Dan Machen (pictured) & Felix Morgan, Innovators at Hey Human, have proposed a talk on this topic for SXSW 2015: 

'Neuroplasticity and Technology: Why Brands Must Change.'

"Consulting with neuroscience experts from around the world, we will explore the critical challenge we face as marketers in the digital age - whether technology empowers existing behaviours in positive new ways, or is actually causing a negative revolution in the way we react, recall and respond."

The deadline to support this talk is Sept 5th 2014! PLEASE register and click here now to vote and share this link:   http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/33111

If the Brain Has Changed, Our Game Can't Remain the Same : 5 Ways Brands Must Change

As ad agency innovator types, we keep coming up against a familiar pushback: 'There's no such thing as new human behaviours; it's just old behaviours expressed in new ways through technology.' This makes logical sense to me - there's just one problem: deep down I no longer believe it. My disquiet has grown so much that I've pitched to speak at SXSW - March's giant tech/innovation conference - to try to get closer to the bottom of this. (Enlisting some friendly neighbourhood neuroscientists. As you do.)

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In the 50's Bill Bernbach claimed that we as communicators must focus on the ‘unchanging man’. However, even the King of Madison Avenue could not have predicted the nature and pace of change heralded by the age of technology.

Working with neuroscience experts from around the world, we will debate the critical challenge we face as marketers in the digital age – whether technology empowers existing behaviours in new ways or is actually causing behaviour to evolve.

We will explore the concept of 'neuroplasticity' and how many believe the paradigm shifts of the web, social media and mobile are fundamentally altering the way we think, behave and connect as consumers and human beings. Our dependence on technology has already been shown to affect our memories, our visual skills, our creativity and even our dreams. As it continues to pervade our lives, we will discuss the evolving relationship between people and technology, and the ways brands can ensure they play a positive role in it.

Neuroplasticity & Technology" trying to speak at global conference. Interesting topic so plse register / VOTE 4 us! http://t.co/uaCwcXRD45

— Dan Machen (@danmachen) August 12, 2014

Questions Answered

1. Are the paradigm shifts of the web, social media and mobile so significant that they are challenging the sense of ‘unchanging man’?
2. What is neuroplasticity, and how is our behaviour affected by it?
3. Does technology empower existing behaviours in new ways, or is it fundamentally causing our behaviour to evolve due to ‘neuroplasticity’?
4. What impacts is technology having on the wiring of our brain, and how is this affecting our behaviours?
5. How can marketers prepare themselves for the age of technology where people think and behave in dramatically different ways?

INTRODUCTION TO TOPIC, NOT FINAL DECK - 

Speakers

• Felix Morgan HeyHuman
• Dan Machen HeyHuman

Organizer

Felix Morgan HeyHuman