2015 BAASH – Brand Activation Annual Showcase

Catalyzing Innovation to Generate Breakthrough Brand Activation Programming

The Brand Activation Association will host an immersive, hands-on experience to teach the latest thinking on methodical, systematic, and creative brainstorming for breakthrough Brand Activation programs.

Based on the principles in her book Catalyzing Innovation, Michelle Greenwald, a marketing professor at Columbia, NYU Stern and Cornell Graduate Schools of Business, Forbes "innovation" blogger, former SVP at Disney and VP GM at Pepsi, and CEO of Inventours™ will personally show you how to open your mind and elevate your Brand Activation Marketing to radical new levels. 

Program Objective: To give attendees a new way to approach idea generation for breakthrough activations more likely to get noticed and better support the brand’s strategic objectives.

• 1:00-2:15 p.m. – Attendee introductions, explanation of the Catalyzing Innovation approach to generating innovative and effective brand activations, with best-in-class examples of firms that utilized the approach, team assignments, and instructions for team field exercise. (Promenade)
  
  
• 2:15-4:15 p.m. – Team field exercise: Involves visiting retailers of different types in Chicago to benchmark multiple innovative marketing elements and collect examples.  Teams are mixed in terms of industries and product categories to maximize the benefit of the cross-disciplinary analogy approach.
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• 4:15-4:30 p.m. – Break                                                                                                                             
• 4:30-5:00 p.m. – Team group work back at the hotel, to prepare for the team presentations that share observations and insights.
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• 5:00-5:45 p.m. – Team presentations of examples that resulted from Catalyzing Innovation lines of thinking that were innovative, noteworthy, and attention-getting, with explanations of how they achieve brand objectives.
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• 5:45-6:00 p.m. – Wrap-up and key takeaways for how companies can utilize the approach back at their offices.
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In preparation for the workshop, participants should read the Catalyzing Innovation book to understand the idea behind it, and start thinking about the categories of brand activation innovation we’ll be focusing on in the workshop. A link will be sent to all participants.

Registration for this exclusive, interactive experience is FREE with your conference registration, but space is limited to the first 50 paid registrants, so act fast. Also included is a digital copy of Michelle’s book, Catalyzing Innovation, a resource that will motivate you to continued innovation way beyond the end of the conference.

Michelle Greenwald

CEO Inventours

Bonnie Carlson

President & CEO BAA

Successfully Activating Based on Leveraging Data

If any marketer knows about using data to drive better activations, it’s Kraft.  As its former CMO, Deanie Elsner will share how Kraft’s use of data evolved over time to the point where it’s created a mindset that’s rewired the organization toward smarter, more affective, and more engaging experiences for the consumers and shoppers it’s trying to reach.

Deanie Elsner

Former Chief Marketing Officer Kraft Foods

Integrated Brand Activation Can Be "Priceless"

Jill Cress

Group Head and Senior Vice President, Global Consumer Marketing MasterCard

#MoreMusic: Target Creates The First-Ever LIVE Commercial During The Grammys

At the 2015 Grammys, Target reinforced its place in pop culture by forgoing 4 minutes of commercial time to bring viewers a live performance by Imagine Dragons. The first of its kind effort blurred the lines between programming and commercial time, while seamlessly integrating broadcast, social and experiential marketing to give fans what they want: #MoreMusic.

William White

Vice President of Marketing Target

There’s No Activation Without Attention

Adrian Grenier, the "Entourage" star, businessman and philanthropist joins us to share his take on the real value of celebrity – the ability to hold consumer and shopper attention, and some actionable insights about how marketers can be smarter about building brands and engaging consumers around products, services and causes.  Adrian will share examples of his various enterprises to illustrate how he’s leveraging his visibility to support the environment, emerging artists, as well as content and other issues that are important to him. 

You’ll gain a host of takeaways about engagement, earning attention, trust and loyalty, and how your brand can use attention appropriately to breathe new life into your business.

Session made possible by a generous donation to The Loneliest Whale Fund and Sponsored by Fandango

Adrian Grenier

Actor, Producer, Social Advocate

Lunch & 3rd Annual Brand Brilliance Awards

Created by the Brand Activation Association (BAA) to recognize the most influential and dynamic brand marketers, the Brand Brilliance awards honor individuals for outstanding achievement in four categories – Brand Activation, Industry Impact, Legacy, and Creativity. Previous winners include General Electric, Patagonia, Uber and Dove.

Brian Kristofek

President & CEO Upshot

Bringing "Mayhem" to Life

Since its creation, Allstate's Mayhem has become one of the most recognizable advertising characters in the industry. In this session, SVP of Marketing, Lisa Cochrane will take you behind the strategy and the activations that have helped Allstate elbow its way into the millennial consideration set.

Lisa Cochrane

Senior Vice President, Marketing Allstate Insurance Company

Breaking Through on a Shoestring with Creative, Award Winning Activations

Newcastle Brown Ale has created a positioning with attitude, and activated its brand in a number of risky but highly creative ways to stand out in the high-spending beer aisle. See how they’ve brought their brand to life with original executions that have not only won Cannes Lions but generated barrels of buzz while connecting with their audience.

Charles van Es

Senior Brand Director for Global Brands Heineken USA

In an innovative new format, attendees will be able to choose from 5 different Brand Activation-related topics to participate in an intimate, sharing "discussion group" of less than 30 people. Each group will be led by experts in the selected topic who will lead the attendees as they discuss/share their learning/experiences on the topic in small groups. Topics will be repeated both days so everyone can experience 2 different Discussion Groups during the BAASH.

The Problem Couple (or Marriage Guidance for Planners & Creatives)

Do your creative and planning teams always see eye-to-eye -- and are their leaders setting the right example? Or do they too often treat each other with mutual suspicion and distrust, trying (and failing) to communicate due to differing perspectives and the absence of a shared language? You don’t need great briefs; just great problems. Momentum’s own Problem Couple (Denten, Creative and Gidley, Strategy) show you how, in this fun, enlightening and sometimes provocative session.

Matt Denten

SVP, Creative Director Momentum Worldwide

Fit Cults Exposed

Learn how your brand can infiltrate the Fit Cults - new consumer segments that see health & wellness not as a hobby, but a ritualistic way of life. You'll discover how to connect with the cults and create fierce loyalty for your brand.

Katie Butman

Senior Account Director Upshot

Shopper Marketing Accountability

Along the value chain, shopper marketers have more stakeholders than anyone: Brand marketers, customer teams and customers have an interest in it. How are your peers proving shopper marketing works and how are they providing accountability to their stakeholders? Learn what drives better ROIs and category growth for collaborative event planning with your customers. Discuss effective path to purchase mix strategies that perform well. Share with and learn from your peers about how to meet these shopper marketing challenges.

Rick Abens

President Foresight ROI

Experiential Marketing through Mobile Means

Tyler Litchenberger and Jennifer Wong of McDonald’s USA share their experiences with the McDonald’s Mobile Restaurant and how they engaged with customers in a new and unique way. This interactive panel will feature discussions on influencer events, leveraging social channels, celebrity engagement, and how to work more cross-functionally for success.

Jennifer Wong

Manager, Promotional Partnerships & Alliances McDonald’s USA

360 Alignment with Nonprofits to Impact Your Business

How to leverage an association with a nonprofit that’s more than just giving back, and why it’s good for business. Consumers want to give back – how you can meet those demands and build brand loyalty through alliances with the right nonprofit organization.

Tamra McCraw

Director Share Our Strength

Bonnie Carlson

President & CEO BAA

Chocolate Milk Grows Up. Reinvention through Brand Activation

It’s rare when a household staple and commodity product discover a new reason for being, but that’s what happened when published research identified a new usage occasion and a new audience for chocolate milk: as an effective beverage for helping active adults recover after strenuous exercise. Recognizing this as an opportunity to engage lapsed milk drinkers, drive incremental sales of flavored milk and provide a positive health halo for the entire milk category, MilkPEP launched the BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK CAMPAIGN. This fully integrated brand activation campaign has repositioned chocolate milk from what has historically been thought of as a kid’s beverage, to firmly establish it as a credible sports recovery drink.

Julia Kadison

Chief Executive Officer Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP)

Turning "Share A Coke" Into a Worldwide Phenomenon

Usually, we think of "personalization" in digital terms, but Brand Coke showed that it could be done in the physical world, and at scale. Evan Holod, Marketing Director for Brand Coke, joins us to talk about the program, how it reversed a 10-year sales decline, and how it has changed how the company thinks about marketing going forward.

Evan Holod

Director of Marketing The Coca-Cola Company

Activating Successful Partnerships – It’s Not Kids Play

Hear from two companies that united around their mutual focus on education to build higher engagement and drive growth. Sesame Workshop VP, Strategic Partnerships Stephanie Patrucco and the Exec. Director of PNC Bank’s “Grow up Great" will show how their collaboration has led to smiling faces all around.

Stephanie Patrucco

Vice President, Strategic Partnerships & Development Sesame Workshop

Engaging With Consumers to Build Your Brand

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the wildly successful, REGGIE-winning "Do Us A Flavor" campaign from Frito-Lay and learn some key lessons on how to effectively use consumer-generated content to build your brand.

Bart LaCount

Marketing Director Frito-Lay North America

Big Trends That Will Drive Big Results

The 87 million-strong millennial generation has a new mindset as a result of the upheaval of the last decade and because a new generation, Centennials, has taken over the youth mantle. This new mindset and generation are resulting in new behaviors, consumption patterns and expectations that impact how brands speak to and win with today’s young people. The Futures Company’s Erik Medina will explore this new mindset, the new generational cohort and key trends to help you position your brands for success today and beyond.

Erik Medina

Vice President, Head of U.S. TRU Youth MONITOR The Futures Company

Leading the Sharing Economy on Two Wheels

The sharing economy is in effect! In major cities like New York City, Chicago, Boston, Washington, DC, to name a few, one of the most visible examples is bike sharing.  Join Divvy/Motivate’s Elliot Greenberger and Citi’s Jon Sellman, as they take us behind the partnership to understand how the initiative has helped build both brands.

Elliot Greenberger

General Manager Divvy/Motivate

In an innovative new format, attendees will be able to choose from 5 different Brand Activation-related topics to participate in an intimate, sharing "discussion group" of less than 30 people. Each group will be led by experts in the selected topic who will lead the attendees as they discuss/share their learning/experiences on the topic in small groups. Choose a different topic from the previous day to experience 2 Discussion Groups during the BAASH.

The Problem Couple (or Marriage Guidance for Planners & Creatives)

Do your creative and planning teams always see eye-to-eye -- and are their leaders setting the right example? Or do they too often treat each other with mutual suspicion and distrust, trying (and failing) to communicate due to differing perspectives and the absence of a shared language? You don’t need great briefs; just great problems. Momentum’s own Problem Couple (Denten, Creative and Gidley, Strategy) show you how, in this fun, enlightening and sometimes provocative session.

Matt Denten

SVP, Creative Director Momentum Worldwide

Fit Cults Exposed

Learn how your brand can infiltrate the Fit Cults – new consumer segments that see health & wellness not as a hobby, but a ritualistic way of life. You'll discover how to connect with the cults and create fierce loyalty for your brand.

Katie Butman

Senior Account Director Upshot

Shopper Marketing Accountability

Along the value chain, shopper marketers have more stakeholders than anyone: Brand marketers, customer teams and customers have an interest in it. How are your peers proving shopper marketing works and how are they providing accountability to their stakeholders? Learn what drives better ROIs and category growth for collaborative event planning with your customers. Discuss effective path to purchase mix strategies that perform well. Share with and learn from your peers about how to meet these shopper marketing challenges.

Rick Abens

President Foresight ROI

Experiential Marketing through Mobile Means

Tyler Litchenberger and Jennifer Wong of McDonald’s USA share their experiences with the McDonald’s Mobile Restaurant and how they engaged with customers in a new and unique way.  This interactive panel will feature discussions on influencer events, leveraging social channels, celebrity engagement, and how to work more cross-functionally for success.

Jennifer Wong

Manager, Promotional Partnerships & Alliances McDonald’s USA

360 Alignment with Nonprofits to Impact Your Business

How to leverage an association with a nonprofit that’s more than just giving back, and why it’s good for business. Consumers want to give back – how you can meet those demands and build brand loyalty through alliances with the right nonprofit organization.

Tamra McCraw

Director Share Our Strength

Since 1983, the REGGIE Awards have been the premier industry awards program recognizing the best marketing campaigns activated by brands and agencies. The name – REGGIE – was originally chosen because it symbolizes results by "making the cash register ring" with consumers.

The REGGIE Awards Gala will take place on the final evening of the 2015 BAASH and will celebrate the winners of the 2015 REGGIE Awards. A total of 70 awards will be presented to top agencies and brands for the best Brand Activation marketing campaigns of 2014 across 23 different categories. The event culminates with the SUPER REGGIE announcement, honoring the best campaign of 2014 chosen from the Gold category winners.

Join us for an evening of entertainment, food, drinks, and to celebrate individuals and organizations that have achieved outstanding success. Entertainment by RCA recording artist Elle King will be featured during the ceremony.