(Day 4)
It’s how it always goes – just when something gets really good, it comes to an end. The Boulder Digital Works “Upgrade to Digital” program wrapped up today with a discussion on metrics, digital out-of-home, and an interesting dissection of some successful 2009 digital initiatives like the Nike ID project and Sprint’s 3g Now campaign.
Ask me what I enjoyed most about my time in Colorado and without hesitation I’ll tell you it was the exchange of ideas with some wonderfully creative people from across North America. Sure, natural scenery like Boulder’s Flat Irons is spectacular, but no replacement for open conversation with some genuinely passionate people.
Here is my take-away, the thing that really excites me. When you boil down what we do in the digital space, it inevitably ends with creating emotion, surprise and enabling communication. And it’s this that I find truly interesting. A quote that struck a cord with me during the week was “I’m not interested in advertising – I’m interested in advertising’s effect on people“… I don’t know where the quote originated, and I don’t even like the word “advertising”, but I could relate on some level. Helping people communicate, share and convey their own messages and passions is just great. It’s the emotion at the end of advertising that counts, and our digital medium is just awesome for these purposes. There’s nothing like it.
So, it’s with these words that I pack my bags and begin the journey home. I look forward to attending other events in 2010 and 2011 and will certainly keep in touch with those fabulous people I met at BDW. Thankfully in our digitally connected world, that won’t be hard.
[Travel Tip - Looking to get from Boulder to Denver without spending a fortune? You can make the trip for only $4.50 if you take local transportation.]
