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“Technology is a bridge between us all. Together we are European tech, we are one. These were the words of TNW CEO Mirte van der Erve during the opening ceremony of the TNW Conference 2022. “Tech is evolving,” she says. “To move forward, we need the next step. We need to find out in technology now.”
Those words are more than ideology, and have real urgency. It seems we are moving from health to politics to economic crisis. And there was a distinct feeling from the participants at the TNW conference that we should anticipate change as much as possible, rather than the reactionary position in which we currently find ourselves.
What better place to explore the future of technology than the startup hub of Amsterdam? The city has a vibrant startup ecosystem, highly connected infrastructure and a constant flow of high-tech talent. But it is also a point on a fragmented continent: the European Union alone has 24 popular languages among its 27 member states.
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When we see technology as a unifying force, a unifying message requires little more than code.
Local is still global
Although a Californian is different from a New Yorker, they still speak the same language (so). Perhaps this is why some American businesses looking to enter the European market see it as a single market.
But that doesn’t take into account the many differences between countries in terms of compliance, legislation and financial challenges. And it certainly doesn’t take cultural differences into account. Dutch are different from Denmark. And don’t treat a Belgian as Dutch – even if they speak the same language.
I face these challenges every day as I help organizations navigate this fragmented world. That’s why I loved what Happy Baby CMO Lexi Busch said during the TNW conference: To be a good communicator, you have to play cultural anthropologist.
Borders and cultural communication goes beyond language. You can have an AI translate something into German, only to find that the city you’re marketing to has its own flair and feel. Your message may be on brand, but it’s still external.
Or take the French, Lexi says they have a very fine-tuned radar for all things non-French. One look at the images in the campaign and you knew they weren’t taken in France – a hint to future marketers, the wall sockets were different!
Going global and accelerating is a huge challenge in itself. “Typically, companies that want to expand internationally assume they can do it themselves without support,” Lear Ashkenazi from Globalization Partners said on the panel. In her experience, this leads to controlling nightmares.
This is basically true for comps as well. You need boots on the ground who know not only the brand, but the audience you’re trying to connect with. You’ll need strategic comms consultants who can craft buzzwords, creative campaigns that are locally relevant, and help educate key market stakeholders on policy.
Technology creates obstacles – and provides solutions
But what about the web – that unifying force that crosses borders? Access to information aside, there is a cultural imperialist influence. The basic medium of communication is English; Without that language, the quantity and quality of information decreases. And let’s not forget the online silos and echo chambers that social media has created.
The TNW conference made me hopeful about the future and how new technologies will break down these barriers. If you want a glimpse of the future of communication, look at the metaphor through the eyes of Maxine Williams, a Meta CDO: “Put on a pair of glasses in a restaurant and AR translation devices let you read the menu in your language. That’s removing barriers in real time, allowing you to find new communication opportunities that allow you to be present and comfortable.
Or see how artist Tamara Shogaoulu uses VR, AR and other new technologies to tell stories across multiple platforms. Take Un(Re)Unlocked, an interactive documentary that uses voice recognition to hear the voices of unauthorized people.
To communicate, we need to approach others and understand a shared worldview, cultural differences and all. Whether it’s telling stories around a campfire or using digital technologies to transport our voices halfway around the world. And while we’re good at creating boundaries, silos, and echo chambers, we can also eliminate them!
The TNW conference highlighted the widening rifts on these borders. And this makes me incredibly excited for the future.
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