CENTURYLINK AND THE PHOENIX SUNS PARTNER TO CREATE BRAND VALUE IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
CenturyLink, the third largest telecommunications company in the United States, has successfully embraced sponsorship as an effective means of developing strong ties with local communities and improving their brand presence. Over the past few years, Centurylink has expanded its portfolio of sponsorships of to include naming rights of local arenas, community enrichment programs and partnerships with professional sports teams such as their sponsorship of the Phoenix Suns. In this session, Rich Karlis, Director, Corporate Sponsorships - CenturyLink and Matt Wright, VP of Sales, Marketing Partnerships - Phoenix Suns / Phoenix Mercury will discuss the evolution of their partnership as well as how they are working together to elevate the program's activation and measurement.

Rich Karlis
Director, Corporate Sponsorships
CenturyLink

Matt Wright
Vice President of Strategy and Operations, Marketing Partnerships
Phoenix Suns / Phoenix Mercury
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INTEL FOSTERS CREATIVITY IN THE DIGITAL AGE WITH THE CREATORS PROJECT
The Creators Project is a joint-venture by Intel and Vice to celebrate creativity and innovation through music, film, and art globally. The two organizations came together in 2010 to provide an outlet dedicated to sharing the work of visionary artists and to nurture the creation of original content in the digital world.  Discover how Intel's investment in The Creators Project has effectively empowered and connected communities of innovators while strengthening the Intel brand.

Dave Haroldsen
Global Creative Director, The Creators Project, Global Partner Marketing
Intel Corporation
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At a time when brand stories must come alive through ongoing multiplatform entertainment, it is now more important than ever to be able to measure the Branded Entertainment value chain. OgilvyEntertainment has developed their  Branded Entertainment Assessment Model™ to provide greater measurability for the industry.  By creating entertainment authentic to brand ideals and rooted in the logic that drives all elements of the marketing mix, marketers can employ the magic of entertainment effectively and profitably using BEAM™. In this session, Abigail Marks, Director, Strategy & Operations – OgilvyEntertainment, will provide an overview of the model and share how they applied the model to measure the value to marketers' initiatives such as Hellman's web series featuring Chef Bobby Flay, and gain learnings for future Branded Entertainment campaigns.

Abigail Marks
Director, Strategy & Operations
OgilvyEntertainment
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LifeLock, Inc. is an industry leader in identity theft protection and has been showcased by Inc. magazine as one of the nation's fastest growing privately held companies. Lifelock's brand is the strongest in the category, but has evolved over the years to overcome the challenges that come with being a fast-growing start-up company.  In this session, Erick Dickens, Vice President of Marketing – Lifelock, Inc. will share how his company is strategically managing LifeLock's brand to maintain relevancy during the transition from start-up to the accelerated growth phase of business.

Erick Dickens
Vice President of Product Marketing
LifeLock, Inc.
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IKEA EMBRACES REALITY TV TO IMPROVE BRAND PERCEPTION
In order to elevate their brand and to demonstrate quality, style and affordability, IKEA and MEC Entertainment developed a strategy that focused on Reality TV; creating a six episode TV series where the country's most celebrated chefs surprised a frustrated household cook with a complete kitchen makeover. Based on the insight that professional contextual endorsement was the next best alternative to allowing consumers to actually sample IKEA kitchens, IKEA and MEC developed "Fix this Kitchen" as the centerpiece of a multiplatform communications initiative to change brand perception. In this session, IKEA and MEC entertainment will share how they utilized owned and earned media throughout the running of "Fix this Kitchen" to drive a significant lift in IKEA's brand attributes and ultimately increase sales.

Alia Kemet
US Media Manager
IKEA

Chet Fenster
Managing Partner
MEC Entertainment
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MAKING SMARTER BUSINESS DECISONS THROUGH RESEARCH AND MEASUREMENT
Western Union successfully uses research and measurement, through their partnership with Navigate Research, to make smarter business decisions when investing in sponsorships. Laston Charriez will share a case study from a recent sponsorship opportunity-details of the package, key findings through measurement and outcomes. Dr. Mark Friederich will discuss Navigate's work on their project with Western Union, will touch on best practices and ways to use research and measurement to make smarter business decisions. Most recently, Western Union announced a new global partnership with the UEFA Europa League, a three-year agreement to be the presenting sponsor. Laston and Mark will also discuss how Western Union plans to measurement their newest partnership.

Laston Charriez
Senior Vice President of Marketing, North America
Western Union

Dr. Mark Friederich
Executive Vice President, Market Research
Navigate Research
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