According to the event, over 6 000 members of the digital marketing community participated in the event.

The key topics of the DMEXCO Digital Spring Summit were the developments in Web3 and their impact on marketing and society.

The DMEXCO Digital Spring Summit identified five key takeaways, including:
  1. the future is 'on-chain' instead of online
  2. digital goods massively increase in value when they are linked to unique non-fungible tokens (NFTs)
  3. intermediaries and brokers lose their influence in the blockchain era
  4. digital wallets will be a new form of identification and login, and
  5. crypto firms will rise to the ranks of the top 10 companies over the next 10 years.
Isabell Welpe, professor at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and co-founder of the TUM Blockchain Center, says that society, business, the economy and marketing are in a state of disruption.

"Web3 heralds the next phase of the Internet and a new era of decentralisation. Valuable assets can be acquired on-chain via decentralised servers without intermediaries and brokers," says Welpe. She adds that Web3 is currently at the same stage of development as the 'old Internet at the end of the last millennium'.

The dynamics arising from the tokenisation of the economy could play out in the coming years in a way similar to the triumphant advance of the platform economy in recent years, according to Welpe.

Crypto and NFT expert Christopher Obereder predicted that several crypto firms will be included in the ranks of the global top 10 companies in 10 years. Not only cryptocurrencies but also NFTs will play a distinctive role.

Their potential can already be seen in the art scene today, says Obereder. "NFTs have changed the world for many artists. The same creator who previously sold a painting for a few thousand dollars can now get several million for the digital version — and the best part is that they personally benefit from the rise in value."

Henrik Bredenbals from w3.fund adds, "The concept of consumption is increasingly shifting into the digital world. NFTs as digital collectables are the way to go in the current early phase."

This forecast was also affirmed by Timm Jäger, CEO of Eintracht Frankfurt Tech, whos says, "The idea essentially came from the community. Only then did we approach brands and partners."

The virtual fashion world featured runway shows, popup shops from well-known brands offering both digital and physical products, as well as panel talks and satellite events.

Graziosi Casimiro says, "For brands, this was a great opportunity to try out how it feels to operate in a virtual world. There is already major and strong potential today for brands in 3D environments."

Nino Bergfeld from Salesforce analysed that a total of 300 million daily active users are already roaming around in virtual worlds. Bergfeld adds, "Sooner or later, marketing will have to face this changed reality. Whether it concerns new types of experiences, payment systems, or loyalty programmes — interesting and exciting times are coming."

"Soon we will have to address and engage with customers in virtual worlds, decentralised autonomous organisations, or by using airdrops," adds Bergfeld. 

Complex technical innovations such as NFTs, cryptocurrencies and the metaverse are undoubtedly affecting people's lives more and more on a lasting basis. "Real life can increasingly be represented in parallel digital worlds, with many advantages. We have to make sure not to lose sight of who ultimately makes or breaks success — people," says Dirk Freytag, president of the German Association for the Digital Economy.

"That is why the entire digital industry has a responsibility to promote and ensure more trust in digital innovations," adds Freytag. He also discussed the topic of digital responsibility along with other subjects.

"The Digital Spring Summit was a successful launch and, at the same time, was the first milestone in the leadup to DMEXCO in Cologne. By focusing on Web3, we chose an absolute on-trend topic and presented top content — and that was a hit. But of course, we are already looking forward to the in-person reunion with our community and to the entire spectrum of digital marketing," concludes professor Dominik Matyka, chief advisor of DMEXCO.

DMEXCO 2022 will take place on Wednesday, 21 September and Thursday, 22 September 2022, both on-site in Cologne and online.

For more information, visit www.mexco.com. You can also follow DMEXCO on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.