The Cultural Power of Music: From Influence to Execution (Virtual Only)

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Elliot Lum

EVP, Community and Growth ANA

FROM INFLUENCE TO IMMERSION: HOW EA USES MUSIC TO BUILD CULTURAL CONNECTION

At Electronic Arts, music goes far beyond background audio for the game play experience. It’s a strategic driver of emotion, identity, and cultural connection across franchises like EA SPORTS FC, Madden, Battlefield, and The Sims. From global football fandom and creator culture to personal storytelling and trailer moments, EA uses music to shape how players experience the brand across gameplay, content, and community. Hear how Raphaella Lima is helping drive EA’s music strategy to deepen fan engagement and extend cultural impact far beyond the screen.

Raphaella Lima

Global Music Partnerships and Marketing EA

INDULGENCE IN CULTURE: MAGNUM ICE CREAM’S APPROACH TO MUSIC, CREATORS, AND CULTURAL RELEVANCE

For Magnum Ice Cream, indulgence transcends the product. It becomes a signal of identity and taste. Through strategic partnerships with artists, high-impact appearances at cultural moments, and a growing network of creators who bring the brand to life across platforms, Magnum has started to craft a distinct presence within culture. This session explores how the brand orchestrates these elements to create a cohesive narrative one that travels from live moments to social feeds, and from influence to impact using music as a strategic lever to hack into key cultural moments.

Bentley King

Head of Marketing Operations The Magnum Ice Cream Company

SOUNDTRACKING CULTURE: HOW MUSIC SYNC LICENSING HELPS BRANDS CONNECT MORE AUTHENTICALLY

In today’s landscape, brands must go beyond advertising to engage an increasingly multicultural generation. Music is one of the most powerful entry points into culture helping brands build deeper, more meaningful connections with audiences. This session will open with insights into how different audiences consume and respond to music, highlighting its influence on perception, engagement, and brand affinity. From there, Sony Music will provide a practical walkthrough of how sync deals come together—from artist selection to rights and execution—offering a clear view into how brands can bring these partnerships to life. The result is a dual lens on both why music matters and how to activate it, equipping marketers with the tools to show up more authentically and effectively within today’s cultural landscape.

Jessica Shaw

Senior Vice President, Sync Licensing Sony Music Entertainment

HOW TENNESSEE USED MUSIC AND EMOTION TO TRANSFORM ACCESSIBILITY IN TRAVEL

An inside look at the 2025 Best in Show winning work from the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and VML. Josh Loebner will share how Tennessee Sound Sites elevated accessibility through creativity and inclusive design by transforming standard alt text into poetic songwriter crafted descriptions inspired by the state’s musical legacy, including contributions from Dolly Parton and Kix Brooks. This conversation will highlight how disability centered design powered this campaign, the impact it created, and how reimagining accessibility can unlock deeper cultural connection and storytelling in tourism and beyond.

Josh Loebner

Global Head of Inclusive Design VML

THE FLAVOR OF IDENTITY: SCALING CULTURAL NUANCE IN MUSIC

Reaching Hispanic audiences requires more than broad cultural cues. It demands an understanding of the rich diversity within the community. In this session, SiriusXM Media will show how they transformed localized cultural insights into a scalable, high-impact campaign. By tapping into the spirited debates around Latin cuisine, the team created geo-targeted audio that reflected the unique identities, traditions, and rivalries across Hispanic communities. SiriusXM's platform enabled precise audience targeting and contextual relevance at scale, delivering customized creative that resonated deeply in each market. Through a behind-the-scenes look at strategy, creative development, and activation, attendees will learn how Pepsi and SiriusXM balanced nuance with reach, ultimately driving measurable gains in brand favorability and recommendation. This session offers a blueprint for how brands can use data, media, and cultural insight together to drive meaningful connection.

Nikki Buchanan

Sr. Director, Head of Cultural Strategy SiriusXM Media

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