The Big Rethink 2015

The Big Rethink is a conference organised by The Economist, focusing on understanding how consumers can affect the environment that businesses operate in.

Now in its third year the 2015 edition will take place on March 8^th at the HAC in London.

The main topic this year is the consumer. Consumers’ behaviour defines businesses and their social and political landscape. The conference will deal with the way people communicate and influence each other, and how their actions can help to determine the opportunities and risks that companies have to face.

Each year the conference presents a four-part structure comprising what they call ‘The Challenge’, ‘The Questions’, ‘Interaction and Feedback’ and ‘The Results’. In each of these sections the attendees are invited to interact with the speakers and to create a dialogue and flow of information.

The conference will challenge the attendees to rethink topics such as:

• How consumers could change your business environment
• How consumers could change the way you do things
• How digital marketing techniques like social media or email marketing can affect the way you interact with consumers
• How creativity and imagination can make your consumers feel engaged to your business

During ‘The Questions’ section The Big Rethink will encourage the audience to ask the right questions related to their businesses’ consumers:

• Do businesses really understand consumers?
• Do businesses really understand how consumers are changing?
• Do companies respond to the opportunities and risks that consumers present?

These first two sections of the program will take place along a series of talks given by experts in the industry. Some of the speakers this year include Chris Clark (Head of Marketing, HSBC), Jeff Dodds (Executive Director, Virgin Media), Simon Morris (Chief Marketing Officer, LOVEFiLM) and Nader Tavassoli (Non-Executive Chairman, The Brand Inside).

After these talks the attendees will be encouraged to interact with the speakers and share their experiences running their own businesses.  The participants in the event will also take part in brainstorming and discussion work groups around the questions raised throughout the day.

All the results obtained during the conference will be gathered and put together in a thought map created by Think Visually, a studio that uses visual storytelling to transform complex information into more digestible and fun content.

If you’re interested in The Big Rethink 2015 check this Storify to be updated on all the news related to this year’s event. Don’t forget to visit The Big Rethink site for information and results from previous editions.

How do you think businesses can engage their consumers? Should businesses focus more on the consumers? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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