Denver’s Digital gurus and marketing enthusiasts gathered last month for the Digital Summit. This is the place where more than 75 industry experts shared oodles of insights to marketing movers and shakers from a wide variety of organizations.

Over the course of three days, digital marketers, analytics pros, UX/UI designers, content creators, webmasters—and so many more—attended 75+ sessions, listened to 2,100+ minutes of content and saw three keynote presentations.

With so much to see and learn, 90 sent a team to take in the sights and report back on their learnings. Here are some of the highlights that our crew came back with: 

Timing is Everything

It may be trite, but it’s true—timing is everything. Best-selling author and keynote speaker Dan Pink revealed hidden patterns of the day that affect our cognitive abilities. With that in mind, Pink says to be more deliberate in scheduling work: Move analytical tasks to peak performance times (morning), administrative work to slower/down times (mid-afternoon) and insightful work to recovery times (late afternoon)—and don’t forget to take more breaks. 

Bad Ideas are Good 

Speaker Jason Keath thinks bad ideas may be amazing ideas waiting for a believer to materialize—and they’re often a hidden shortcut to innovation. He added that when we think of great ideas, they exist somewhere between the obvious and the absurd. So the old adage that there’s no such thing as a bad idea rings true. 

Community is the New King

We’ve all heard that “content is king,” but speaker Carlos Gill thinks there’s a new way of thinking: Community is king. This notion is centered around the fact that people rule marketing, not brands. Gill used the example of DJ Khaled, who may not be the most popular or conventional rapper, but he’s known for his “realness.” This authenticity draws crowds and his persona has made him the ultimate influencer. 

A Quick Fix for Display

When you’re in-tune with your customers’ journeys, you can build a better strategy, said speaker Jeremy Hudgens. Recognizing how display fits into your strategy will directly impact ROI—and a more full-funnel attribution method can show the true impact.

Amp Up Your Agility 

In response to the growing demand for dynamic skills in digital marketing, speaker Jeff Julian stressed the importance for designers to be full-stack and able to quickly adapt to changes. He asked if one—or a few—people on your team was hit by a bus, would the work stop? Although a bit morbid, this thought process proves that an agile, fully staffed team is necessary to overcome bottlenecks and get the work done. 

Looking for more insight from the Denver Digital Summit or want to start a conversation? Reach out to us.