Brand Innovation Conference presented by The New York Times
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Conference Description
Presented by:
Sponsored by:
The theme of this year’s conference is “Igniting a Brand Movement.” How are some brands able to spark a brand movement—an emotional connection with their customers that generates a level of fervor, passion and advocacy? Think Nike and Harley-Davidson and more recently Southwest Airlines. A brand movement is defined by a brand’s personality and set of values, and provides a rallying cry for customers who actively express their affinity for the brand. This event will showcase real-world examples, insights, and lessons from client-side marketers who are building their own brand movements, covering such issues as:
attracting customers to actively engage with your brand and promote it to others
defining a higher purpose for your brand that is both inspirational and motivating
building a community for the brand
making adjustments given economic conditions
Learn tips and techniques to create your own brand movement!
Hosted by Roger Adams Chair ANA Brand Management Committee
Dates & Times
Starts: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 7:30am
Ends: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 4:30pm
Venue/Location
583 Park Avenue
583 Park Avenue At 63rd St
New York, NY 10036
UPS: IGNITING THE BRAND BEGINS WITH EMPLOYEES Before your customers can express their passion and affinity for your brand, one must connect to an even more-significant ambassador—your employees. The UPS brand—symbolized by reliability, trust, and superior service—is activated through its employees, who serve as brand ambassadors to customers in more than 200 countries around the world. Educating employees on what the brand represents and demonstrating how they are the most-important customer touch point serves to activate their passion, which leads to a passionate customer. Each day UPS drivers walk through the doors of 8 million customers, delivering and picking up 15 million packages. This daily human connection enables UPS drivers to learn their customers’ businesses and anticipate how to serve them better. Based on customer satisfaction indexes, the UPS driver enjoys a better relationship with customers than its competitors. That’s why a critical component of UPS’s new global branding effort is targeted to educating employees—the people who represent the living, breathing brand.
Christine M. Owens Senior Vice President, Communications and Brand Management
United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS)
Q&A Session
John Claybrooks Senior Global Brand & Marketing Communications Leader The Dow Chemical Company
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PROCTER & GAMBLE: PAMPERS BUILDS CONNECTIONS WITH MOMS Pampers has defined a higher purpose for their brand than the primary functional benefit of keeping babies dry. Pampers has leveraged the key consumer insight that moms—especially first time moms—are constantly looking to connect with others who are sharing similar experiences. Pampers created programs such as “Pampers Village” and “A Parent is Born” as forums for moms to connect, learn, and discover. Hear how Pampers is creating an emotional bond with their brand by encouraging consumers to share parenting information and advice through social media, blogs, and online videos.
Jodi Allen Vice President, North America Baby Care The Procter & Gamble Company
INNOCENT DRINKS: A BRAND MOVEMENT FROM EUROPE Innocent Drinks was founded by three friends, working in advertising and consulting, in London in 1999. On that first day Innocent sold twenty four smoothies, and now they sell over 2 million a week across Europe. Innocent’s business is about making food good, and about making healthy stuff interesting. And that’s the basis of their brand movement: they know that people know they should be healthy, it’s just that sometimes being healthy can be dull. So Innocent Drinks has made it their mission to make being healthy an easy thing, an interesting thing, an amusing thing, and not just a bowl of soggy bean sprouts. Live fast, die old.
INNOVATION, THE INTERNET, & BRANDING The lead "Bits" blogger for The New York Times, Nick Bilton, will share up-to-the-minute observations on innovation and chronicle the countless ways in which the Internet and technology are continuously changing how we live and work in relation to branding. Nick will discuss research from his upcoming book, "I Live in the Future & Here's How it Works" and his tenure as a researcher in The Times's R&D Labs.
Nick Bilton Lead Blogger, Bits Blog (covering business, innovation, technology, society) The New York Times
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12:30pm
LUNCHEON Sponsored by The New York Times _____________________________
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES: BAGS FLY FREE It’s hard to find anyone who’s a fan of travel these days. But Southwest Airlines has always been the industry rebel, clashing with more established airlines over business models and airfares. This time, the battleground is fees. The nickel-and-dime pricing that runs rampant in the airline industry is the bane of frugal travelers and a boon for Southwest. Those extra fees became particularly personal when they started getting into baggage and Southwest knows that passengers appreciate their “bags fly free” point of difference. The company’s internationally known blog, “Nuts About Southwest,” and Facebook presence (80,000 fans and counting) further help build the Southwest personality and turn passengers into fans The strategy is working as it's helping boost traffic, increase market share and keep the company profitable.
Sandra Howard Director of Advertising Southwest Airlines Co.
Q&A Session Ryan Anderson Director, Global Brand Management
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
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CREATING A SEAT AT THE TABLE When Mercedes-Benz USA decided to create an online owner community, it had a relatively simple objective: to augment traditional research by engaging its own customers on a broad scope of issues on a frequent, regular and cost effective basis. Over the course of a year, "MB Advisors" became much more - a customer movement that helped the company navigate the economic downturn while gaining market share and building the brand. Today, the 1400-member community has a "seat at the table" in a vibrant interaction across virtually all areas between the company and the people who know it best. Mercedes-Benz USA will talk about generating the engagement and the two-way dialogue that are the bedrock of an owner community, and share some of the surprises encountered along the way.
Steve Cannon Vice President, Marketing Mercedes-Benz USA
Q&A Session
Marcus Jones Multicultural Marketing Manager
Allstate Insurance Company _____________________________
BRAND MOVEMENT SURVEY–LEARNING FROM THE ANA COMMUNITY A brand movement is an emotional connection with customers that generates a level of fervor, passion and advocacy. Results of a survey among ANA’s community of marketers will be debuted. The work probes how brand movements are created, covering issues including: the proper balance of rational/functional vs. emotional benefits; customer touch points important for building emotional connections; measurement of those connections.
