The opening afternoon of the conference will focus exclusively on one of the most important and urgent issues in the ad/marketing industry today – supplier diversity.

The importance of supplier diversity in the ad/marketing industry has increased significantly over the past year, as has spending with diverse suppliers. Media is the biggest marketing investment for most companies, and digital media typically accounts for the highest proportion of media spend. Yet there are challenges that have held back increased investment with diverse media companies. Those include the challenges of finding diverse suppliers, available inventory, lack of traditional measurement, and certification requirements

OPENING REMARKS

Bill Duggan (@billduggan)

Group Executive Vice President ANA

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED IN THE PAST YEAR

We'll kick off with a brief summary of what we've learned about supplier diversity in the past year. ANA has surveyed our members to understand benefits, challenges, spend, goals, and measurement of supplier diversity. We have also surveyed suppliers with a focus on certification, to understand its importance, benefits, challenges, and ease/difficulty of the certification process. And recently we published “Guidelines for Buyers (Agencies and Marketers) When Doing Business with Diverse Media Suppliers.

Bill Duggan (@billduggan)

Group Executive Vice President ANA

ADVANCING BLACK-OWNED MEDIA BUSINESSES

BOMESI (Black Owned Media Equity and Sustainability Institute) was founded in June 2020 to unite and advance Black-owned media businesses, primarily newer digital media companies. BOMESI advocates that brands and agencies must be flexible and willing to make adjustments to standard ways of doing business when investing in Black-owned media. This discussion will dive into issues including how current CPM, measurement and payment models are limiting for independent publishers as well as how such publishers can really shine when providing customized content – yet buyers need to be flexible in order to take full advantage.

Kyle Rosenbaum

Publisher Marcom Weekly

DRIVING VISIBILITY (AND BOOSTING OPPORTUNITY) FOR BLACK-OWNED BEAUTY BRANDS

Sephora has long been an industry-leading champion of diversity, equity and inclusion. This session will showcase Sephora’s efforts to spotlight the Black beauty community, from its first-ever Black-Owned Brands campaign, to new and expanded partnerships with Black-owned media, to product assortment expansion, to elevating Black beauty entrepreneurs and the products they offer via a multitude of storytelling platforms and through an expansion of Sephora’s product assortment.

Candace Payne

Senior Director of Campaigns and Content Sephora

SUPPLIER DIVERSITY FAIR

ANA has heard from diverse suppliers that they are keenly interested in making connections and introductions to media and marketing professionals who want to diversify their supplier base. And we've heard from the buyers that they would like to meet more diverse suppliers. That is the intent here as we will facilitate matchmaking/speed dating for mutually beneficial introductions.

COMMAND Z: LIFE IN BETA

Command Z is Paramount’s new cultural intelligence report that double clicks on Gen Z’s relationship with technology. Join us on a research-fueled adventure where we explore how a generation navigates the world around them as a beta product––ready to test and upgrade themselves at any time––not just adapting to but embodying the very culture of tech. This session delivers unique brand implications and actionable insights for this complex generation, while diving deep into a strategy that builds relevance within tween culture, using culture-forward content from creators they idolize.

Nicole Rosenberg

Vice President, Digital Integrated Marketing Paramount

WELCOME REMARKS

Marla Newman

President, Digital Sales - Lifestyle Group Dotdash Meredith

OPENING REMARKS

The pace of change in digital and social media and user behavior continues to present opportunities and issues for modern marketers. The growth of Retail Media Networks, Social Shopping, Gaming, Influencer and Affiliate Marketing, AR, VR, AI, DCO and 5G are changing where and how brands show up and the value they deliver. Web3, the Metaverse, NFT’s, Crypto and blockchain are here and shaping the next iteration of digital life and marketing.

The technologies and platforms that underpin the new ecosystem however continue to be challenged by opacity, brand safety, privacy, accountability, and fraud issues. New measures, metrics and initiatives are required to better inform and protect consumers, brands, and platforms alike. In this session, Bob will walk you through what the ANA is doing to create greater measurability, transparency, accountability, and safety for marketers and drive meaningful industry change.

Bob Liodice

Chief Executive Officer ANA

CONFERENCE CHAIR REMARKS

Kristi Daraban

Associate Vice President, Social Media Nationwide

DENNY'S FEEDS A NEW GENERATION OF CREATORS

Denny's has long considered itself a place that celebrates the inherent creativity and diversity of its menu and its guests. To further connect with the growing 'Gen Create' audience and drive maximum reach and cultural relevance, Denny's launched a new "Open for Anything" brand platform and Social Stars Influenced Menu in collaboration with 24 TikTok creators who represent self-expression and limitless living. See how Denny's had fun with food through a fully integrated communications plan that spanned product development, merchandising, paid media, and organic outreach.

Erik Jensen

VP, Brand Engagement Denny's

DESTINATION: METAVERSE

The metaverse is a virtual online world where anything is possible. Discover why Marriott Bonvoy believes the metaverse will be important to its current and future marketing success and how Marriott Bonvoy has harnessed the global phenomena of gaming and metaverse. This session will include a deep dive into Marriott Bonvoy’s metaverse strategy and approach, where they’ve been and where they are headed, and the areas to upskill in to ensure metaverse marketing success.

Nicolette Harper

VP, Global Marketing and Media Marriott

GAMING IS BIGGER THAN YOU THINK

Gaming is definitely one of the most exciting industries out there. The scale, reach, and engagement levels are hard to match. Fernando Machado, Chief Marketing Officer at Activision Blizzard, will provide an overview of the gaming industry, describe why players are so engaged and provide tips to help connect your brand the right way with the gaming community. 

Fernando Machado

CMO Activision Blizzard

ADVERTISING WINNERS AND LOSERS: A WALL STREET PERSPECTIVE

Laura Martin is the senior advertising analyst at Needham & Company. Her research coverage includes the AdTech, Streaming, Content and Big Tech industries. In this session, Laura will share on how Wall Street is talking about all the ad-driven public companies. She will also predict winners and losers among ad-driven public companies. 

Laura Martin, CFA and CMT

Senior Advertising and Internet Analyst Needham & Company

ANA'S INFLUENCER MARKETING MEASUREMENT GUIDELINES

This session will preview the ANA’s newly-released organic Influencer Marketing Measurement Guidelines. While measurement guidelines have been available to paid advertisers for almost a decade, lack of standardized metrics and challenges measuring the performance of influencer marketing campaigns has limited its value and masked its true ROI. Learn how the ANA’s new guidelines for organic influencer marketing will help bring greater clarity and consistency to key performance metrics and engagement rate calculations across the major platforms used for influencer marketing.

Kristi Daraban

Associate Vice President, Social Media Nationwide

HOW TO CREATE AN ENGAGING CUSTOMER JOURNEY

Many marketers today are focused on customer experience and how they can best engage their audience across the entire customer journey. But often the last touch in that journey gets the full credit for of all the great content that came before. Join Neustar, a TransUnion company, to learn how they worked with Snapchat to create a meta multi-touch attribution analysis across 10 brands to prove the impact that this key channel can play in driving growth for a brand.

Keith Brady

Senior Director, Consulting Services Neustar

WHY THE METAVERSE MATTERS FOR MULTICULTURAL AUDIENCES

For the multicultural consumer, the draw toward all thing metaverse carries a deep-rooted psychological relevance. From escapism and playing out our lives virtually in a way that we can’t in real life, to building new possibilities, all these scenarios play out as the pivot starts around Web 3.0. Join Albert Thompson, managing director of digital innovation at Walton Isaacson, to learn why the metaverse is of particular draw for multicultural consumers and how brands can build and activate community in the next frontier of virtual connectivity.

Albert Thompson

Managing Director of Digital Innovation Walton Isaacson

MILLER LITE TURNS VIRTUAL CHEERS INTO REAL-LIFE BEERS IN THE METAVERSE

Each year, millions of Americans come together to watch the Super Bowl and enjoy great-tasting Miller Lite beer. This year, Miller took game day where it’s never gone before— to the metaverse with the Meta Lite Bar. The session will show how the brand hosted the first-ever bar in the digital universe, the Meta Lite Bar, to encourage real-life hangouts over real-life beer with its Virtual Cheers for Real Beers Super Bowl giveaway.

Sofia Colucci

Global Vice President, Miller Family of Brands Molson Coors Beverage Company

THE NEW REALITY OF SPORTS: HOW IBM AND DISNEY ARE FUELING FANS THROUGH FANTASY

The world of sports has transformed before our eyes as fans have found new ways to engage with sports, athletes and brands. Learn how IBM and ESPN provide Fantasy Football players the critical insights and edge they need in their quest for victory. We’ll also take you inside the huddle and share distinct trends that inform the future of sports culture from Disney Advertising’s proprietary study, Generation Stream: Sports Edition.

Jason Ratner

Sales Director Disney Advertising

ACROSS THE AIRWAVES: A JOURNEY THROUGH MEDIA'S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Remember when radio was king? Radio was once the most innovative, influential platform for advertisers. Times have changed but as the number of media platforms have proliferated, we see the same truths about advertising play out over again. Join Google’s JonPaul Rexing as he recounts the media journey from radio, to cable, to podcasting and beyond, and shares data-driven insights on how the video revolution is trailblazing new possibilities for marketers everywhere.

JonPaul Rexing

Head of Video and Sales Development Google

Kristi Daraban

Associate Vice President, Social Media Nationwide

DATA & CREATIVITY: A LOVE STORY

Good ideas can come from anyone, but great ideas come from the interplay of both creativity and data. We are in an intensive period of change surrounding data, largely in response to consumer expectations. Comscore’s Danan Ren, Vice President, Client Insights, will dive into the importance of insight and inspiration colliding to meet your audiences where they are at.

Danan Ren

Vice President Comscore

BALANCING SOCIAL MEDIA RETURN WITH ENGAGEMENT

In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to find a balance in social media engagement and an ultimate return on ad spend. Join Michael Dobson, SVP Digital for a discussion on the ways that iNvolved Media is reaching coveted Gen Z consumers while driving revenue for brands like Colgate’s Irish Spring, Soft Soap, and more. This “engaging” session will incorporate real-world client case studies that illustrate platform effectiveness and tactical successes through each step of the consumer journey. #LetsGetInvolved

Michael Dobson

SVP Digital iNvolved Media

OPENING REMARKS

Kristi Daraban

Associate Vice President, Social Media Nationwide

TRANSFORMING SOCIAL PLATFORMS INTO LAUNCHPADS

Chipotle believes that food has the power to change the world. They were recently recognized by Fast Company as one of the 10 most innovative companies in branding in 2022 for their work in digital advertising, citing Chipotle “may well be the single-best brand at leveraging emerging social platforms and finding highly creative ways to use them for maximum impact.” Chipotle has also leaned in heavily to the metaverse. The Chipotle Burrito Builder Burrito was the first “real-world menu item created by the metaverse community” for a major restaurant brand. Chipotle, according to Fast Company, is “transforming social platforms into launchpads.”

Candice Beck

Director, Social and Influencer Chipotle Mexican Grill

SEEHER WIN: EQUALITY IN ESPORTS AND GAMING

Esports is a space that is notorious for female gamers to face discrimination. Bullying, doxing, and even threats of violence are unfortunately quite common. Still, over 30 percent of online gamers are female. And despite challenges, the future is bright for gaming as bold brands like Verizon work to shape the future of esports and take on these gender-based hurdles. In this session, you’ll learn how Verizon, a SeeHer member, is creating opportunities for female players to drive toward an equal playing field for all. 

Mark Chang

Director-Head of Gaming and Esports Strategy and Sponsorships Verizon

THE RETAIL MEDIA PHENOMENON: SHINY OBJECT OR THE NEXT BIG THING?

If Amazon’s skyrocketing ad revenue tells us anything, it’s that advertisers are hungry to connect with consumers in commerce-friendly environments. And the explosion of retail media networks makes clear that retailers see opportunity as well, both strategic and financial. But there’s no easy button brands can push to garner success, and the retail media phenomenon is still in the early innings. This session will level set on the retail media landscape, detail its potential role and value in a brand’s marketing mix, and provide guidance on how brands can make the most of retail media by thinking and operating holistically and with a long-term outlook.  

Nikhil Lai

Senior Analyst Forrester

NAVIGATING THE SEA OF CONSUMER PRIVACY & DIGITAL AD TAX ISSUES

Chris Oswald, the ANA’s EVP and Head of Government Relations, will provide an update on the current consumer privacy landscape and state and federal regulatory environments. In this session, you will hear how the ANA is engaging with the current administration as Congress and state legislatures head toward mid-term elections and the hot issues impacting marketers from data privacy to digital advertising taxes and beyond.

Chris Oswald

EVP, Head of Government Relations ANA

CULTURAL MOMENTS: DEFINING A NEW ERA FOR THE LEXUS BRAND

A cultural moment can happen in an instant, dominating the social media ethos in real-time for days. These moments in culture create conversations, unite people over shared interests, and pose unique opportunities to catapult brands into the greater consciousness. As Lexus looks to reinvent its brand, it is actively harnessing the equity it has built over 15 years of multicultural marketing to infuse its identity into cultural advertising. In this session, learn how Lexus is focusing on the Asian consumer. Understanding the challenges and developing creative solutions to connect with the fastest growing ethnic segment in the U.S. 

Lisa McQueen

U.S. Media Manager Lexus

Kristi Daraban

Associate Vice President, Social Media Nationwide