The recent Netprohet conference proved once again that anyone can have a dream and turn it into a reality. Netprophet brings together a group of entrepreneurial leaders in digital marketing space from South Africa and around the globe. These entrepreneurs share their success stories with you detailing how their determination and innovative business ideas got them to where they are today.
Amongst the speakers this year were Mike Butcher, Editor of TechCrunch Europe; Andre DeWet GM of PriceCheck; Stuart Forrest CEO of Triggerfish Animation, Bob Skinstad ex South African Springbok rugby player and now Director & shareholder of Itec Innovate (Pty) Ltd & Justin Stanford co-founder & CEO 4Di Group to mention a few.
Erik is the Co-Founder of FONK, both Amsterdam and Cape Town based agency who specialise in multi touch devices. His presentation, “Tangible magic of the digital era”, focused on how people are losing the tangible side to things due to digital innovations such as online shopping, dating and living in general and how quickly those intangible things can disappear at the touch of a button. We are losing touch due to our intangible products/services linked to our mobile devices such as virtual friends, virtual money and virtual books etc. When we switch off our mobile device, we switch off the interconnected world we have created.
The argument: is digital enough and will it overtake the need consumers still have today to physically touch things before making a purchase? Erik says that the way forward will be the creation of symbiosis between reality (touch) and virtual/digital (intangible).
The point being that people are still willing to pay more for a “real” in-store experience vs. a virtual online one. Why do we not flitch at paying up to R12 for a newspaper hardcopy but pull up our nose when we need to pay for something online like an app? We have created a culture where online content is expected to always be free because online content has credibility issues when it comes to being authentic. Nothing is more authentic than walking into a store, choosing a garment, feeling it, smelling it and trying it on. People look for the trust they receive from using their senses to smell & touch a product and they don’t mind paying for that trust and value. Anyone can post anything on the internet and sound like they know what they are doing. So the fight for authenticity from a digital perspective continues….
This reminds me of Truth’s mantra that customer centricity is driven from combining the ‘science and soul’ of retailing. The offline world is the true ‘soul’.
Two other speakers who got me feeling rather inspired were South African entrepreneurs’ Andre De Wet & Stuart Forest.
Andre de Wet, a med school dropout turned GM of Price Check, is this year’s app of the year winner. Andre spoke of his journey and his presentation title, “It takes 15 years to become an overnight success” (previously quoted by Bono and Madonna!), touched on his devotion to learn and never getting too comfortable at any stage of your life, because that’s when you stop learning. He says that if you are feeling comfortable when you are in your 20s & 30s… “do yourself a favour & get uncomfortable…you have far too much to learn still”
Following a similar topic was Stuart Forest, CEO of Triggerfish Animation. Stuart, born in Port Elizabeth, with a passion for animation, started his journey building clay models just like popular owner & his dog, Wallace & Gromit. With little to no interest or growth opportunity in clay animation in South Africa he dedicated his time to 2D & 3D animation…. Today his 20 year vision is to displace Disney in their home market.
Triggerfish are behind two successful animation films namely Zambezia & Kumba. Animation is in another league of its own when it comes to patience & precision. In order for any animation to appear smooth, each frame needs to be displayed quickly. On average, 24 frames are needed per second. Translate that into 1 minute and an artist would need to draw over 1400 frames for 60 secs of smooth running.
Stuart’s presentation focused on lessons you were taught in playschool and how they still apply to your day to day life. Being patient, kind & honest was one and to get up and try again and again and again was another.
He firmly believes that as important as it is to have short term goals, the real McCoy is that vision of how you are going to achieve your major life goal which may just take 20 years to achieve.
As our favourite leadership coach, Robin Sharma, reminds us: ‘ideation without execution, is nothing more than delusion.”
Overall, Netprophet proved to be an inspiring day out, realising that everyone has the opportunity to dream and come up with something great, but it’s what you do, how you learn and how much you believe in yourself is what determines the success of your “something great”.
By Ros Siddle, Marketing & Research Manager, Truth
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