Ep 9: The future of marketing with Danu Abeysuriya

Danu Abeysuriya is the CEO and founder of Rush Digital, he was also recently named the NZ Hi-Tech Association’s Young Achiever of the Year. Rush Digital combines technology and creativity in cutting-edge experiences for some of the world’s biggest brands including Microsoft, Samsung, Heineken and National Geographic.

I’ve been itching to talk tech and marketing with Danu since seeing him present at a NZ Marketing Association conference. This interview was everything I hoped it would be. Danu shared insights on his campaigns, storytelling with new technology and what the future might hold for marketers and technology.

Take a listen to hear Danu’s take on:

• What it takes to blur the lines between reality and digital
• How technology helps storytelling – whether you should start with the medium or the message
• Advice for modern marketers on keeping up with the rate of change in technology
• How to market a technology company
• What technology trends will have the biggest impact on how we communicate with buyers in the next 5 years

The future of marketing: Technology and creativity

You can also listen to the episode on iTunes.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Rush Digital
• The Amazing Race – Trans-tasman Tug of War: Rush Digital created a live streamed game of Tug of War between two locations in Australia and New Zealand. They designed and deployed a bespoke streaming and game system that not only allowed the participants to see and hear each other in real time but also allowed people to view the action live online through a TVNZ micro-site.
• How to get away with murder: Rush Digital worked with TVNZ to promote its show How to Get Away with Murder, through the release of an online murder mystery game that casts the player as part of a criminal defence team fighting to clear a client’s name.

• Cesar Millan Pack Leader Mobile App: Working with Samsung, National Geographic and renowned dog-trainer Cesar Millan, Rush Digital created an app that matched people with their perfect canine companion in a nearby shelter. The app cleverly used facial recognition technology, audio fingerprinting and curated knowledge of dog breeds, to suggest a canine life companion based on their face, bark , and lifestyle.

• The Great Monteith’s Meat Pack Hunt: This award winning augmented reality app gave customers the chance to “hunt” duck, venison, lamb and beef through specially marked meat packs and billboards.