Dietmar Dahmen

"It does not matter what car a man may drive, but rather what drives the man."

The task of sitting through a speaker is one I've grown quite accustomed to. Sit and listen and feel inspired for a moment, then just feel the life drain out of me once again in a day or two... but this speaker was different. Dahmen's ability to completely captivate the attention of an entire room had me in awe. His enthusiasm towards advertising definitely reaffirmed the fact that this industry was something he believed in, something he utterly loved and was good at. The passion that radiates off him is what I hope to one day find in my own career, so that I utterly love what I do - so that I will never feel like I am working a day in my life. I hope to find what drives me to succeed. The subjects he had brought about about the future of advertising had me wondering what would come next in this ever changing field.



The two points Dahmen touched on that I found rather interesting were the unwillingness of people to change and adapt, and the brand serving as selling more of a lifestyle than a product.

For example, when he mentioned that no one in the ice industry had gone into the refrigeration industry, which was rather shocking because ice and freezer go hand in hand today. It struck me as the sense of stubbornness which caused the demise and end to many companies. Growing up, I also remember Kodak and uploading my memories/photos onto Photobucket and ordering prints of pictures and so forth, but those days no longer exist in a fast-paced lifestyle and the ever-so convenient iPhone camera roll. Things that fail to reinvent and adapt are the ones that people will most likely tend to forget.

The second point I definitely had to agree with was the brand power and capability, like with the example of a Harley-Davidson. We purchase for the freedom, the bold and daring statement about the individual on the motorcyle-more than we do for performance. Often times, it's often both we confuse. Certain brands become synonymous with a perceived state of quality and a certain desire of lifestyle.

 

Prior to his speech, I was rather hesitant towards my decision to pursue Advertising as a career, but now I'm certain I chose correctly. The excitement that radiates off him is what I hope to one day find in my own career, the thrill and prospect of excitement is what I crave.