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Left to right: Guests enjoying the evening at the BSH Showroom in Cape Town; Quinton Lamprecht (Regional Manager BSH Group), Jaime-Lee Gardner (Estate Living), Dion Chang (Flux Trends), Enrico Hoffmann (MD BSH Group)
On Thursday, 12 October 2017, BSH Home Appliances Group, an innovative and forward-thinking company invited the world-renowned Dion Chang from Flux Trends to host an exclusive event where he shed light on the art of communicating and doing business in a hyper visual era. The event was hosted in association with Bosch, Siemens and Gaggenau Home Appliances at their Brand Experience Centre in Cape Town, South Africa.
Estate Living was there to join in the fun, and group CEO Jaime-Lee Gardner, had the opportunity to gain insight into doing business, in a hyper visual era.
Through the looking glass: The art of communicating and doing business in a hyper visual era.
“When Lewis Carroll wrote Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, in 1871 (a sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), he wrote of an alternative universe, where things are not as they should be”, said Chang.
Chang took guests on a visual journey where he explored an alternative universe, a hyper visual realm, which we delve into multiple times throughout the day via our most intimate and constant companion – the smart phone.
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“Our visual social media platforms have changed the way we connect, interact and communicate, spawning not only a new emoji language, but pushing us closer, one transient snapchat at a time, to a parallel universe where virtual and augmented realities meet. Welcome to the metaverse. The technology is ready and forward-thinking brands are already experimenting. The race to grab your attention, visually – in unimaginable ways – has begun” Chang added.
Dion highlighted that if a company is not speaking visually they should realise that they are missing out on an assortment of opportunities such as the mantra of the “see, click, buy” concept that is seamlessly integrated for social media sales through visually compelling content. But this concept is merely the beginning of a digital journey that now sees other technological advances within the digital and social space bursting with innovation such as the new “area learning and 3D camera technology” which is about to revolutionise industries from architectural, real estate, interior design and home décor to health care and education, the impact is vast and real.
Many companies and industries are noticing the major shift in this digital space and it is for this reason that Venture Capitalists invested $1.7 billion in the 12 months leading to March 2016 in augmented reality or virtual reality start-ups, and $1.2 billion of that was in the first quarter of this year alone.
When asking Enrico Hoffmann, Managing Director of the BSH Hausgeräte GmbH South Africa about the insights of the evening, it was clear that the vision of Bosch, Siemens and Gaggenau Home Appliances are already aligned with these foresights and trends.
“The BSH brands, Bosch, Siemens and Gaggenau are known for their unique technological advancements, revolutionising the industry through its forward-thinking. However, this is done by closely monitoring and strategising based on the industry trends in marketing, the retail space and advertising. In the late 90’s I completed my Thesis in Marketing, which focussed on Online Sales, and since then, I have been privileged enough to see the industry burst with development over the years. We are only experiencing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to digital and social media marketing and, brands need to maintain their competitive edge by keeping ahead of communication and digital trends,” said Enrico.
The evening left guests with much to consider on how to transform their current strategies and rules of engagement, how to drive their message home more effectively and what to expect from the future’s visual revolution.
Dion Chang
Chang is known for rattling traditional cages in a world struggling to adapt to a new world order, he uses a global perspective to gauge the zeitgeist and track ahead-of-the-curve trends to identify shifting business templates. With 20 years’ experience in the magazine industry as a journalist and media spokesperson he is able to provide insights into the ever-changing relationship between brands, consumers and the communication channels that bind them. Chang lectures a “trends as business strategy” module for executives and senior management at various business schools including: UCT’s Graduate School of Business, GIBS and Duke CE. He specialises as a disruption management consultant and is passionate about embedding a culture of innovation into corporate operating systems. He has a deep affiliation for youth trends and subcultures, their impact and influence on our new world order, as well as innovative ideas for greater good. Chang is also part of Flux Trends specializes in understanding consumer mindset and identifying unexpected business opportunities within shifting trends, ensuring that global trends have relevance when translated for African, and South African businesses.
About the brands:
For over 130 years, Bosch has been synonymous with outstanding technology and craftsmanship. Simple yet elegant, Bosch appliances offer a complete solution for living with innovative designs to fulfill the unique need of every consumer. True to the brand’s philosophy “Invented for life”, Bosch will continue to offer consumers quality and perfect technology for a better life.
Siemens Home Appliances is the brand that provides its customers with a fascinating product experience – a brand for the unusual and exciting new opportunities in life. They contribute to the metropolitan lifestyle with architectural aesthetics and timeless design. In terms of technology, the brand’s focus on connectivity and flexibility has enabled them to become the world-wide market leader in innovation,
Gaggenau
From the forge in the Black Forest to perfect German engineering and craftsmanship for the private kitchen, Gaggenau was founded in 1683. After 334 years of crafting metal, Gaggenau has created something that transcends a brand: it is a culture. The Gaggenau values, which have remained constant since 1683, are an ongoing quest for authenticity and uncompromising quality. Synonymous with exclusive culinary culture, Gaggenau is not simply an appliance it is an experience in itself, recognised for its sophisticated lifestyle.
About BSH Home Appliances
With annual sales of around €13.1 billion in 2016 and more than 58,000 employees, BSH Hausgeräte GmbH is one of the global leaders in the home appliance sector. BSH manufactures at around 40 factories, operates over 80 companies and has a presence in around 50 countries.
