The Corporate Is (Now) The Political

Resolved: the era of corporate leaders being able to avoid taking positions on foundational political issues is over.

Can advertising be measured by “value to society"?

Is there any metric that could eliminate the stench of bad advertising from our world? For so long, advertising has had a negative connotation... how do we change that? Join Kunal Merchant from Facebook's Global Product Marketing and Cathy Salazar, Head of Agency at Facebook in discussing this paradigm shift.

Contextual Targeting 2.0

Contextual targeting was “the thing” back in the early 2000’s but quickly took a backseat as data became king. However, the recent slew of data privacy regulations resulted in challenges for advertisers. Marketers were forced to find other avenues to efficiently target their end consumer. Research proves there is still a significant and exciting correlation between the particular emotions an article elicits, and the engagement rate of the ads within it so marketers have slowly begun to return to contextual targeting. What does the future hold for the resurgence of contextual targeting? What does contextual targeting 2.0 look like?

Accessibility: The Missing Link in Diversity and Inclusion

God, government and guns - why so decisive in US?

Is Advertising Just a Tax on Bad Products? Or Does Advertising Create True Economic Value for its Audience?

Ads get a bad rap. Yes, they generate billions for big companies that sell or create them, and marketers can’t live without them. But regular people find advertising often annoying or emotionally manipulative. They grudgingly put up with ad interruption in order to get free content. But what if ads themselves created utility and value for those who see them?

Content is not free. Who’s paying?

Subscription streaming services are changing the dynamic for how people access and consume content. Are these models sustainable, and what is the role of advertising in this new world.

The Fortnite Phenomenon. Why your kids are obsessed and you should be too.

Take a deep dive into the massive success of the videogame Fortnite that dominated the entertainment industry in 2018, and continues to grow as it launches into the competitive Esports realm. Join this session to learn how EPIC games tapped into the growing Battle Royale frenzy and discover how brands can truly capitalize on targeting this hard-to-reach demographic. Oleg Butenko, VY Esports | CEO Johannes Waldstein, FanAI Inc. |founder and CEO

Nike vs. Pepsi: Should brands “do it for the culture”?

To standout in society, brands are starting to hack, hi-jack, and influence culture through activism. This session invites discussion around critical questions including: How does a brand balance growth, resonance, and stickiness with customers that want to like and share versus be defenders of causes and issues? What’s the role of brands in supporting their customers, and helping them be better off in society? How does a brand stay safe on the speedway of fast-moving culture?

Cashless Society

Paperless banking. Apply Pay. Venmo. Uber. We are quickly moving to a cashless society. Many millennials don’t know how to write a check, nevermind balance a checkbook, or live within a budget. As millions of children come of age, their relationship with cash and finances is utterly different from anything in the past. Who is teaching them?, Are they saving for their future? Will they buy or rent a home? How will this generation effect our future society.

Truth 2.0

Deep fakes. Fake news. False flags. Deceptions you never new existed 2 years ago are now part of our daily lexicon. The truth is under assault like never before -- and unfortunately it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. Continued innovation in image processing and AI will soon make it possible to edit or forge video and audio in near real-time. What happens when we can no longer trust what we see? Can a healthy society survive in a post-truth era? And is this fate inevitable, or is it possible to save the truth?

Can a Group of Industry Experts Defeat Hate?

We read about it online and we see it put into practice far too often these days. Hate. Seems like it’s everywhere, but we in the advertising, tech and media industry have the opportunity to actually do something about it. Leading an interactive discussion, VMLY&R’s David Sable invites audience participants to join him on a mission with a specific outcome—to use talent, creativity and ideas at the highest level to combat hate.

Designing and deploying new media to improve mental health at unprecedented levels and at a global scale

There’s a deluge of products emerging on the market that are aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing. Some of these are beautiful and engaging, but there’s little evidence they actually work to improve mental health outcomes (e.g., anxiety, depression). Other products (e.g., e-mental health platforms) have strong scientific foundations, yet they struggle with engaging and retaining users. How can scientists and designers work together to address these gaps? How do we capitalize on the billion dollar health industry and bring the best products to the largest consumer base seeking mental health products? How can entrepreneurs, behavioural scientists, and designers work together to transform the delivery models and global reach of emerging tech for mental health?

Creative Tools: Blindfolds, Love Letters and a few others

The role of creative tools in understanding how to embrace them to win in today's business environment. A session to unlock impressions, associations and sentiments and apply our learnings to our products, services and teams we manage. A discussion at the end to share tools and frameworks that have served our businesses.

The 2018 Stream USA Media Consolidation Time Capsule (TM)

Disney buys Fox. ATT buys Time Warner. Another golden age of consolidation is upon us! In this discussion we will make our bold predictions for what mega consolidations in media, tech and advertising will occur in the next 12 months. We'll then vote on our favorites, place them in a time capsule, and bury it on the grounds of Ojai Valley Inn without permission. At Stream 2019 we'll unearth the time capsule to reveal how right and wrong we were and deal with the public shame or adulation then. Hosted by Chris Bruss and Mike Farah from Funny Or Die.

Connected TV is the New Black

The transition from Linear TV to OTT is happening right before our eyes as more and more viewers cut the cord. Marketers and agencies now have more factors than ever to consider when deciding how they allocate their TV dollars. Changes in consumption habits, content fragmentation, internal politics about who should control these buys are just some of the challenges that exist in today's landscape. OTT is truly at a cross roads as we head towards a new decade that will see streaming become the new norm.

How do Corporations create and change their identity?

How do corporations create and change their identity? How does its DNA change from that of the founder to something controlled by outside forces - customers, investors, regulators, culture - and an internal metabolism regulated by costs & revenues?

The Myth of the Nice girl

Have you heard of the book "The Myth of the Nice girl" . I will talk about how can you have the career that you love without become the person you hate :). I strongly believe that being a kind, nice, authentic and loving person can be complimentary to being a strong, effective performer and leader.

Making Oil Tankers behave like Speed Boats? Corporate innovation vs the unshackled Startup

What works? Is quest for IP important or like dragging an anchor? -Simon Campbell, The Sandpit

The Trust Trifecta

Do brands trust agencies to recommend plans that include higher value placements and keeps them in brand safe inventory? Do agencies trust publishers enough to test out unproven targeting methods or placements and keep them in quality environments? Are clients willing to sacrifice cheap CPMs for better, brand safe inventory quality? Finally, do we trust publishers enough to believe the promise of their solutions? Join Karen Kwarta from IBM Watson Advertising and Susan Schiekofer from GroupM for a discussion about trust and transparency in our industry.

Build Buy or Partner? How critically evaluating technology vendors will impact us today and in the future.

As we all struggle with more complex technology solutions will better vendor management lead to better business outcomes? How can we as publishers, brands, and agencies alike develop the skills to know when to buy vs. build and focus on what is core to our individual business.

The Trust Paradox

Studies show that trust is on the decline. Self-reported measures of trust in companies, government, media, and even other people have all been trending downward. Simultaneously, people are increasingly riding with strangers, staying at strangers' apartments, meeting people online, and abandoning physical money. Is trust really on the decline? Is the nature of trust changing? Does it matter? What lies ahead?

The Myth of the Nice Girl

How can you have the career that you love without become the person you hate :). I strongly believe that being a kind, nice, authentic and loving person can be complimentary to being a strong, effective performer and leader.

What is the meaning of addiction? (A behavior pattern, not a substance)

How do corporations create and change their identity?

How does its DNA change from that of the founder to something controlled by outside forces - customers, investors, regulators, culture - and an internal metabolism regulated by costs & revenues?

What Men are Thinking at Work

What are some of the questions men in the workplace may be thinking but afraid to ask? What are the new rules of etiquette? How can men get comfortable with being uncomfortable and break through to becoming an advocate? Inspired by an Advertising Week FQ panel, Microsoft's John Tolson and Paul Longo will lead a discussion on how men can help to advance workplace equality.

You, me and.... "I". An honest perspective on the good, the bad and ugly of Influencer Marketing

GroupM's Mindshare and Fullscreen, including the WPP preferred influencer marketing partnership PLAYA, have a frank, open and transparent discussion around the role of influencers in brand comms today. Is it a bubble? Is there ROI? How do you partner with online creators in a way that works well for your media dollars? And finally, is it a need to have...or a must-have for 2019?

You, me and.... "I". An honest perspective on the good, the bad and ugly of Influencer Marketing?

GroupM's Mindshare and Fullscreen, including the WPP preferred influencer marketing partnership PLAYA, have a frank, open and transparent discussion around the role of influencers in brand comms today. Is it a bubble? Is there ROI? How do you partner with online creators in a way that works well for your media dollars? And finally, is it a need to have...or a must-have for 2019?

AI Bias is an increasing threat to society & business – how do humans fix it?

Lyndsay Pattison, WPP’s Chief Client Officer leads a discussion with Dr Peter Day a PHD in Machine Learning & Quantcast’s Chief Technology Officer to unpack the issues & solutions for society and business before opening up to general debate with the group.

Long and short of it

Binge watching, on-demand viewing, 120 characters or 20 minute brand movie, limited commercial interruption (LCI), less = more (or is it?). A snackable media diet vs three course media meal? How are people's shifts in media consumption altering how we produce content, value media and integrate advertising and marketing to support it.

The Ethics of Convenience

We all do it. We shop online, we rideshare, we use delivery, we’re on social media. We’ve shifted longstanding purchase behaviors to easier, more convenient options…ones that tend to use lower paid, part-time workers without benefits or ones that use our data in ways that may seem noncompetitive or reflect questionable values. What’s the role of the individual in protecting the labor force or maintaining societal norms? Let’s discuss the issues associated with the ethics of convenience, how they come to life, and where we go from here. Please join Julie Fleischer and myself for this discussion.

If Corporations Are People, Should They Get to Vote Too?

Voting with your pocketbook isn’t a new idea, but the ethics of consumption seems to be breaking new ground these days. Whether it’s Nike taking a knee with Colin Kapernick, Dick’s Sporting Goods standing on the side of the March for our Lives, or CEO’s dropping out of global conferences like the FII in Saudi Arabia, companies are wading into political waters. Is this good for shareholders? For society? For the longevity of corporate leaders? Let’s discuss what it all means and how far companies can and should go. Please join Julie Fleischer and myself. Looking forward to it.