Last week, I attended the world’s largest interactive marketing conference - ExactTarget’s Connections 2011 in Indianapolis, IN - with 3,000 marketers from around the world. We absorbed the idea of the Power of One: one consumer, one platform, one cloud, one person, and one business. The conference encouraged attendees to consider how one individual can change a life and one idea can change the world.

One Individual
What would you do trapped in the desert, pinned under a rock, out of water, and facing certain death? The highlight of the conference was keynote speaker Aron Ralston, author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place, and better known as the Utah mountaineer that had his right arm crushed and pinned by a half-ton boulder. After six days, Ralston’s amazing story of survival concluded in self-amputation using a dull pocket knife. His inspiring story highlights the capability of ONE Individual to have a meaningful impact on a life and, in this case, saving his own.

Lesson: The conference emphasized that the individual efforts of marketers and customer service specialists have a direct impact on a company, building its brand, and maintaining its customer relationships. With the powerful capabilities of dynamic SaaS CRM & marketing automation solutions, individuals are empowered to create relationships with consumers - who expect it.

Bonus: I give ExactTarget credit for giving each individual the power to change a life. Every registered attendee was given a $10 gift card to donate to a charity of his or her choice.

One Idea
When was the last time you referenced an encyclopedia for some bit of information? Connections 2011 featured Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, who changed the world with ONE idea by introducing community-based information and technology. Wales did not know what to expect from Wikipedia, and most experts agreed the project would create “complete rubbish.” Browse Wikipedia today for over 19 million articles written collaboratively by individuals around the world. Other sessions marked speakers from Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare – stories we’re all well-acquainted with that sprung from a simple, single idea.

Lesson: Don’t be afraid of marketing new ideas and using new marketing methods. The future of marketing involves merging marketing channels and engaging in all facets of social media, interactive communities, and e-mail. Brand awareness and engagement is powerfully affected by how active a company engages online.

Bonus: Here’s a creative idea for interactive marketing. ExactTarget asked attendees at the opening keynote to SMS their e-mail address to receive the much demanded newly released Campaign Management Mandate. This is a great example of building a personal connection with the consumer during a presentation, all while capturing an e-mail address for follow-up.

The Power of One in the Enterprise. At no other time has a unique voice had more potential to be heard and have an impact. Through the advent of the Social Web, ideas are shared more widely and openly. This social revolution is now permeating the Enterprise. So as an individual’s idea is now easily disseminated across departments, hierarchies, and functionalities, the Power of One has become even more relevant in today's business world.

Read more about how the Social Web is breaking down barriers and company silos in our white paper: The Business of Going Social.

Also, learn more about how you can improve on your enterprise’s marketing strategies by reading Bluewolf’s marketing services datasheet.