This year's annual Yale School of Management conference was entitled "The Higher Velocity Marketplace: Technology, Innovation and Engagement in the New Marketplace."  A good topic for Scratch, since we live it. 

 

Hosted by Professor Ravi Dahr, the Director of Yale's Center for Customer Insights, the conference featured some awesome insights and approaches from fellow keynoters Jon Iwata (CMO, IBM), Geoff Cottrill (CMO, Converse), Gina Boswell (EVP of Personal Care, Unilever) and Claire Johnson (VP, New Products, Media and Platforms, Google).

 

Some highlights:

 

- 90% of the world's data was created in the last 2 years

 

- I was reminded how counterintuitive predictive analytics can be.  For example, people like hot drinks on hot days, and buy more cake on rainy days.  I'm going to dock myself pay next time I make a decision based solely on behaviors I deem predictably obvious. (#needmorescience)

"Converse believes unleashing the creative spirit will change the world."

- Converse CMO, Geoff Cottrill

- Converse's "Rubber Tracks" recording studio in Brooklyn has already enabled hundreds of artists to record their music, free.

 

"The gap between who you are and how you wish to be seen is spotted immediately."

- IBM CMO, Jon Iwata

- IBM's supercomputer, Watson, is going to Medical School now, should graduate in the next 2 years.

 

- Best question I got: "How will Millennials change the American education system?"

- Least favorite moment: At New Haven Starbucks, you must ask a barista for a key to use the bathroom.

Thanks to Yale School of Management — and its incredible graduate students — for inviting us.