Winds of Change at the International Society of Automation Summit

The International Society of Automation’s (ISA’s) 7th Marketing and Sales Summit, held Aug. 15–17, 2012 in Austin, Texas, was themed “New Rules of Customer Engagement: Riding the Winds of Change”, and emphasized the need to adapt to the changing needs, expectations, and behaviors of marketplace decision makers, according to an Aug. 27, 2012 press release.

In the meeting’s opening keynote address, Jane Lansing, vice-president of marketing at Emerson Process, urged marketing and sales professionals in the automation field to bridge the communication gap with their prospects and customers and adjust to how people today access and utilize the information they need. “We have younger personnel emerging on the scene,” said Lansing, according to the press release. “They do things differently, including the way they buy products, consult their peers, and use social networks. They live off their smart phones. Old-style marketing and sales will not work with this new audience.”  During sessions, experts addressed questions, such as, “How is your organization adapting to the speed of interactions on social networks?” and “What are the best tools for creating customer communities?”.

Did you attend the ISA Summit?  We would like to hear your comments.  These “winds of change” apply to more than just automation marketing and sales.  For example, yesterday’s blog by Stephanie Sutton describes a first-of-its-kind Facebook game developed by a pharmaceutical company.  What insights have you learned in adjusting to new ways of accessing and using information in your professional life?