Blog & Inspiration

What do common electronic picture frames showing photographs on a constant loop have in common with the 'living' paintings from the Harry Potter world? Meural, an art technology startup from New York, combines the two in its Meural Canvas, a fascinating canvas which is not only able to display photographs in HD quality, but also famous paintings. What’s special about the canvas is that the display is so realistic that textures and brushstrokes can be discerned despite not being there in reality. 

Absolutely incredible: the overwhelming majority of lottery players still purchase lottery tickets at kiosks or convenience stores. And this despite the fact that the market potential for online lottery sales runs into the billions and the willingness among players to switch to online offerings is steadily growing. We talk to the Chair of the Board of Lotto24 AG, Petra von Strombeck, about this virtually untouched market, the pioneering role that the company is assuming and the blessings of money in general.  

What better way to put mountain boots to the test than by walking across the Alps in them? Or, even better, by hiking in order to test them under all circumstances and terrains. This was exactly what four young Norwegians were planning to do this spring, when they provided a strange sight whilst stood at the train station in the small Italian town of Montebelluna: they raced across the platform in order to reach the train to Cortina while wearing full mountain gear and backpacks with skis strapped to them. The Dolomites were the first stage of their walk from Montebelluna back to their home in Oslo, Norway.

Around 300 years ago, Qianlong – the fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty – had a commemorative plaque with the inscription ‘Yang Yun’ erected in China’s Forbidden City. In the language of traditional China, ‘Yang Yun’ has an extensive and mystical meaning: it stands for preservation, dreams and fulfilment, for respecting nature and venerating the universe. No name could be more apt for the latest Aman Hotels resort: Amanyangyun is a retreat that pays homage to the beauty of nature and the creative power of man and offers fascinating insights into Chinese culture.

Speed, adrenaline and a feeling of freedom. Matthias Walkner’s heart beats faster when he takes part in races.  An opaque cloud of dust follows him when he rides through the sand dunes. Rocks are whirled up around him and nature shows its unpredictable yet breathtaking side. He has mere seconds in which to make the right decision and give it all he’s got. The aim is to persevere and, above all, to win the fight against nature. Matthias does just that, he lives for motorsports and is very successful at it. He only recently won the notorious race in Dakar. He spoke to us about his adventures and his fascination for a sport that is far from safe.

A striking and angular building becomes visible from afar. Grey rock and vertical wooden beams dominate the clear, modern architecture of one of the most renowned design hotels in the Tyrolean Alps, the Zhero Hotel in Ischgl/Kappl. The hotel opened in late 2012 and quickly became a popular hotspot in the Alps. The authentic mixture of traditional alpine hospitality and sophisticated, innovative design is popular with the guests. Some of the world’s best ski, snowboard, hiking and climbing areas can also be conveniently accessed from the hotel. This year’s winter season has just started, and we spoke to Jens Liebhauser, CEO of the Zhero Hotels, in Ischgl about mountain design and what makes this location so special.

One of the enterprises shaping the digital future is the Düsseldorf-based communications group Vodafone. The group has long expanded its efforts beyond the topic of mobile telephony; through strategic acquisitions, joint ventures and partnerships, in recent years Vodafone has become a solid 360° provider for digitalisation.

As the global market leader for locking systems, hinges and sealings, Emka has an enormous range of products, which presents a unique challenge in terms of product information management due to its worldwide subsidiaries and customers. New forms of product presentation are creating additional pressure, while implementing a PIM system suitable for this situation holds its own particular obstacles and tasks. We spoke about this with Markus Panofen, Head of Digital Marketing at Emka.

 

Transformation and automation go together like sails and wind. What use is the greatest transformation strategy and the most amazing digital transformation project if the existing knowledge base and wealth of experience are not tapped into in time and sustainably converted into value? This hugely complex task can only be accomplished with automation, because even with the most experienced rowers, a sailing ship cannot sail as fast as with the power of the wind.

Zukunftsorientierte digitale Unternehmensstrategien führen naturgemäß zu immer komplexer werdenden Systemanforderungen. Digitale Transformation bezieht alle Unternehmensbereiche mit ein, und dies wiederum stellt die Unternehmen vor Herausforderungen, die nur mit sorgfältiger Planung und einer ganzheitlichen Beratung bewältigt werden können. Steffen Höpfinger, Geschäftsführer bei signTEK, spricht mit uns über die Umsetzung solcher Projekte und teilt mit uns seine Erfahrungen speziell im Bereich E-Commerce.

The fog lifts silently, allowing the first sunbeams to shine through the forest. The hazy outline of a castle gradually becomes increasingly clear. Eltz castle in the Eifel region seems to have leaped off the pages of a romantic fairy tale, and you could picture Sleeping Beauty resting here. The castle is just one of the breathtaking subjects that demonstrates the beauty of Germany. Be it the Eifel region, the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, the dark Black Forest or the Alps – Germany is full of wild landscapes that are being impressively highlighted by a collective of young photographers.

Los Angeles, New York, Dubai – you will encounter abstract and contemporary art exhibited by gallery owner Christian Lethert at all the world’s major art shows. Back home in Cologne, Christian Lethert curates exciting solo and group exhibitions on the beautiful and clear premise of his gallery every six to eight weeks. An interesting programme supports the exhibitions and varies between informative lectures and panel talks. Up to 400 guests attend these regular vernissages that include readings and discussions with the artists. The works exhibited by Christian Lethert show clear structures and colours, forms both known and unseen as well as fascinating layers that encourage viewers to take a second and even a third look.

Data, Data, Data – companies gather, collect, evaluate and reutilise data no matter where you look. This is common knowledge, as is the fact that a successful Data Driven Business enables new business models while simultaneously supporting traditional business. Companies require a more stringent approach in order to successfully capitalise on the opportunities provided by increasing digitalisation.

Commissioned by the Creatura industry initiative, the Multisense Institut für sensorisches Marketing (Multisense Institute for Sensory Marketing) analysed more than 300 international studies on the impact of print advertising and print enhancement, on whose basis it drafted practical recommendations for the use of print in the digital age.

Bei der Wasser- und Farbanalytik steht Qualität stets an erster Stelle. Um auch die Customer Journeys präziser und effizienter zu gestalten, setzt der Analytik-Spezialist Tintometer im Marketing auf eine medienübergreifende Lösung, die mit der Omnichannel-Box der Agentur infolox umgesetzt wurde.

Lawrence of Arabia said: “a Rolls-Royce in the desert is more valuable than Rubies!” He drove three individually customised Rolls-Royce vehicles during his military operations in the Middle Eastern desert during the First World War. The Indian Maharajas also valued the luxury vehicles’ off-road capability and would master rough terrains and dense jungle while hunting tigers in a Rolls-Royce. The vehicles quickly acquired the reputation of not only being luxurious, but also robust and reliable. “Take the best that exists, and make it better” was and continues to be a firm belief of Rolls-Royce.

How is digitalisation changing B2B sales, and what opportunities is this generating for sales organisations? B2B sales are profoundly changing as a result of the constant development of new digital technologies. The changes are affecting all sectors equally, regardless of whether industry, high-tech and software companies or the service sector.

SMEs have a difficult time developing a long-term vision under the auspices of digitalisation. Will anyone still be able to make money in 5 years, and if so, how? How can a supervisory board and senior management approach the task of answering existential questions? Based on practical experience, Jörg Henseleit shows how SMEs should proceed.

Every company, no matter their sector, must think about how to reach new and existing customers today and in future constantly. User-Generated Content will always be part of the answer to this question. Video content in particular is playing an increasingly important role - currently nearly 300 hours of new video material are being uploaded every hour of every day of every week. My children, like everyone else in their age group, first turn to relevant forums to see how they can solve a problem or which product they may want to buy. They ask questions there and wait for the answers before talking to me, their father. All this user-generated content establishes trust among consumers, a familiarity almost, that no banner, video clip or other professional marketing channel is able to create.

With the mad hatter, the Cheshire cat and the white rabbit we are probably connected to one of the most famous fairy tales of them all. “This is impossible – only if you believe it is”, as it is written in Alice in Wonderland. That is exactly what Vladimir Mukhin thought and subsequently did. His restaurant, the White Rabbit, not only takes its name from the famous rabbit from the fairy tale of Lewis Caroll, but the interior also allows us to immerse ourselves in exactly these grandiose fairyland worlds. No less impressive than the view from the 16th floor of the restaurant overlooking Moscow are the dishes Vladimir conjures up for his guests. Bringing Russian cuisine closer to the world is just one of his goals.

Safety, durability and ergonomics are essential in light-metal construction. On the global market, Zarges sets standards and serves both the consumer and the commercial sector with innovative products in the fields of access, packaging, transportation and special construction. With such a wide range of different products and solutions, comprehensive product data management is particularly useful in order to provide customers, partners and employees with all the information necessary at all times. We talked to Zarges product manager Simone Harrer about the challenge of finding a suitable PIM solution and how to implement such a project successfully.