2008 was anything but business as usual. Faced with having to market in one of the most volatile economies in recent history, many companies were understandably cautious. But rather than retreat, IBM saw the moment as an opportunity to provide new leadership where leadership was urgently needed.We wanted to invite the world to work with IBM to help solve the world’s most challenging problems – problems that were now eminently fixable with smarter technology.

Our solution was to build an interactive outdoor board that could change its appearance based on who was standing in front of it. Using a colour-sensitive camera directed at the people walking by, and several rows of LED lights, we were able to demonstrate how a smart retail system can work.

* IBM’s Smarter Planet was featured and quoted in the media more than 6,000 times. Those mentions included the cover of Fortune Magazine, on CNBC with Maria Bartiromo and articles in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and Business Week.

* After being exposed to IBM smarter planet messaging, the likelihood of a prospective customer doing business with IBM increased from 48% to 72%.* Key government leaders – including US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Wen – began to mention “Smarter Planet” in their speeches and contacting IBM for advice in how to build it:* IBM estimates that the Smart Planet strategy has expanded their market potential by as much as 40% globally. That translates into around $2.3 billion.