“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:

Multichannel Innovation means: “Discover. Watch. Love. Share. Talk about it!”
Multichannel Innovation assumes a mind shift: “It’s a disruptive lifestyle philosophy!”
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”.

Print is dead? Long live print! — Great ValueReport Results

May 16, 2015

CEO Talk on Innovation, Digital Transformation, drupa 2016, Multi-Channel Innovation, Trends @ Graphic Communications, Valuable Advice, Value Innovation

2 Comments

By Andreas Weber, innovation expert and print analyst from the Gutenberg City of Mainz

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Key issues:

The medium print does not have any problem today and in the future. Moreover, it is not in any crisis caused by others.
There is nearly no other sector that presents itself in the public eye so awkwardly and badly as the printing sector.
Print buyers highly appreciate good counseling and contemporary, proactive market communication specifically on the topic of how printed materials can be designed particularly effective, appealing and interactive. However, this type of service is in short supply.

The good old Johannes Gutenberg has tossed and turned in his grave for ages. While in 2000, the American business elite elected him “Man of the Millennium” and Silicon Valley called him the innovator of modern times (digital pope, Jeff Jarvis, dedicated the book “Gutenberg the Geek” to him), the printer guilt has denied and practically mothballed him.

Printing has nearly joined the rank of “non-words”. Despite the fact that worldwide hundreds of thousands of companies still make their money by producing printed materials. Many in the commercial printing business are looking to describe their work and what they offer new: whether it is media production respective marketing service provider or cross-media service provider, they increasingly try to avoid being associated with the term “print”.

: Source: drupa insight report 2014

: Source: drupa insight report 2014

: Source: drupa global trends 2015

: Source: drupa global trends 2015

: Source: Value Communication via Canon, drupa Reports, SAPPI for You

Is this necessary? No! — Therefore, it is the goal to deal with the subject matter of “print” in any form other than it has been dealt with for the past 15 years.

The (alleged) end of the Gutenberg galaxy marks the new beginning of “limitless print communication” — for hundreds of years, printed materials were the measure of all things, firmly in the hand of professional printers and publishers. Beginning in the 1980s, desktop publishing and the motto “Everyone his own Gutenberg” cracked their monopoly. Since, totally new players have taken the lead. Key points: a) Apple and Google developed the first e-print functions as new standards, so millions of new smartphone and tablet users can print their digital contents as needed. b) Specialists among others for Facebook and Wikipedia, who come from the development sector for intelligent search engines and algorithms, have created solutions to configure social media data by mouse click and print them automatically (first and foremost pediapress.com from Mainz). In addition, smart online photo print solutions are used by millions of any age groups!
Reality contra misbelief: The thesis “Internet kills print” is false — this is what publishers and print professionals believe and they convey this message to their customers by having debated about the “print crisis”, of which Google supposed to be the culprit, for years. The following are arguments against this belief: 1. Print publishers caused their crisis themselves and they did not even use innovations in print, and 2. “digital natives” are positive toward print if the contents and the communication offers are relevant, personal, and useful. (See the following reports: http://valuetrendradar.com/2014/09/09/valuecheck-the-internet-is-not-the-death-of-print/ und http://valuetrendradar.com/2014/10/03/valuecheck-newspaper-publishers-theyre-left-crying-in-the-corner/)
Communication deficits paralyze the printing industry — the attitude “our products speak for themselves” has an effect as numb feet. Printing companies are ossified in their routines. Even the most innovative products and solutions, which many can offer, are marketed in accordance with the “Old School” principle: using sample maps and machine demonstrations for children and other interesting parties. There is nearly no printing firm that knows how to use professional online and social media communication such as targeting marketing campaigns as shown in an exemplary fashion in England moo.com or snapajack.com . (See YouTube video “How to innovative print business”). — In this context, not only the art of self-portrayal is what counts but also networking such as the example of Print Three from Canada shows.
Innovation often takes place in print shops while the interfaces to the customers are mostly rather “retro”! — For more than 10 years, print shops have been under a significant cost pressure; however, they are primarily concerned with themselves to optimize their internal processes in order to produce efficiently. Only few of them focus on communicating the effectiveness of their print products, which they (can) produce for customers, offensively and attractively. Social media monitoring shows how much customers, who order printed matters online, have to criticize (they are unhappy about usability, multiple debits, a lack of color reliability, etc. see “printing research results: The Beauty and The Beast”).
There is nearly no other sector that presents itself in the public eye so awkwardly and badly as the printing sector. This must change drastically! — For hundreds of years, print shops have not needed lobby efforts and industry communication. There were monopolists and there was no way around them. Moreover, they could sail on the lee side of machine suppliers. Just like IBM and computing, particularly the label “Technology by Heidelberg” guaranteed high customer confidence. This changed drastically no later than drupa 2012, which brought the breakthrough in digital printing. Many new players are no relevant. Nearly of them come from the imaging and IT sector. However, these companies are so large and different that individual print shops can hardly create any image transfer. This is not really terrible because with today’s media print shops can position themselves easily and effectively. Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus/YouTube and LinkedIn are the best aids, which provide the use of their infrastructure for free. It just requires a bit of training of how to handle it! — By the way, it is a bit embarrassing as well as inspiring that the world’s largest print buyer, IKEA, campaigns for print by imitating the Apple communication expertly. So far, more than 17 million people watched this video! Benchmark!

Conclusion — our take: “Something old needs something new!”

The printing sector should refocus on its old strength and the Gutenberg value system to be able to handle innovation in communication. This is the only way to survive structural change or structural break. The medium print does not have any problem today and in the future. Moreover, it is not in any crisis caused by others. This is a homemade crisis. It is the outgrowth of business goals, user promises and communication that is no longer appropriate for customers and no longer up-to-date. No one has to do without the expertise, the passion, the flexibility of competent printing experts. Print buyers highly appreciate good counseling and contemporary, proactive market communication specifically on the topic of how printed materials can be designed particularly effective, appealing and interactive. However, this type of service is in short supply. This can easily be changed. Right? — Please check as well pour Value Guidelines for innovation marketing communications via Social Media.

NOTE: Please join #xug15eu conference. And experience the real value of print via innovative #multichannel solutions.

ValueCheck! — The Art of Valuable Communication by ’Oma’. Or: Change the Way of Thinking!

July 26, 2014

Valuable Advice, Value Art & Communication, Value Contributors, Value Innovation

1 Comment

By Yajing Huang, Mainz/Germany

Two weeks ago, mid of July 2014, there was loud club music being played in the late night very often around our building. One day morning, I met my neighbor who lives next to my door. I call her „Oma“ [nice german word for grandma], because she always gives me the warm feeling in this foreign country. She is at the age of beginning 70, silver hair and very slim. Compared to the people at her age, she is very active and open minded. We get alone with each other very well after I moved there. I told her these days there is always loud music playing during the midnight.

She told me that is the new neighbor who lives above her, she already asked that neighbor to turn down the volume however it seems not working… Perhaps due to I live long time enough in Germany, my reaction to her was that we should call the police to stop such behavior. However, she smiled at me slightly and told me that she will do something differently. A week later after that conversation we met on the floor of our building. I asked her, if that neighbor moved out, there was no more loud music playing during the late night. She told me every early morning she turned her radio on with loud tone. That young neighbor might have many short nights to sleep and changed the habit!

All of sudden, I was inspired by her charming way of handle the situation. During our daily private and work life, we get used to the certain way of thinking and conducting but not thinking about the better way to handle it with innovative method. To me, charming strategy of Oma to solve such common issue during the daily life is kind of art. It stopped the stupid behavior of showing no respect to the other neighbors and it achieved the great result. Isn’t it amazing?!

Now, when I recall what I have experienced these days about ‘value check’ project and the media event. There is no doubt to realize how much we can inspire each other by communicating with each other. As Mrs. Malu Dreyer, who I had the pleasure to meet face to face at „Pressefest der Ministerpräsidentin 2014“ mentioned during the ValueTalk! interview, ‘communication has very high value, without it, problems cannot be solved’.

Nowadays, the common phenomenon exists in the companies: valuable communication only happens after problems appear. Why not to avoid the problems in advance by communicating at earlier stage? Therefore, in my opinion, ‘value check’ project provides great opportunity for the companies to review their daily communication process and being inspired by checked. Don’t wait, just check it J !

ValueCheck! — Check out in a minute what is relevant for profitable growth

July 15, 2014

Basic Topics on Innovation, Trend Analysis (in brief), Value Contributors, Value Innovation

1 Comment

ValueCheck Analysis: Communication, Art and Culture.010

NOTE: ValueCheck! delivers recently the most comprehensive and effective way to update your business management&communication knowledge. Our Focus: Identify relevant topics to be discussed, put them into the right context and be able to create your own opinion and expertise.

Why its worth reading this Blog post:

• Summary of the most relevant ValueCheck! Blog post
• Train your Brain on-the-fly
• Get a very useful access to update your knowledge via ValueLinks and ValueTips

+++ ValueCheck! — What is the Value of Value Communication AG?

We deliver a unique method and way by answering two main questions:

How to “Connect Innovation to Profit”!
How to unify “Communication, Art and Culture”!
We call it “ValueCheck!” and cover three areas: Analysis, Audits, Coachings.

Startings point is always a written ValueCheck! Blog post to define the Status quo!

ValueCheck Audits orientates businesses to generate profit and to enjoy outcomes of disruptive innovation and communication.

READ MORE: http://valuetrendradar.com/2014/07/06/value-check-what-is-the-value-of-value-communication-ag/

+++ ValueCheck! — The Secrets of the Age of Digital Transformation

In other words, human side of business transformation should be taken more into consideration as the age of digital transformation puts consumer in the center. This is why Value Communication keeps focusing on using digital technologies based on H2H and a disruptive approach to understand the relationship between technologies and consumer behavior.

ValueCheck! emphasizes the relationship between H2H aspects and the use of digital technologies while analyzing consumer behavior and the company’s approach.

READ MORE: http://valuetrendradar.com/2014/07/02/valuecheck-the-secrets-of-the-age-of-digital-transformation/

+++ ValueCheck! — ’Rent a Brain’ is the perfect way to succeed in Social Biz

What we at Value Communication aim by „ValueCheck!“ is to help business people to become far more successful in their sectors. By answering the questions of „ValueCheck! Audits“, a company can become aware of its abilities and inadequacies in a more detailed way. The important thing is we treat our customers as (best) friends.

Our ValueCheck! method equals to friendly attitude towards our customers and a detailed way to guide them to see their capabilities.

READ MORE: http://valuetrendradar.com/2014/07/10/valuecheck-
rent-a-brain-is-the-perfect-way-to-succeed-in-social-biz/

+++ ValueCheck! — Connect Innovation to Profit!

The performance promise: “connect innovation to profit”. Your benefits:

ValueCheck! is something like a fitness check-up to be prepared for The Age of the Customer.
ValueCheck! delivers orientation how to optimize all dimensions of your internal and external business communication success.
ValueCheck! guides you through the digital world to accelerate your profitable growth.

READ MORE: http://valuetrendradar.com/2014/06/11/value-check-connect-innovation-to-profit/

+++ ValueCheck! — Train Your Brain!

We proudly present: World’s first Train Your Brain Fitness Check-up to be ready for profitable growth in “The Age of the Customer”!
We are happy and proud to share some thoughts. Based in Johannes Gutenberg‘s hometown, Mainz/Germany, we are dedicated to the rich culture of Art = Innovation = Communication = Human-to-Human!

Value Communication analyses and supports approaches of customers to H2H aspects and then finds the best method to guide them on track of becoming a successful and profit-making companies.

READ MORE: http://valuetrendradar.com/2014/06/19/value-check-train-your-brain/

+++ ValueCheck! — Disruptive Task: “Bust the Silos — Convert the VIRTUAL to REALITY”

But nevertheless we live in a digital world. Social Media and all our Social Activities will never be able to create relatedness. It enables connections. That’s it! — Kill stupidity in business driven by executives who still use their analog thinking in a digital world.

Our message according to all activities based on our disruptive Value Task:
Just do it the smart way. Unify Social & Human-to-Human. ValueCheck! has a disruptive approach that combines advisory, publishing and community.

READ MORE: http://valuetrendradar.com/value-communications-manifesto/

+++ ValueCheck! — The disruptive “Value Eco-System”

The strategic analysis is done via ValueCheck! and ValueProfile, which supplies the design of a new communication architecture as a result.

ValueCheck! strategizes a new approach to innovative communication techniques for companies in order to guide them to have more benefits from the market.

READ MORE: http://valuetrendradar.com/2012/07/24/the-value-eco-system/

+++ ValueCheck! — Philosophy and Principles of Value Communication

The effectiveness of communication and the efficiency of communication processes are developed with innovative tools and methods by Value Communication such as Value Academy and ValueCheck!.

ValueCheck! is one of the important tools and methods in Value Communication’s principles and philosophy. Via ValueCheck, the development of effective communication processes is very easy.

READ MORE: http://valuetrendradar.com/philosophy-and-principles-of-value-communication/

+++ ValueCheck! — Disruptive and/or Destructive Innovation?

Disruptive innovation is not a threat as it would be perceived by the university management of Harvard Business School based on last debates about whether entering to the business of online education or not. What makes innovation disruptive is the way it makes a product, a service or an idea remarkable with an unusual approach to renew our consumption patterns and lifestyles.

Since ValueCheck! contains a disruptive strategy, it checks H2H and B2B aspects with an unusual way to renew the company strategies.

READ MORE: http://valuetrendradar.com/2014/07/09/valuecheck-disruptive-andor-destructive-innovation/

+++ ValueCheck! — ’Rent a Brain’ is the perfect way to succeed in Social Biz

Very successful business owners, emphasize the effectiveness of having help from a mentor or a colleague in order to accomplish their goals.

ValueCheck! acts as a mentor for companies in order to achieve their goals and change their company strategies into more innovative communication techniques.

READ MORE: http://valuetrendradar.com/2014/07/10/valuecheck-rent-a-brain-is-the-perfect-way-to-succeed-in-social-biz/

+++ ValueCheck! — How Social Media leads to Social Business

It is apparent that those B2B service companies require important innovation and transformation in order to satisfy the expectations of their potential customers. Therefore, the importance of „ValueCheck! Audits“are apparent as a solution to check the weaknesses of businesses in Social Selling and Social Businesses. „ValueCheck!“ questions include many related topics so as to strengthen the strategies of companies.

Even many successful companies fail to satisfy customers. ValueCheck Audits provides better perspective to see what is missing on track of keeping good connections with the market and customers.

READ MORE: http://valuetrendradar.com/2014/07/10/valuecheck-how-social-media-leeds-to-social-business/

+++ ValueCheck! — HBS: The Professor’s Innovation Dilemma

Our Take: You can’t do value education without disruptive Value Innovation.

I think, in the age of digital transformation, education needs to get some disruptive innovation as well. Maybe, we can call it “digital education”. Digital Education allows many applicants around the world to benefit from online education platforms via several tools such as iPhone, iPad and other portable instruments. Considering all of these, I am pretty surprised that how as one of the top ranked and most successful universities, Harvard Business School, has a dilemma about entering online education.

ValueCheck! follows the latest trends in order to guide companies in the best way so as to adapt itself and its customers to the age of digital transformation.

READ MORE: http://valuetrendradar.com/2014/07/09/valuecheck-the-professors-innovation-dilemma/

+++ ValueCheck! — Beyond Design: Technology enables H2H interaction

In the future it is more about Interaction & H2H and less about Designers…

The core meaning of the tweet is design matters, nevertheless; it is not solely enough to become very successful. Besides design, key enablers of PARC include other systems such as intelligent manufacturing, model-based reasoning, integrated planning and control, and printed electronics. Moreover, without effective human-to-human interaction and innovative approaches to satisfy customer, a superior design only leads to empty promises, or let’s say “all fur coat and no knickers”!

ValueCheck! emphasizes human-to-human interaction and innovative approaches that guide companies for a better strategy to adapt in future technologies and the market system.

READ MORE: http://valuetrendradar.com/2014/07/02/beyond-design-technology-enables-h2h-interaction/

+++ ValueCheck! — Print in the Digital Age!

In the age of digital transformation, it is a big mistake to limit advertising and marketing based only on printing like we already know it. There are many platforms and social networks to work on in order to advertise a product or a system by drawing attentions. The age of the so called „digital transformation“ needs better rethinking over analogue approaches in order to satisfy consumer needs in a best way.

ValueCheck! also focuses on the importance of social networks and various platforms in order to catch the spirit of the age of digital transformation and distribute it to companies as applicants of ValueCheck! Audits.

READ MORE: http://valuetrendradar.com/2014/07/07/valuecheck-print-in-the-digital-age/

ValueCheck! — Train Your Brain!

June 19, 2014

Basic Topics on Innovation, Valuable Advice, Value Art & Communication

6 Comments

We proudly present: World’s first Train Your Brain Fitness Check-up to be
ready for profitable growth in “The Age of the Customer”!

We are happy and proud to share some thoughts. Based in Johannes Gutenberg‘s hometown, Mainz/Germany, we are dedicated to the rich culture of Art = Innovation = Communication = Human-to-Human!