Agency Relations

NETWORKING BREAKFAST (9:00 – 9:30AM)
INTRODUCTIONS (9:30 – 9:45AM)


I. ANA PATENT INFRINGEMENT DEFENSE INSURANCE (9:45 – 10:00AM)
The ANA has announced a program to provide members with focused patent infringement defense insurance protection for marketing and advertising activities. Patent assertion entities (PAEs), sometimes referred to as patent trolls, are firms which have the sole business of asserting patent claims against targeted companies, costing those companies millions of dollars in fees in order to defend against the claim. In the advertising space, PAEs have been increasingly in the news by claiming ownership of many common advertising practices. As a result, marketers and/or their agencies could be faced with demands to pay large fees to PAEs that have not provided any direct services or technology to an advertising campaign, or, in many cases, contributed to any innovation. Furthermore, patent infringement is not covered under standard advertising liability policies, and thus far, standalone policies for patent infringement haven't met the specific needs and core concerns of members. To address this issue, the ANA Patent Infringement Defense Insurance Program provides members with focused patent infringement defense insurance protection for marketing and advertising activities. This session will provide an overview of the program.

Speakers:
Alex Fjelstad, Retail Insurance Broker – Twin City Group
Marc Kaufman, Partner – Reed Smith LLP


II. HONEY MAID: FEARLESSLY CONNECTING WITH YOUR CONSUMERS (10:00 – 11:00AM)
In this session, Gary Osifchin, Senior Director, Wholesome Sweet, Entrepreneurial and Channels – Mondelez International, Inc. and recipient of the 2015 Adweek Brand Genius Award, will showcase how their agency partnership led to Honey Maid's award-winning "This is Wholesome" campaign. The revolutionary campaign, which delivered positive business results, celebrates the changing dynamic of American families.

Speaker:
Gary Osifchin, Senior Director, Wholesome Sweet, Entrepreneurial and Channels – Mondelez International, Inc.


III. JOHN HANCOCK: THREE DECADES OF PARTNERSHIP SUCCESS (11:10AM – 12:00PM)
A long-lasting client-agency relationship is one that consists of a true partnership and mutually beneficial success. After three decades of working with the same agency, John Hancock understands the value of a true partner. In this session, Kate Ardini, Brand Director – John Hancock Financial Services, Inc., will share how they have been able to keep the work "fresh" over three decades, achieved brand consistency in a changing market, and managed through the "tough stuff" – contracts, pricing, compensation and more.

Speaker:
Kate Ardini, Brand Director – John Hancock Financial Services, Inc.


LUNCH (12:00 – 12:45PM)


IV. BAA: CLIENT / AGENCY CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS (12:45 – 1:30PM)
In this session, representatives from the BAA, a division of the ANA, will join us to discuss the client-agency relationship and how clients and agencies can enhance that relationship. The BAA has identified five areas for potential improvement in the client/agency negotiation process: payment terms, liability, insurance requirements, conflict policies and idea ownership. In this session, ANA Agency Relations Committee members will be asked to share their thoughts with the BAA about their contract negotiation process and these topics.

Speakers:
Darcey Howard, Senior Director, Membership – BAA
Brian Kristofek, President – Upshot Agency


V. AGENCY RELATIONS TOOLS (1:30 – 2:00PM)
In this session, James Kirtland, Director, Global Agency Relations – American Express Company will highlight the tools American Express uses to enhance their agency management. He will explore various agency management models, processes with a focus on agency roster management and agency evaluations.

Speaker:
James Kirtland, Director, Global Agency Relations – American Express Company


VI. MEMBER ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION (2:00 – 2:30PM)
In this session, we will open up the discussion to talk about issues that ANA Agency Relations Committee members are facing and build upon those topics to explore in future meetings.

Facilitator:
Crystal Albanese, Senior Manager – ANA