 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Behind  this global event is an amazing multi-billion dollar business.  In a year like this, it's only natural that my soccer consumption dramatically increases.  I have been going to the stadium at least twice a week and  I just made a very small contribution to the soccer-related economy by buying a professional fussball table from a company called RS Barcelona.  The online buying experience was great, allowing a variety of customization options.  We settled for a white table, black pitch with the players representing defending World Cup Champions Spain against my legendary Brazil National Team (no other choice would do).  The only detail missing was that I wanted to have the name of the players hand-painted on the back of the jerseys, a detail I would have paid an extra to have.

Enjoying evening fun while the World Cup doesn't start...

24 Hours Cashless

I finally spent 24 hours without using cash, paying everthing with my smartphone through our new BBVA Wallet app.   Cab fare, lunch bill, vending machine for afternoon break, supermarket after evening gym.... I did it.... 24 hours without cash or cards.

Nothing like a competition to accelerate the adoption of new habits.  At the bank, we launched a competion among our Spain-based employees.  The top 20 people who use our mobile app by Apr.30 will receive tickets for the final phase of LigaBBVA.  For me, I'm more motivated by the bragging rights, so I've been using my smartphone anywhere I can find a contactless terminal.  Today I was #15 in the ranking....

The Guggenheim Effect

Every Bilbao local I met over the three days I spent in this amazing Basque city spoke to me about the Guggenheim effect - the powerful transformation the city went through after the '97 opening of The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao by Frank Gehry.  Urban revitalization powered by architecture, art and vision.  Great architecture has the power of creating a canvas for human achievement, boost tourism, attract investment, provide a community with a renewed sense of pride and help transform the world around it, provoking an economic ripple effect.  I guess that is what's happening here along the Nervion River.

How can architecture touch other aspects of our lives?
What type of transformation can architecture fuel within public schools, universities, corporations?

A year from now, we're moving to a new corporate campus outside Madrid designed by Herzog and de Meuron.  It will be very exciting to see how the new space will inspire new ways-of-working, collaboration, innovation, as we build our digital banking future.

I just added Bilbao to my list of special places...

My Instagram photo of the museum taken at sunset...

In Chile, our first Facebook banking app

Need to consciously pause during downtime

This morning, during my bus commute to the office I was stuck to my ipad reading the Financial Times headlines, an article on mobile shopping in Brazil's Exame, checked calendar and inbox to prepare for day, sent a LinkedIn message to a friend in Rio who started a new job.  By the time I left the elevator on my floor, I was half way through a fantastic EY global consumer banking survey.  A quick burger for lunch reading sports news on marca.com and checking our very own ligaBBVA.com.  

From screen to screen.  

I realize I need to consciously pause during downtime to reconnect with what's around me.  After I spoke to a co-worker about this, he sent me a YouTube link of a Coke campaign called Social Media Guard, that is based exactly on that insight.  

So, this weekend I going to play golf, mostly likely under rain... mobile/ipad free.
Mobile devices are wonderful and I love them but let's connect to the real world.

Banking App designed for Social Media

We're very excited with the launch of our very first banking application specially designed for Facebook and its called BBVA Link.  Initially launched in Chile so we can learn from the process.

Here'e the tutorial in Spanish that explains the main functionalities.

Having lunch today with LinkedIn

I had lunch today with LinkedIn executives Laetitia Maur and Henry Clifford-Jones.  I'm a huge fan of LinkedIn's positioning in social media and here at the office we're learning and testing ways to reach and leverage the power of this global professional community.  I found this video on Laetitia's profile that pretty much sums up our conversations today...

BBVA Wallet Digital Campaign

I very excited that we're launching this weekend in Spain our new BBVA Wallet Digital Campaign  - an app that allows BBVA mobile banking customers to pay with their smartphone at any venue with a contactless terminal.  I've been using the service for the past five weeks and I enjoy the freedom of just using my iPhone at my local supermarket, Starbucks, cab or movie theater.  I've also had to explain the service to a few merchants, which gives me the opportunity to see their positive feedback.

So far, it's fascinating to see the pace of adoption.  Hundreds of customers are downloading the app on a daily basis.  The technology in mobile banking is one of the most exciting things in my marketing role at BBVA.  More to come...

Celebrating 5 Million LigaBBVA Facebook Fans !

One of the most exciting social media initiatives we manage here at BBVA is the LigaBBVA Facebook Community.  We have a dedicated team that works day in day out informing fans from around the World everything that goes on in, what many soccer fans will say, is the best league.

Well, today we're celebrating 5 Million Fans, a fantastic global community with one thing in common.... a passion for LigaBBVA.

Finally using my smartphone as a debit card... and doing some research along the way

In the past two weeks, I've been using our most recent innovation - BBVA Wallet - as a substitute for my debit card at the drugstore in front of our office building here in Madrid, to the local Starbucks, to the tapas place I sometimes go for lunch.

The other night walking back from the gym I stopped at our neighborhood supermarket El Corte Inglés.  As I pulled out my phone to pay for the bill, the guy working at the cash register started talking to me about how he was also a BBVA customer and that he downloaded the app as well and was testing the service.  I immediately took the opportunity to do a little personal research asking him all sorts of questions about payment behavior at the check out.  Now I want to talk to him every once in a while to see how people are reacting to the new service.  Being someone who interacts with so many shoppers during the day, without knowing it, Pablo has become a wonderful resource for me to better understand customer behavior when it comes to mobile banking adoption.

I'm very excited with this launch, initially in Spain and working this week on the campaign created by DDB.

BBVA #2 Branded content on YouTube in Spain in 2013

Our BBVA Anywhere Banking Campaign - featuring NBA Stars Kevis Durant and James Harden and LigaBBVA Stars Iker Casillas and Andres Iniesta - is the second most watched branded content on YouTube in Spain in 2013 according to El Publicista

http://www.elpublicista.es/frontend/elpublicista/base.php

Sacrificing personal space, overemphasizing common areas

London, last leg of our year-end Family holiday.  Yesterday, we arrived at the Citizen M Hotel Bankside.  Cool check-in process all automated, borrowing a chapter from curb side check-ins at airports or ATMs.

What I thought was very interesting was the pod bedroom concept, which I had already experienced at the Pod 51 Hotel in NYC.  More and more, I seem to see a trend in urban boutique hotels that are sacrificing personal space and overemphasizing on the lounge experience that fuses canteen-style dinning, bar, working stations with Mac computers, with a fantastic attention to design that feels very socially inviting. It reminds me of how Virgin Atlantic re-conceptualized airport lounges decades ago and created a new industry standard.

I wonder if this hotel movement has any correlation with so many news articles I've been reading on how families are leaving suburbia for smaller living space in more centrally-located urban locations to be closer to work and study but also taking advantage of many urban renovation projects.  Speaking to friends from around the World, I keep hearing that many don't actually need such a large house in a place that requires commuting by car everyday, taking out the SUV just for latte.  High street versus suburban mall.  Running through century-old parks versus treadmill in the two-car garage.

This is exactly what happened to our Family this year.  We moved from a large house in a Sao Paulo suburb to an apartment with half the living space in Madrid's downtown that allows us to walk to the wonderful Retiro Park, Mercado de La Paz or the Prado Museum.  Sacrificing personal space to be able to live close to fabulous common areas.

It's another example of Adam Morgan's 'Sacrifice and Overcommit' principle from his book Eat Big Fish.  Make sure you obsessively focus on the things you really value, or in business, on the things you can execute better than anyone else and de-emphasize the rest.

Coming to think of it, what a nice thought as we move into 2014.  London is always so inspiring...

Nintendo Audio Guides at the Louvre

Yesterday at the Louvre Museum in Paris, it was interesting to see how the Nintendo brand is exploring new applications like audio guides for museum visitors.