WELCOME REMARKS

John Paquin

Sr. Director, Brand & Media ANA

TAKING BACK YOUR BRAND NARRATIVE WITH CHOCO TACO

In the summer of 2022, a piece of news broke that would forever change the cultural landscape. The Choco Taco was being discontinued, and Public backlash was quick and severe.  The end of the Choco Taco became the story of the summer as consumers, celebrities, and meme accounts shared their unsolicited outrage over the decision. It became a crisis critical moment for the Unilever-owned brand. However, instead of letting the crisis overwhelm them, the team at Klondike and their creative partners at Edelman quickly pivoted to take back their brand narrative and turn online haters into brand lovers. The creative decision-making and backdoor operations that followed are a masterclass in real-time, reactive marketing and authentically tapping into a brand's loyal subculture. Join Unilever's Leslie Miller and Edelman's Smita Reddy as they take us behind the scenes of Choco Taco's final days.

Leslie Miller

Vice President, Marketing, Nutrition & Ice Cream Unilever

FULL STACK BRAND BUILDING

The word 'brand' is often misunderstood. People think that it's something you can apply to something like salt on a flavorless meal. But brand is deeper than that. It comes from the soul of a company. Rooted in the beliefs and values of a company, brand extends through everything from product creation to customer service to monthly all company meetings. In this talk Steve introduces his Full Stack Brand Playbook that ties a brand's promise and offering into meaningful experiences that people love; and he'll share some of the learnings he's had getting midsized companies to run it.

Steve McCallion

Chief Marketing Officer KEEN Footwear

THE FUTURE OF BRAND MARKETING: WHAT TOP MARKETERS SAY YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

The challenges that brand marketing teams face are myriad and ever-changing. While the toolkit they have available is packed with an increasing number of data sets, tactics and approaches, marketers struggle to keep up -- from connecting data to creating real consumer insight to finding new ways to make brands relevant and relatable.

Join Matthew Tilley, Content Marketing Lead and host of Vericast’s Business to Human podcast series as he shares insight from his guests -- marketing leaders from a variety of industries -- on what is missing from the marketing toolkit. You can expect to learn from this presentation:

• What marketing leaders are saying about the gaps in the marketing toolkit
• Practical strategies for addressing these gaps
• Success stories to emulate and pitfalls to avoid in navigating the ever-changing marketing landscape 

Matthew Tilley

Content Marketing Lead Vericast

THINKING OUTSIDE THE GOLD BOX TO BUILD BRAND SUCCESS

Angela Fotopoulos

Global Head of Brand Communications and Activation Godiva Chocolatier

CLOSING REMARKS

John Paquin

Sr. Director, Brand & Media ANA

PRESENTING SPONSOR OPENING REMARKS

Kara Rousseau

VP, Marketing Walmart Connect

OPENING REMARKS

Mike Kaufman

Senior Vice President, Brand & Media ANA

CONFERENCE HOST COMMENTS

Kate Ardini

CMO John Hancock

THINK OUTSIDE THE BRAND: HOW TO EMBRACE A “CULTURE-FIRST” MENTALITY IN TODAY’S FRAGMENTED MEDIA LANDSCAPE

From building ideas that are “culture first” to reimagining the traditional agency/client models to embracing the power of organic earned and social media to establishing new content and media models, Todd Kaplan has re-defined what it means to be a successful brand marketer in the 21st century.

As brands continue to embrace emerging technologies and new ways of connecting with consumers, Pepsi is leading the charge by employing a “culture-first” mindset that has enabled the brand to find its way back into the cultural zeitgeist and drive unprecedented engagement with consumers. In this dynamic session, Pepsi Chief Marketing Officer Todd Kaplan will share how Pepsi leans into the human side of consumers to understand their needs and behaviors as well as how to infuse those needs into the creative process to drive brand affinity.

Todd Kaplan

Chief Marketing Officer, Pepsi PepsiCo

MINT MOBILE: STRETCHING THE LIMITS OF MEDIA FOR HYPERGROWTH

Media is everywhere. Yes, consumed on TV, search engines, and social media. But also on street corners, holiday cards, and voicemails. With a celebrity owner and in-house creative department, Mint Mobile has stretched the possibilities by nailing the fundamentals, trying the untested, and flipping the script on the traditional. In this talk, Andrew will share five examples of how the brand has leveraged media as the brand's centerpiece for growth.

Andrew Fried

Sr. Vice President, Direct to Consumer Mint Mobile

THE FRESH MARKET BRAND TURNAROUND STORY - THE POWER OF LOVE

How do you go from being ranked by Glass Door as the absolute "Worst Company in America to Work For" in 2018 to being Voted the "#1 Best Supermarket in America" by USA Today Readers in 2021 and 2022? From being privately held to being acquired by one of the world's largest retailers. From alienating your best customers to being rewarded by their loyalty. Learn how The Fresh Market returned to its Brand for Humans roots through driving innovation and leveraging media as the brand's centerpiece for growth.

Kevin Miller

Chief Marketing Officer The Fresh Market

H&R BLOCK: A CRISIS OF RELEVANCY CONFRONTED WITH PURPOSE

When Jill Cress joined H&R Block as its Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, she learned the brand’s Purpose by heart, “To provide help and inspire confidence in our clients and communities everywhere.” One thing that was noticeable about the 67-year-old company: it had purposefully left ‘tax’ out of its Purpose. The company needed a new brand strategy – one that helped it tackle a problem not of brand awareness, but brand relevance. Learn from Jill how the company confronted its crisis of relevancy by leaning into its Purpose to reach new audiences – specifically through “A Fair Shot,” a campaign reaching Gen Z and college students about equity in college athlete sponsorships and the tax implications of new Name Image and Likeness income streams.

Jill Cress

Chief Marketing and Experience Officer H&R Block

BUILDING A BRAND IN A BRAND-LESS CATEGORY

Avocados From Mexico was not even supposed to be a brand - however, in less than a decade and against all preconceived notions, it became a coveted brand changing forever the game for an entire industry. In this session, Ivonne Kinser will discuss how the young produce brand is leading an entire category challenging traditional models to ultimately catapult itself as one of the most creative, daring, disruptive, and innovative brands in its industry, while simultaneously doubling the consumptions of avocados in America.

Ivonne Kinser

Vice President, Marketing & Innovation Avocados from Mexico

HOW RE-IMAGINING THE BRAND AND RETAILER RELATIONSHIP CAN DRIVE RETAIL MEDIA INNOVATION

Sri Rajagopalan, Chief Customer Officer at General Mills and Kara Rousseau, VP of Marketing at Walmart Connect will unpack how they’ve leaned into shared goals to evolve their partnership to one rooted in innovation – from media planning to integrated planning to adtech solutions – to deliver new customer experiences that drive purchase.

Kara Rousseau

VP Marketing Walmart Connect

COMBINING LIFE EVENTS AND PURCHASE TRIGGERS WITH MEDIA NETWORKS TO POWER CUSTOMER ACQUISITION

Engaging consumers when they are exhibiting purchase behaviors or going through a life event such as a move, marriage, or college graduation has long been a prime opportunity for marketers. These consumers are in a “permission to buy” mode. But how do you find them? Imminent movers and new homeowners are known to invest approximately $11,000 for new consumer services and goods. They consider “out with the old and in with the new” for items such as furniture, insurance, and internet.  College students are preparing for life in their new jobs and homes too and are often first-time buyers in many goods and services. Today, combining these signals with omnichannel activation across a media network can give brands the edge they need to find and engage consumers with targeted messaging before the competition to reduce customer churn and boost customer acquisition.

Join this panel discussion, hosted by Luci Rainey, former marketing executive at PODS and Comcast, as our guest panel discusses the power of life events and purchase signals in their own marketing strategies, especially when combined with a media network for outreach across CTV, social, direct mail, and digital channels.  Our panel includes Jennifer Renaud, CMO of Masonite; Carie Beeman, CMO of Homefront Brands; and Michelle Taves, GM of Porch Group Media.

Michelle Taves

General Manager Porch Group Media

HOW ACTIVATING BRAND PURPOSE MOBILIZES CONSUMERS AND GALVANIZES TEAMMATES TO DRIVE POSITIVE SOCIETAL CHANGE

Northwell Health, one of the nation's largest health systems and New York's largest employer, partnered with StrawberryFrog to launch the "Raise Health" Movement, a purpose-based platform to tackle the societal ills that drive our health care issues. Gun violence has become a U.S. public health epidemic--the leading cause of death for kids, outstripping car accidents for the first time ever.

Within the "Raise Health" Movement, the "It doesn't kill to ask" campaign empowers parents to tackle the taboo and ask about the access to unlocked guns to put their family's safety first. And now the Movement has spread beyond Northwell with hundred of hospitals joining the www.hospitalsunited.com coalition to address this crisis.

Ramon and Scott will show how activating a brand's purpose not only enables organizations to drive awareness and engagement among consumers and employees, but ultimately drives positive change that transcends beyond the business world and into society. 

Ramon Soto

Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Northwell Health

ICONIC BRANDS, AUGMENTED

Come learn how Frito-Lay partners with Snapchat to build lifelong loyalty with Gen Z fans. Have an upfront look into the power of augmented reality to create immersive consumer experiences.

Jason Poinsette

US Head of Food & Beverage (CPG) Snap Inc

HAVE YOU MET ERNIE? HOW KEEBLER KEEPS THEIR ICONIC CHARACTER FOREVER YOUNG

You know their names because you grew up with them – Ernie the Elf, Tony the Tiger, Mr. Sheen, and the Kool-Aid Man. These successful animated characters born for advertising transcend their original brand purposes and have become iconic. They evolved from marketing tools into pop culture itself, all while deepening brand affinity so that consumers have become nostalgic for them years later. None more so than Ernie the Elf – the “OG” of the cookie and confection category.

In this provocative and interactive session, you’ll hear from Alicia Mosley, VP of Marketing at Keebler, and Jason Katz, VP of Strategic Planning from Advantage Unified Commerce, on how a nostalgic brand like Keebler stays relevant for new audiences.

Alicia Mosley

Vice President, Marketing, Keebler Ferrero

MORE THAN COLORING:PUTTING BRAND PURPOSE FIRST

Victoria Lozano

Executive Vice President, Marketing Crayola

THE MAGIC OF PICKLEBALL: THE SPORT THAT CAPTURED THE ATTENTION OF THE NATION

Connor Pardoe delves into the exploding sport of pickleball through the lens of the professional sports association he founded, the PPA Tour. The segment focuses on the infectious, inclusive nature of pickleball and how professionalizing the competition and uniting the industry has helped grow the pickleball “brand” and make a resounding impact within the world of sports over the last five years. From beginnings in community parks to the thousands now attending at historical venues across the U.S., Connor will touch on how the PPA Tour became what it is now — a powerhouse brand in athletics and entertainment. The presentation will also cover how pickleball’s allure uniquely and equally encompasses competitive, recreational, and social spheres, making it the perfect trifecta in sports for players and fans across the board

Connor Pardoe

Chief Executive Officer & Commissioner Professional Pickleball Association

CLOSING REMARKS

Kate Ardini

CMO John Hancock

Enjoy the opportunity to catch-up with friends and colleagues in-person.  This reception will definitely have a festive vibe as it is kicks off the evening of celebrating our industry’s top teams and best brand activation marketing of the year!

A total of 78 awards will be presented to top agencies and brands for the best Brand Activation marketing campaigns of the year across 25 different categories when we announce the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners. For the first time, we also announce the winners of the special GEM Award that recognizes positive portrayals of women in the work. The event culminates with the SUPER REGGIE announcement, honoring the single best campaign of 2022 selected by the Super REGGIE Jury chosen from the Gold level winners.

Join us for an evening of dinner, drinks, and to celebrate individuals and organizations that have achieved outstanding success

CONFERENCE HOST COMMENTS

Kate Ardini

CMO John Hancock

FROM ZERO TO A BILLION: NATIONWIDE’S MULTI-CHANNEL MARKETING APPROACH IN THE EXPLODING PET CATEGORY

Nationwide has been an industry-leading company in many product verticals for nearly 100 years. As the first company to insure pets in the United States, Nationwide began a rapidly growing and increasingly competitive category, and 40 years later they remain the #1 brand. Brad Barnett, VP of Enterprise Marketing, shares Nationwide’s approach to building, and winning, a powerful brand in a niche category through a customer-centric, multi-channel marketing approach. 

Brad Barnett

Vice President, Enterprise Marketing Nationwide

OWNING THE CONVERSATION ON THE MOST WATCHED TV DAY OF THE YEAR

Peeling back the curtain to see how breaking all the rules of traditional Super Bowl commercials led to the big game’s most effective advertising of the night. Hear from Tubi and Mischief’s disruptive Super Bowl campaign came together, got global media attention, went viral on TikTok, and drove massive bottom line results.

Nicole Parlapiano

Chief Marketing Officer Tubi

HOW CAMPARI AMERICA CREATES BRAND AWARENESS THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL ENGAGEMENT

Experiential marketing used to be all about driving product trial but in a world of converging ideas, unique experiential activations can do more now than ever before. Campari America leverages several audience (and brand) insights to create consumer engagement that reinforces brand positioning, captures data, builds consumer loyalty, and at times connects with e-commerce to drive purchase - all uniquely built for a difference audience. Experiential activations are not a "one-size-fits-all" approach; each experiential program is thoughtfully crafted and customized to fit the needs of the intended audience. 

Andrea Sengara

Head of Marketing, U.S. Campari Group

INTRODUCING A NEW COMPANY BRAND: THE MAKING OF GEN

People bank, shop, learn and connect from just about anywhere today. Digital life is life. The digital life relies on the safety and protection provided by trusted brands. Which is why we formed a new company built for powering digital freedom for generations to come. Follow our journey as we transitioned from NortonLifeLock to introduce Gen, set on the foundation of a new brand narrative, visual identity, and multi-brand architecture, to help people live fuller, safer digital lives today. 

Krista Todd

Chief Marketing Officer Gen (formerly NortonLifeLock)

TOGETHER NOW AND INTO THE NEXT: THE BRAND-CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP OF THE FUTURE

Over the last decade, CX has been a propellor for brands looking to garner consumer engagement through the delivery of seamless and convenient access to products and services. The post-pandemic acceleration in tech adoption has now created an environment where convenience is becoming table stakes and customers increasingly expect brands to differentiate by manifesting their emotional affinity with them in the right moments, even throughout ‘functional’ interactions. This requires a best-in-class data & identity strategy to power the orchestration of moments of empathy and inspiration. On the other hand, the continued relationship between brands and their customers is being reframed around new dimensions of ownership and the notion of shared value. In this session, we will discuss how CX, data & identity, creativity and emerging technologies come together to help brands navigate customers’ expectations for their future relationships with brands.

Peter Stein

President Merkle/CXM Americas

TAKE 5 OIL CHANGE: PRESERVING AND GROWING THE MASTER BRAND OF ONE OF AMERICA'S FASTEST GROWING FRANCHISES

In late 2020, Take 5 Oil Change was recovering from the pandemic and lagging behind larger competitors Jiffy Lube and Pep Boys. Fast forward to today and Take 5 is one of the fastest growing franchises in America, ranking No. 3 for top-of-mind brand awareness in the quick lube category (up from No. 6). How did the regional underdog take on the big national players and drive growth in a distracted world still limited by COVID restrictions?

In this session, Take 5 CMO Brady Noon will take the audience behind-the-scenes to learn how his team, in collaboration with agency partner Erich and Kallman, reinvigorated their entire marketing approach with an all-new brand platform and creative campaign, "Faster Than You Think," which successfully drove a lift in unique visits, unaided recall, and unaided advertising awareness. Brady will also unpack how his team is extending that platform across multiple brand categories while successfully preserving the master brand amid explosive business growth. 

Brady Noon

Chief Marketing Officer Take 5 Oil Change

CLOSING CONFERENCE

Kate Ardini

CMO John Hancock