From (un)predictable (ir)rationality, (dis)honesty, and patterns of (in)decisiveness to strategies of (un)success — these are only some of the topics of the second day of this (a)typical festival of creativity and communications.
The main hall of the popular DK Festival, which is being held these days in Rovinj, was packed to the brim thanks to Dan Ariely’s appearance, who visited this creativity festival to share his knowledge with local communicators. People are overwhelmed and overworked, we must find a way to make the right thing simple, stated one of the leading experts in behavioral economics, a triple New York Times bestselling author, a scientist at Duke University, one of the favorite TED speakers who has inspired nearly 30 million viewers, and the co-author of a successful documentary on (dis)honesty, whom Bloomberg included in its selection of the 50 most original thinkers in the world.
Photo: Matija Habljak/PIXSELL
In his talk, Dan Ariely engaged us until the very last second, as we eagerly awaited new examples and conclusions from his rich career, which showed everyone how predictably irrational we are as a species. He touched upon the predictable irrationality not only in everyday life but also in the business world – because everything we do for our company, we don’t do for it, but for the people we work with. After an inspiring speech and a plethora of questions from the enthusiastic audience, he left the stage with an important piece of advice for a better life: Be less fearful, but don’t just live in the moment, think about the broader perspective.
Photo: Vana Katančić
When Dan Ariely steps onto the stage, we sit and listen, commented festival director Dunja Ivana Ballon, adding, The thunderous applause from the audience confirmed that there is no greater expert on consumer behavior than him, so we are immensely proud to have had the opportunity to learn how rational-irrational and predictable-unpredictable we are from one of the greatest thinkers in the world at our typically atypical festival. Will we try out everything we’ve learned in practice and be more rational? Perhaps. But only starting Monday, when we return to Zagreb. Greetings from the entire organizational team of DK2024.
Photo: Matija Habljak/PIXSELL
An important aspect of this year’s festival discussions revolved around consumer behavior, the behavioral background of decision-making, and the role of fake news in the overall (ir)rationality of society – a topic addressed in an unconventional way by Oobah Butler, today’s greatest prankster and, more importantly, a darling of the audience. In his latest educational episode, titled The Great Amazon Heist, he exposed a major tech giant while hilariously entertaining us to tears. We also learned about the impact of social media on society from the creators of globally popular platforms UNILAD and LADbible, which have reached billions – taking the main stage was Alex Partridge powered by Konzum. The biggest sin any marketing professional can commit is creating content that leaves the audience indifferent. It’s crucial to find a way to create content that evokes emotions – and telling our own story brings us closer to the community, as emphasized by the founder of viral pages.
Photo: Borna Jakšić/PIXSELL
We all know that we come to DK Festival to listen to the biggest names in the global industry, and this time is no different. Behind us are two festival days filled with brilliant insights – it’s a real shame if you weren’t present. Luckily, you still have time to correct that mistake and join us, said Damir Ciglar, a member of the festival’s organizing committee, after the talk by the brilliant creative strategist Brian Collins, whom Forbes highlighted as a future transformer of brand building.
Photo: Borna Jakšić/PIXSELL
This is just a part of the content that took place today across several festival locations – Friday was marked by over 30 other program segments, ranging from approaches to political campaigns in discussions like How to Get 370 Million Europeans on Board to executive decisions in editorial offices in Secrets of the Editor’s Pick, to creative debates such as PPP: Bringing Sexy Back to Advertising and The Folder of Shame: Celebrating Our Regrettable Campaigns! along with indispensable topics in the communication industry – the successful combination of creativity and business in the discussion The Business of Ideas, led by Nikola Žinić, a member of DK2024 organizing committee: It’s time for us to realize, not only within the industry but also as a society as a whole, that creativity is a crucial source of inspiration and an integral part of every successful business plan. I’m glad we could delve into this topic at the festival: DK Festival perfectly illustrates what a touch of creativity means for better work – and life.
Featured photo: Matija Habljak/PIXSELL