During the month of October, social networks have been the focus of much of the public debate. After the fall of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp in the middle of the year, the most important in history, Mark Zuckerberg announced the change of name of his company: from now on Facebook is called META. This evolution has not gone unnoticed by digital businesses, increasingly common but more subject to the evolution of platforms.

We reflect with Multiplica, Cocunat and Laagam on dependency, data and digital commerce in this new online session moderated by ESADE.

Speakers:

• Daniela Peinado, Global Head of Digital Marketing at Multiplica.
• Sara Werner, CEO & Co-founder de Cocunat.
• Diego Arroyo, CEO & Co-founder de Laagam.

Moderator:

• Xavier Busquets, Director Executive Master en Digital Business de ESADE.

Host:

• Paula Serra, Project Manager de Tech Barcelona.

Take Aways

Being where the customer is

“We are digital natives, any means of communication we have with the consumer is treated as a channel,” says Sara Werner. The need is not with social media, it is with being close to the customer, who happens to spend most of their time on social media. However, the growth of new networks -TikTok or Twitch, for example- is very exponential and they offer new ways to connect with the user. “The role of the networks is to connect and this is where ecommerce comes in; first there is the awareness stage, then you try to sell,” explains Daniela Peinado. 

The data war

Although the fall of the networks was the big news, the speakers agree that it is only the tip of the iceberg. In the words of Sara Werner, “the fall of Facebook and Instagram is not the problem, the problem is Apple’s data capping. We had spectacular algorithms, you could target knowing perfectly well the customer you want. Suddenly we don’t see anything. Data is a war and at Apple we are going to see an evolution. It’s not going to be where we buy data, it could be just another social network. These changes in data policy are what really condemn emerging companies that develop their business on the internet, and on the other hand, benefit the big companies, which aim more at the general public than at specific targets. Daniela Peinado, in spite of everything, believes that there are still opportunities, “other strategies are gaining value with the fall of Facebook, for example SEO. This invites us to look for new channels”.

Shopping is entertainment

“The key word is to entertain,” says Diego Arroyo. The relationship with the consumer has changed since the beginning of the pandemic, when selling was put aside and all brands started to create content for their audience. Most have continued with this strategy, “we have taken the step to Twitch, doing a kind of teleshopping. We also have a podcast that doesn’t have an impact on sales at the moment but has become a great acquisition tool. The key is to transform retail into something entertaining,” adds Diego Arroyo. For some time now, brands have not been selling products, but experiences. The networks are instruments that, tuned and in tune, must transmit the brand philosophy and hopefully convince.

Future (digital) scenarios

In essence, networks are a (digital) space where we spend a lot of time, more and more. The next level is to turn that space into an immersive, more real experience. This is where Meta, the evolution of Facebook, is heading. In the words of Diego Arroyo, “we are going back to the point of where people spend their time. We’re spending more and more time in the digital landscape. Maybe we will get to the point where our digital life is more important than our physical life, although we will probably live in a world of greys”. The film Ready Payer One or the video game Fornite already give clues as to what this new universe might be like. A virtual space where you can do everything: entertainment, work, shopping…

The technological transformation of the financial industry encompasses a broad spectrum of applications, technologies, actors, challenges and future scenarios. We address them in this new content session at Tech Barcelona with the participation of IBM, Kantox and The Logic Value.

Speakers:

• Jaime Berrocal, IBM Cloud Business Manager for large accounts and expert in the financial sector.
• Lorenzo García is co-founder and CEO of The Logic Value. Fintech created in 2012 that offers B2B solutions to digitise and automate processes in the financial sector.
• Philippe Gelis is co-founder and CEO of Kantox, a pioneering start-up specialising in currency management.

Moderator:

• Mar Galtés, Corporate Development Director at Tech Barcelona.

Take aways:

• Technology is an enabler, transformation requires new business models
• The challenges for the sector go beyond regulation.
• The future of the sector will be an even more complex ecosystem with interrelationships between actors.

“We have been talking for a long time about the need for the financial sector to go digital. Because of customer demands (increasingly digital) and the need to find new business models. Collaboration models between companies inside and outside the sector are becoming more and more common”. (Jaime Berrocal)

The value of cloud in fintech

“From IBM we try to get closer to the specific needs of the sector: we add a layer for the specific needs of a company in the financial sector, and we focus on security and data sovereignty” (J.Berrocal).

The evolution of fintech businesses

“The Logic Value started as an algorithm that worked well but we realised that reaching the end customer is very complex if you are not a financial institution; now we have a virtual assistant that solves financial questions for banking institutions. We have found technological partners such as IBM along the way, which has allowed us to create a b2b business model.  (Lorenzo García)

“The IBM team brings us into their ecosystem and we see technology. The Logic Value is growing, attracting the attention of other companies. Two years ago they called us and presented us with a challenge. We have created a solution that brings a lot of value to banks but also serves insurance companies”. (Lorenzo García)

“Kantox started as a foreign exchange transaction platform and we have evolved into a B2B foreign exchange management solution. We are a technology company, but to innovate in a sector you have to change business models. I am technology agnostic, the technology behind it doesn’t matter to the customer. What people want is the product. (Philippe Gelis)

Technology and regulation

“Technology is an enabler. At IBM Cloud as a provider we have two challenges: to have the best possible, robust, solvent technology. And to make the adoption of this technology as easy as possible. In fintech we focus on regulatory barriers; and on facilitating the infrastructure that guarantees the greatest security and data protection” (Jaime Berrocal).

“Regulation is a challenge, it requires a lot of reporting, but for us it has not been a brake. When you have very rigid systems like the bank it can be a pain point. in the end it is more a cultural thing than anything else. (Philippe Gelis)

“When you create a pilot, you don’t need your own system. But when you sell the product to a financial institution and it has to go into production, you need the technology to meet certain standards and be certified. For us it was important to focus on IBM technology. (Lorenzo García)

Future challenges

“The ecosystem is becoming increasingly complex and fragmented. Banks are not going to disappear, but only the big ones will remain. They will survive if they specialise. There will be dozens of players in a much more complex ecosystem. (Philippe Gelis)

“Traditionally banks had thousands of people dedicated to technology. Even banks have created companies from these resources. Large institutions are increasingly outsourcing these services, both in technology and innovation. The relationship models are becoming more complex but more valuable”. (Jaime Berrocal)

And we end the conversation with a phrase from Jaime Berrocal that should be internalised in all sectors: “We are in an ever-changing scenario, whoever stands still dies”.

Mobility in big cities is a constant challenge. Tech Barcelona is organising a day of debate and reflection to analyse the technological challenges in this environment: from automation and hyperconnectivity through 5G, to the redefinition of new models such as shared mobility.

Speakers:

• Miguel Ángel Fernández Ros – Telefónica
• Oriol Marimón-Clos – Cooltra
• Noemí Moya – Voi Technology

Moderator:

• Matteo Consonni – EIT Urban Mobility

Take Aways

• The citizen at the centre. Mobility has changed paradigms: today it is a daily choice that depends on a multitude of factors. If it rains, I go by metro; if I am accompanied, motor-sharing; if I am relatively close, scooter. More mobility options to get from point A to point B means less dependence on the private car. “We believe in multimodality, scooters are a last mile integrated with public transport,” says Noemi Moya of Voi Technology.

• Sustainable, safe and integrated mobility. Adding so many mobility options offers alternatives, but regulation goes hand in hand with these new players and coexistence is not always easy: “When we make vehicles available to the public, we are responsible for safety and parking. On an internal level too: marking the bikes that have to be relocated, knowing if a bike has to go to the workshop, monitoring times…”, says Oriol Marimón, B2C General Manager of Cooltra. The solution lies in technology. Both scooters and motorbikes have devices to detect if the vehicle is overturned or badly parked, and there are incentives for good behaviour.

• Connected cities. This new scenario is a great challenge and it is up to the administration to fit together a puzzle with more and more pieces. “Without the infrastructure, we are nobody. It is costly to deploy and requires an economic and time investment, but it is essential to achieve these new services that put the citizen at the centre,” explains Miguel Ángel Fernández, Project Manager of Telefónica’s Digital Development Area. The agility of start-ups is the first domino that triggers the development of 5G or Artificial Intelligence, companies are taking it to scale.

Bonus Track

70% of cities believe that reducing the number of car journeys and increasing micro-mobility would have a positive impact on road safety. Here is the Voi Technology report that analyses the impact of shared micro-mobility in cities.

Speakers:

• Pablo Raventós, Innovation Manager – Nutrition Zone EMENA at Nestlé
• Núria Pastor, CEO y co-founder en humanITcare
• Maria Berruezo, Cofounder en LactApp Women Health
• Clàudia de la Riva, CEO de Nannyfy

Moderator:

• Eva Rosell, Director of Strategic Projects at Tech Barcelona

Innovation to achieve family reconciliation. Superwomen do not exist, as Anna Navarro, recognised as the world’s most influential woman in technology, reminds us. The routine of many parents is a constant balance between work, family and the hope that there will be something more afterwards. In the wake of the pandemic and teleworking, work-life balance is a more visible challenge, but so are the opportunities that technology offers to find solutions.

We spoke to startups humanITcare, LactApp and Nannyfy, and a large corporation like Nestlé, to see how they are designing or redefining their value proposition to be allies of families in this war against time.

humanITcare 

Created in 2018, and led by Nuria Pastor, humanITcare is a platform that helps professionals and patients to monitor health remotely thanks to artificial intelligence.

• Núria Pastor: “Our mission is to radically improve access to health. That has meant implementing new services. We are very focused on device-based care, we include telemedicine, we have digitised cardiology units in several hospitals…. In the end, you have to listen to the user”.

LactApp

Founded in 2016 to coincide with its founder’s second motherhood, LactApp supports mothers during the breastfeeding period with personalised support. The app answers more than 100,000 queries a week automatically, also through artificial intelligence.

• Maria Berruezo: “Our idea from the beginning was that everything should be online and personalised. Perhaps the biggest challenge has been the localisation, in maternity and breastfeeding there are many local peculiarities”.

Nannyfy 

Nannyfy started as a home babysitting service and radically changed its value proposition after the pandemic to an online platform with educational and interactive content for children.

• Clàudia de la Riva: “We have tried to generate a new educational experience, interactive and close. We are based on methodologies and we really like the individualisation part”.

Nestlé 

The world’s largest food company is looking for new opportunities in the baby nutrition category beyond product sales. Building personalised and trusted relationships is at the heart of this new strategy.

• Pablo Raventós: “It has radically changed the way consumers interact with the baby nutrition category. We see the need to generate communities, and we cannot be left behind by these new companies in the sector.

Speakers:

• Josep Lluis Dorsé, Senior Business Development Manager at JEVNET
• Oriol Costejà, Head of Performance at JEVNET

Moderator:

• Joana Fusté, CMO at Tech Barcelona

The percentage of e-commerce purchases in the retail sector is growing every year. Changes in consumer habits are here to stay, both in Spain and internationally. Thanks to these new consumption patterns, there is great room for growth for online retailers, and the international market is more attractive than ever.

How to seize the moment and build a successful strategy? How to reach your target audience at a key moment like Black Friday?

In this Masterclass we address the different key elements in building a successful Black Friday campaign. From understanding our target audience and their expectations, putting the target audience at the centre of the strategy, building the Black Friday marketing calendar to how to represent our offer throughout the customer journey.

Speakers:

• Daniel Viniegra, Chief Global Expansion Officer at Go Global Ecommerce
• Veronica Comito, Legal advisor for Go Global Ecommerce

Moderator:

• Toni García, Chief Operating Officer of Tech Barcelona.

On 1 July 2021, VAT (or VAT number in the rest of Europe), the new European VAT regulation, came into force. This is a priority measure for the EU’s digital single market strategy. What aspects should we take into account? What are the benefits of this new regulatory framework? Which companies and sectors are affected?

Session: Online Pills 17: Ymedia: Accelerating Brand Growth

Date: 20/7/21

Speakers:

• Roger Sendra, General Manager Ymedia Wink iProspect at Dentsu Barcelona
• Jordi García, Strategic Insights director at Ymedia
• Sonia Casado, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Ymedia – Dentsu Group

Presents: Paula Serra, Project Manager at Tech Barcelona

Take Aways:

• CPM (cost per thousand impressions) becomes more relevant than CPA (cost per acquisition).
• The pillars for results remain the same: strategy, innovation and measurement.
• In 2023 it will be possible to block third-party cookies. The countdown to re-evaluate measurement strategies begins.

40% of CMOs in Spain state that their biggest challenge is to justify the return on every euro invested in marketing. Faced with the challenge of differentiating our brand from the thousands of impacts received by the user, it is increasingly important to have research and data to facilitate decision-making. Innovations such as artificial intelligence and big data have taken this analysis to the next level, allowing an increasingly detailed knowledge of the consumer and their behaviour, a vital metric for growth in the digital scenario.

In order to constantly improve cost per acquisition and facilitate decision making, the Ymedia team presents three strategies.

Brand Tracking

Opinion survey with ad hoc questions related to the KPIs we want to measure in order to know to what extent we meet the objectives. It is based on questions to the consumer related to the health of the brand: advertising recall, purchasing habits or brand image.

People Based Research

Analysis of consumer behaviour and their exposure to communication. The aim is to understand why people behave in a certain way, using artificial intelligence and big data, which form an x-ray of consumer drivers to decide between one brand or another.

Multimedia Attribution

Before making a conversion, the user receives a multitude of impacts. Knowing which ones are relevant is key to optimising resources, which is why Ymedia has developed Dyrect, an algorithmic model that calculates the impact of communication.

Session: Challenges, trends and opportunities in the Gaming sector – By Acció

14.7.2021

Speakers:

Xavier Carrillo: Founder and CEO of Digital Legends with more than 25 years in the video game industry. In 2008 he participated in the first keynote presentation of the iPhone with Steve Jobs. He presides the association of Video Game Developers and Publishers of Catalonia, Devicat.

Héctor Balasch: 10 years at Google, first in Ireland, then in California. Currently based in Singapore, he leads strategy, operations and sales for Google’s mobile gaming division in Asia-Pacific.

Presenter: Oriol Sans, senior manager Startups, Acció

Moderator: Miquel Martí, CEO Tech Barcelona

Take aways:

• Barcelona can become even more of a world reference, or it can explode. Care must be taken: we have to open up the ecosystem in the territory and avoid gentrification, or we run the risk of no longer being competitive.
• Teams must combine creators with business-minded managers.
• The smarthphones took gaming out of the niche and the new generations have turned it into one of the great leisure and business options for which the big technology companies are competing.

Catalan Ecosystem

In Catalonia there are 121 development companies and more than 3,000 professionals, representing 46% of the Spanish market. In terms of wealth generated, there are more than billions of dollars and hundreds of millions of users. The ecosystem has been one of the keys for Catalonia to currently host a good collection of companies and multinationals in the gaming sector.

In the early 2000s the first companies appeared, almost as personal initiatives, such as Novorama or Microjocs, later acquired by Digital Chocolate. The second generation arrived with the success of SocialPoint (created in 2008) and more recently the Asian companies Smilegate and IGG and the American Scopely have landed in Barcelona.

In the words of Xavier Carrillo, “our ecosystem must be cared for because it can become a benchmark. We must distribute throughout the territory and avoid gentrification, we have quality of life and distributed talent. Without going any further, the Swedish Paradox has recently installed in Sitges and this is great news. ”

Democratization of gaming

At the beginning of the 20th century, gaming was a niche market. Atari, Super Nintendo and the first Play Station created a first generation of video game lovers, but the sector took on a global dimension with smartphones, the great democratizers. This paradigm shift did not go unnoticed by the technology giants, aware of the opportunity of everyone having a game console in their pocket.

“Gaming doesn’t compete with gaming, it competes with all the other options we have when we’re not sleeping, working or eating,” says Hèctor Balasch. This means Netflix, or any other entertainment proposal. This vision of video games as a leisure alternative is consolidated in Asia, and while other sectors are focused on the Western world, the center of gravity of gaming is installed in China, Japan and Korea. For this reason, Google is very aware of this market and is already the third largest gaming company in the world.

Local content for the global market

Only in Asia the differences between regions are very noticeable, each country has its own preferences in terms of experience. In China they are hardcore gaming, games that come from the PC or console. In Japan, text works better than images. In India, sporadic mobile games like Candy Crush are popular. Each market is different, and these peculiarities are obstacles to developing a game on a global scale.

“You have to make games that don’t clash with the cultural sensibilities of the markets. If you have quality games and a story that makes a difference, the advantage of the digital world is that you can be global and sell all over the world, says Xavier Carrillo. He adds: “It’s difficult, but not impossible. Merlí or La casa de papel have achieved it with Netflix “.

“The Chinese are very clear about the 996 work culture (9h to 21h, 6 days / week), it is not an optimal model, but in the digital environment, it is against whom we compete,” warns Hector Balasch. According to him, “we have to see how to be just as decisive with our own model. Creating quality talent and measures to attract companies; apart from the knot that ties ecosystem, such as Tech Barcelona”.

According to the speakers, we must integrate the sensitivity of the countries and have a business vision to generate revenue beyond the launch. Unlike twenty years ago, today everyone knows that video games generate money and this fact attracts new players and large technology groups to the ecosystem.