Multi-channel Innovation via #XUG15EU: We practice what we preach!

“HOW TO GAIN MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION VIEWS VIA TWITTER IN A VERY SHORT TIME? WITHOUT ANY ADVERTISING SPENDINGS, JUST BY ORGANIC REACH? — VERY SIMPLE: BY MULTI-CHANNEL INNOVATION AT ITS BEST!” —Andreas Weber

CHAPEAU! — Hats off! The entire organizational team of the XMPie User Group (XUG), especially XUG Board Member Christian Kopocz, have done a sensational job. Almost off the cuff and within less than 10 weeks, a new international conference was created. The sophisticated and unique conference theme: “Multi-channel Innovation”.

More than 130 participants from 17 countries gathered on May 26, 2015 (in spite of Pentecost holidays) in Berlin, the center of the start-up and innovation scene. Well-known partners supported the effort and presented, in technical lectures and demos, how to pull out all stops – whether analog, online or mobile. The event #XUG15EU was preceded by a comprehensive, highly effective multi-channel campaign which Christian Kopocz, with his company Prindoz, Lübeck/Germany, realized through the use of print, Purl, online marketing and especially social media. Even personal contacts were made across the country as well as several continents. On the day of the conference, participants were provided with individualized print materials, among others in the form of an event book printed on premium materials. A personalized website allowed following the program individually and also online and to rate the presentations and sessions through voting, of which about half of all participants took advantage.

The event was prepared, edited and reworked on all flanks through social media. Teaming up with XUG15EU partner, Value Communication AG, Christian Kopocz developed and realized a scenario which bet especially on Twitter, in combination with Facebook, LinkedIn und XING. The result is breathtaking: 

• In just a little over 48 hours—from the night before the #XUG15EU until the day after —Twitter alone reached a total of more than 1.5 MILLION. On the day of the event itself, one million was almost exceeded. Note: No advertising spendings needed! Just by organic reach!
• Of those, more than 253,000 were unique reaches.
• 980 posts were made in order to comment on the conference and to capture and share its most important results and insights.
• Participation among the conference participants present was very high: More than 30% posted actively, more than 80% shared the posts, thereby including their specific networks. And 100% of the organizers and partners sent posts and re-tweets around the globe.
• In addition, on the day after the conference, interesting story recaps and blog posts dealt with the results.
• And journalists took note as well. The 4-color magazine, Wien, a leader in German-speaking countries, sent a personal letter from its editor-in-chief, Martin Schwarz, along with its exclusive Print-Germany edition and presented, prior to the conference, an interview with Christian Kopocz. Live and locally, the London Output Magazine reported  online (via blog post and online newsletter to more than 20,000 subscribers); editor-in-chief, James Matthews-Paul, made a special trip and was able to hand to conference participants his exclusive, digitally printed special edition, Output One. The technical blog ValueTrendRadar by Andreas Weber had published interviews and comments for several weeks, even had discussed presentation subjects and then documented them in real time (to thousands of viewers from more than 40 countries).

“All in all we can say: What we achieved together represents a milestone, not just for us as the XMPie User Group, but for all innovation-oriented professionals in the communications industry“, said Christian Kopocz. And he added: “This was successful only because we practice what we preach. And because we are successful in not only informing, but also in motivating and inspiring on the highest level on sometimes complex themes that make up Multichannel Innovation.“

Accordingly, the value of all these communication successes lies in the maximum level of interaction of participants, presenters, partners and members of the media who were involved via social media. It is especially evident that B2B subjects can be meaningfully popularized.  

And not only as a fleeting, one-time action, but permanently.  Because all of this content and these messages live on (and recently also as Twitter news indexed by Google) after the conference ended. By the way: The post-game is just a pre-game! From October 25 to 28, 2015, the American XUG Conference takes place in Miami, Florida. Participation is worthwhile. One way or another! Afterthought: The theses and insights of the final presentation and panel discussion at the #XUG15 EU have thoroughly proven themselves.

The pivotal aspects are:

1. Multichannel Innovation means: “Discover. Watch. Love. Share. Talk about it!”
2. Multichannel Innovation assumes a mind shift: “It’s a disruptive lifestyle philosophy!”
3. Multichannel Innovation links and unifies social/smart technologies and “human-to-human” needs. Because: Needs are the heart of all matter.

To the astonishment of participants, the question of who, or which company, is the “global leader” in Multi-channel Innovation, was answered … It‘s Apple! Why? First, because Steve Jobs, in multichannel conformance, coined the paradigm that success is only possible when the digital lifestyle experience gains 100% acceptance in people’s daily lives. And secondly, because Apple offers the best Web services and online shops, as well as the best brick-and-mortar flagship stores. And almost “by the way”, makes possible the best print applications — from AirPrint to digitally printed iPhoto Books and superb packaging. And all of this enhanced by extraordinary marketing orientation and an outstanding “customer experience”.