OMR 2022 – Digital needs more….

More is more. That could well have been the unofficial motto of this year’s OMR in Hamburg. More metaverse, more marketing, more people. After a two-year break due to Corona, OMR is celebrating a brilliant comeback as one of the first major events with around 70,000 visitors, 800+ speakers, over 1,000 partners and exhibitors and 250 master classes.

We didn’t want to miss out on the whole thing either and set off on a foray through virtual realities, marketing novelties and past long queues of people. Yes, the crowds were huge. But no wonder. Despite a very tight planning phase, the OMR Festival lived up to its name: during the day a marketing conference with the who is who of the digital scene, in the evening a party with well-known acts like Materia or Kraftklub.

Digital trends for all – OMR B2B and B2C

Among the companies presenting themselves in the exhibitor area of the festival were some with rather curious business models, such as a Petfluencer Agency or the OMR outpost of the “Museum of Popcorn”, a really flashy world of scenery for the perfect Instagram shot.

But well-known B2B groups such as Outbrain, Google or valantic did not miss OMR 2022 either and hit the mark with masterclasses such as “The playbook for measurable campaign success on YouTube” or “Marketing, so 90s! Is value-based cross-brand CRM the future?” were right in line with the hip digital talk of the scene.

What we take along

But what do we take away as our core messages from this overload of information and colourful online world trends?

• Digital needs Reality: Even if marketing and sales processes are becoming more and more digital, people long for real-world meetings – whether at trade fairs, workshops or appointments. Because 70,000 visitors speak for themselves. The master classes and talks were all full, the exhibitors’ stands well attended. Conversations – whether in the B2C or B2B sector – are easier to establish in person (with a cold drink in hand) than purely digitally.

• Digital needs Reach: There is hardly a company left that does not focus on digital channels. Companies need to stand out with strong content and innovative content formats. And this no longer applies only to the B2C sector. Trendy topics such as the much talked about metaverse have long since been integrated into the digital marketing strategy by innovative B2B companies.

• Digital needs Trust: More and more companies are relying on ambassadors, whether in sales or HR. The focus here is primarily on authenticity. Especially when it comes to topics like AI or virtual reality, some consumers are still critical. Companies that are digitally well positioned are therefore increasingly relying on thought leadership and turning employees into (micro) influencers.

What remains – and what ist about to come

The Online Marketing Rockstars Festival returned to the real world with a fireworks display of entertainment and certainly set standards in terms of speakers and trends. What remains now is to adapt the inspirations and integrate them into one’s own business in a sustainable way in order to adequately implement the advancing digitalisation.

We are looking forward to the upcoming events in the second half of 2022. If you would like to meet us, we will have our own stand and speaking slot at the 2022 Communications Congress in Berlin. We are looking forward to it!

Image source: omr