There is never a dull moment at DMEXCO which throws together the biggest names in the tech world with some of the most exciting startups and NGOs on the planet. Here are just a few of the most interesting projects discussed at this year's event
The idea that people would use facebook to find blood might sound strange at first, especially for those of us who are lucky enough to live in countries where blood is always part of treatment, but for many people in India, before Facebook's blood App was created, finding friends and family with a blood type that matched was the only option. Users can now use the Blood Donations app to find and recommend donors. Since its inception, over 35 million people have signed up to the app. It is now available in Brazil, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the United States.
At a discussion on Tech for Good Dhani Spiller, Head of Innovations Services at the UN World Food Programme told the audience about ongoing initiatives in the Gobi desert to teach teenage girls about sexual health through Facebook; an Uber-style app for sharing tractors in Africa, and H2GROW a hydroponic system that helps refugees to grow crops in inhospitable farming conditions. Check out the UN's innovator accelerator website to see many more interesting ways that digital technology is being used to make a difference.
Since first showing real interest in Podcasts in 2018, Spotify has increased the number of Podcasts in its library over fourfold from 100,000 to 450,000. Maureen Traynor from Spotify explored the importance of the Podcast medium arguing that it can 'really reach someone on an emotional level'. Charlotte Roche from Spotify's hit German podcast Paardiologie was there to discuss what it's like to share her relationship's intimate conversations with the world, and her experiences with hardcore fans of the show, some of which have given birth in hospitals whilst listening to the show.
It was the viral phenomenon of Susan Boyle's performance on Britain's Got Talent that convinced Cecile Frot-Coutaz of Youtube to move from the production company who made the show into the position of Head of EMEA at Youtube. She sees Youtube as the natural successor to television in a world where we must 'earn attention no matter what the surface is'. In the talk titled Youtube: Mass Media Reimagined she informed the audience that 94% of 20-29-year-olds in Germany watch Youtube every month and that in the UK Youtube is the #1 entertainment platform. She was also keen to distance Youtube from its association with cat videos, in response to Youtuber Lisa Sophie Lauren asking if she watched these types of videos, she encouraged Lisa to think of Cat Videos as a relic from the early days of the platform. Fans of Grumpy Cat (and his memory RIP Grumpy Cat) would tend to disagree.
At the discussion: Strike A Pose, Youtuber and influencer Le Floid admitted that his biggest regret from his much-publicized interview with Angela Merkel was not asking harder questions. I would recommend that he watches Frost/Nixon before his next big interview. At the same discussion Legal expert, Margaret Knitter said that it was only a matter of time before the first Youtube influencer goes to prison.
That's our round-up of some of the most interesting revelations from DMEXCO 2019. For more interesting stories from the world of digital marketing check out The Blog from rankingCoach.