December 2017 marked the 21st International Watchmaking Marketing Symposium (JIMH: Journée Internationale du Marketing Horloger), where the main players of watchmaking marketing met to discuss and exchange information on the topic «Marketing… Digital Intelligence». The event was an excellent opportunity to learn more about data collection and interpretation, with topics ranging from “big data” to “big intelligence”.
Through social media, blogs and websites, companies today generate many contacts. To better understand this information, experts from the digital world discussed the collection, processing and interpretation of data in order to make the best possible marketing decisions.
Among the participants of the round tables were representatives of such companies as IBM, Omega, TAG Heuer, Longines, Jaquet Droz, Zenith, Bulgari Watches, Parmigiani Fleurier etc.
I had the honour of being part of the conference as a representative of my blog SwissGlam and participated in the round table “Les Outils En Vogue” about social media and influencer marketing. Other participants on stage were:
- Raphael Ly, Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie
- Thierry Huron, The Mercury Project
- Eric Lecluyse, editor in chief of l’Express/L’Impartial and arcinfo.ch
- Morgane Schaller, Swiss blogger from the French part of Switzerland
The discussion of our group focused on the life of a Swiss influencer, the ways to be distinguished from the competition and conditions of brand partnerships. We also touched upon interaction with followers, community engagement, promotion tools, and social media strategies used both by the bloggers and by luxury watch brands. I was glad to answer questions and share my knowledge in online marketing, of which I have more than 5 years experience, as well as my 3,5 years of experience being a Swiss blogger.
Surely there are challenges in the ever-changing digital world, and the watch industry is in the process of finding its own way to stay up-to-date whilst remaining exclusive and traditional.
Such events allow industry specialists to discover new ways of marketing solutions, discuss their relevance and efficiency and learn from others. A book summarizing the Watchmaking Marketing Symposium 2017 will be available in fall 2018.
Photos: JIMH
