Each October, Chicago Ideas Week brings together some of the most innovative, inspiring and interesting people from around the globe to fuel what CIW calls a “Community of Curiosity.”
At AE Marketing Group, we’ve enjoyed being an active part of this curious community since 2012. And as #CIW15 now wraps up, we’d like to share four insights we gleaned this year that you can apply to your own brand:
Chicago Ideas Week is open to everyone, with admission to single events costing as little as $15. But CIW makes sure to show the most love to its most loyal customers – and get it back in return – by providing big benefits to membership.
For as little as $45, CIW members get access to events and ongoing content, as well as early ticket sales and discounts. But CIW doesn’t stop at perks. Members are also recognized during events by on-site staff, as well as via handouts and signage. We saw many members snapping – and sharing – selfies they shot next to their brand names at #CIW15 venues all around Chicago. With such membership benefits at such bargain prices, the decision to remain a CIW member is an easy one.
We’re not sure that even the most optimistic Cubs fan wearing the thickest blue-colored glasses could have expected the team to still be playing this late into October. So, it’s difficult to imagine that #CIW15 did.
But with Cubs postseason games unexpectedly competing for CIW attendees’ eyeballs and attention for the first time in the event’s five years, the CIW team was a good sport about it all. During the Cubs games, they allowed attendees access to reserved seating to watch and shared regular score updates Some participants even made light of the circumstances, such as David Gregory, aka “Mr. Chicago Ideas Week,” who provided good commentary on the Cubs as he competed against the team during Games 3 and 4 of the NLDS.
Everyone knows this, yet when the pressure hits many of us struggle to adapt. What’s important is to be prepared to expect the unexpected. On top of that, it’s wise to follow the advice of Cubs manager Joe Maddon who has sagely said, “Don’t ever permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure.”
Chicago Ideas Week isn’t one to steer clear of controversy. This year, topics such as “Reimagining the Future of Race,” “Music vs. Gun Violence” and “the Heroin Epidemic” were just a sample of the controversial issues that CIW15 dealt with on stage.
These serious topics, along with countless others, demonstrate the power and relevance of Chicago Ideas Week by connecting a diverse range of thought leaders and bringing them together to think about and hack community solutions.
If you are not talking with your market, your customers, your employees and your partners – all of them – then you risk missing out on different viewpoints, ideas and opportunities for improvement.
Following specific #CIW15 events, email marketing empowered attendees to continue their experience after the session was over. These follow-up emails provided recommendations on other content, books and events that were relevant to the topic at hand.
This approach was helpful for attendees seeking more knowledge or another platform to continue the conversation. What further differentiated the CIW strategy was that while the emails offered a membership purchase option, it was not a direct sales push.
Today, consumers rule the brand power balance, which requires us to think differently. Acquiring the right customers relies more on experiences, inbound marketing and community than direct outbound sales.
In addition to these four, we learned many other insights from #CIW15. But what we want is to hear from the “Community of Curiosity” itself, and welcome you to share your own CIW insights.