It’s in the Cards

As Ben Roth, vice president for creative at George P. Johnson, and his colleagues dug into researching what experts in a variety of fields had to say about human interaction and relationships, they uncovered hundreds of insights. After sorting the insights into five major areas—engage, inform, discuss, persuade, and inspire—the team chose a few that were partic- ularly impactful or accessible and had them printed onto colorful decks of cards (see pp. 74 and 78 for two examples). The cards are tactile and easy for people to use and under-

stand, Roth said.And they draw on an insight offered by Sam Dean, director of ExNet, the Exploratorium Network for Exhibit- Based Teaching: “Not high-tech or low-tech…but right-tech.” Below are sample insights and the tips they inspired:

1. ENGAGE Insight:We’re technology-rich but experience-poor. Give people tools and experiences to drive deeper understanding of the world around them.And by

understanding the world around them, they make better, more informed life decisions.—Frank Oppenheimer, founder, Exploratorium, San Francisco Tip: Build “content-driven” experiences. Content is the capital and medium of exchange. Technology and learning design are the means by which the content is presented.

Physical and digital experience design rounds out the experience environment.

Too often, marketers begin with the tools before considering

the story they can activate. Start from the inside-out—make sure you know what the story is and to whom you’re telling [it] before you employ the delivery tools and technology.

2. INFORM Insight: Humans have evolved to learn and experience the world through multiple senses.

Auditory-visual training not only accelerates learning,

but also enhances the magnitude of learning. Since learning in natural settings is almost always multisensory, the mechanisms of learning have evolved to operate in those conditions and therefore are most effective in multisensory conditions.— Ladan Shams, assistant professor of psychology, UCLA Tip: The ways we learn in the natural world should

become our model in the event world. We learn best when we tap into multiple senses, particularly

the sense of touch. The traditional lecture format is the least effective form of learning.What we need is a radical restructur- ing of the general-session format away from “telling” toward “doing.”

3. DISCUSS Insight: Your brain’s ability to think is not better than your rear end’s ability to sit. People will sit still for about 45 minutes. Rather than a series of speeches, have one speech and then

break into small groups to have a dialogue about the theme and content of the speech. Then come back together for the next speech, followed by another small-group dialogue. —Tim Seldin, president, Montessori Foundation Tip: Don’t be afraid of “unconventional” agendas

and session designs. The reality is that breaking up an agenda into segments

of listening and interacting will tap into the audience’s natural attention cycles, rather than “disrupt the flow.” Consider the challenge of using a single-room space for multiple modes of experience as a way to keep an audience together—literally and figuratively—as you keep individuals engaged.

4. PERSUADE Insight: Some people want to be convinced, while others prefer to convince themselves. When demonstrating a new product, you can show- and-tell, or let the customers try it for themselves.

The first approach intends to blow the audience away with a bit of theatrical magic. The second turns the audience into partici- pants and lets them have fun with the product instead of watching a show.—Michael Schrage, research fellow, Sloan School of Management and MIT Media Lab Tip: Consider multiple paths and modes of learning

and experience at events. Some people prefer to watch, while others prefer to touch.

By building both learning styles into your presentation, you meet the needs of the entire audience. Start with a demonstration, and then give the audience a chance to go “hands-on” with your product or service.

5. INSPIRE Insight: Build reflection into the learning process. The best method for ensuring that learning is imple- mented in the real world is to engage the participant

in aprocess of reflection.—Ron Gross, professor, Seminars on Innovation, Columbia University Tip: Offer your audience zones and modes of reflec-

tion and contemplative thinking. At today’s high-bandwidth, time-crunched pace—for exam-

ple, on the media airwaves—“dead air” is the ultimate taboo. Not so in experiential learning. Think about shared or solitary spaces where individuals can consider the impact of your speak- ers, media, and messages. Let them quietly write on walls, in journals, or on kiosk screens, or do nothing at all in peace. The silence can be golden.

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pcmaconvene December 2011

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