SESSION TOPICS

What’s Next? The topics that will be discussed at the Liquid Brand Summit 2008 include the most pressing issues that brand marketers face in today’s changing marketing landscape. The objective is to identify the best practices being used for each of the topics. The round table discussions will give attendees an opportunity to explore issues that are specific to their current circumstances and learn how other companies are addressing similar challenges.

Session 1

Building Branded Online Communities

Moderated by: Catherine Smith, SecondLIfe
The idea of building "community" is one of the hottest topics for brands today, as it is considered a key component for creation of brand loyalty which helps retain customers and create brand advocates. What are the ways that brands are building brand communities? How do you create an experience where people connect with other people and feel a part of your brand? How do you encourage feedback and what happens when you hear things you may not like? What types of community building tools are available and how do they work?
> Back to top

Session 2

Reinventing Silicon Valley Pioneers

Moderated by: Mike Sanchez, Cisco
The very nature of technology is to change the way that people communicate, work, and play. Over the last few years we’ve seen many new trends completely change the tech landscape, creating an issue of relevance for some of the most influential brands in Silicon Valley and beyond. Companies like Cisco, Intel, HP, Kodak have launched major initiatives to reinvent themselves in the face of this new landscape. What does it take to stay relevant in the technology world today? How are the Valley’s pioneers reinventing themselves to stay on top for the next 20 years?
> Back to top

Session 3

Global Marketing / Local Messaging

Moderated by: Peter Isaacson, Adobe
Let’s face it, we live in a global economy, where cultural boundaries are shifting and markets are constantly changing. Today, one size does not fit all when it comes to creating a global brand. Unfortunately many marketers have learned this the hard way. What does it take to truly understand the different ways global audiences consume and react to marketing? How do brands maintain a consistent image while addressing culturally different audiences? What is the best way to address global issues and retail local relevance?
> Back to top

Session 4

User Generated Content: Can Brands Let Go of Control?

Moderated by: Colin Decker, Yahoo!
From online branded content to actual consumer-created advertisements, the once exclusive role of "storyteller" is no longer solely in the hands of brands and their agencies. The arrival of the "creator generation" and the explosion in consumer generated content, is simultaneously exciting and frightening to brands, and raises many questions about how to embrace this new cultural phenomenon in ways that benefit brands. How do we empower consumers while protecting the brand? How does branded online video connect with traditional media to create more impact and reach broader audiences? What have we learned so far about the efficacy of consumer-created messages and their impact on brands? What is an "ad message" in the new landscape?
> Back to top

Session 5

Brands, Blogs and Social Media: Strategies for Entering the Global Conversation

Moderated by: Derek Gordon, Technorati
Throughout the 20th Century, marketers perfected the art and science of mass communications, which often consisted of a "spray and pray" approach to reaching audiences. The explosion of blogging and other forms of social media on the Web is changing the paradigm. Today, everyday citizens control the means by which to create and publish content, and to attract and retain an audience. Today, brands increasingly feel they're losing control of both message and medium, and are being sidelined by the emerging paradigm. How can brands make the shift from mass communication to a one-on-one conversation with all those they seek to serve? We'll talk about strategies for, and the risks and benefits of, joining the emerging global conversation inherent in blogging and other forms of social media on the Web.
> Back to top

Session 6

The Year of the CMO

Moderated by: Gary Briggs, eBay
As the idea of “brand” becomes more and more relevant to companies of all sizes, the role of the CMO is growing in stature and influence. Today, CMOs are considered important players at the highest levels of the C-suite, with some of them finally being considered in line for CEO positions. What are the factors that are creating this change? How do senior brand and marketing executives elevate their role within corporate structures?
> Back to top

Session 7

Brand Integration: What Happens When Brands Come Together?

Moderated by: Laurie Probst, Symantec
In today’s business environment mergers, acquisitions and consolidation are more and more common place. From a branding perspective, this presents some major challenges. What’s the best way to present the new brand to customers, employees, partners and investors? How do brands reconcile their different personalities, approaches and offerings? How do they arrive at one brand...or should they?
> Back to top

Session 8

Successful Management of Master Brand Vs. Sub Brands

Moderated by: Bill Schreiner, AOL
Many successful single brand entities end up in portfolio companies (Flickr, YouTube, Skype etc.), but some end up standing on their own and become the portfolio brands of the future. Single brand entities appear to have the advantage with respect to driving innovation and gaining customer engagement, but with ad revenue business models the darling of the market right now, acquisition appears to be the inevitable destiny for those start ups. Are multi-brand companies like eBay, Yahoo, AOL at an inherent advantage or disadvantage in an emerging categories such as internet video, mobile experiences? Should single brand companies solve the ad revenue issue from the beginning or delay until they have built an audience? Should multi brand companies innovate only in the areas of distribution and aggregation, and not waste resources on developing new experiences?
> Back to top

Session 9

Brand Erosion

Moderated by: Greg Ott, Ask.com
Corporations spend tens, sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars building their brands and creating markets online. In today’s digital world, in the blink of an eye, a few disgruntled or disillusioned consumers can undermine the brand's reputation, creating distrust, and putting the brand in a negative light with the channel and customers. Can smart marketers and brand managers control their brands and avoid brand erosion? In the two way dialog of the internet, what can be done to manage consumer comments and "brand bashing?" How important is it to move quickly to address these consumers? What can be done to protect the trust that brands invest so much to build, in an age when brands are more vulnerable than ever?
> Back to top