How to Build Strong Brands in a Frenzied World

The rise of global, instantaneous communication via digital platforms and devices has created uncertainty for once untouchable corporate brands. On one hand, the sheer volume of digital advertising and information makes it harder for brands to capture and sustain public attention. At the same time, brands thrust into the spotlight for negative reasons – such as corporate scandal or an unfavorable product or service – find it difficult to recover from reputational damage.

One thing is clear: to survive in the 21^st century, brands must be more than recognizable names; they need to forge emotional connections with consumers and sustain loyalty over the long term. These keynote speakers provide organizations with the insights, tools and frameworks they need to reinvent their images and generate long-lasting brand value.

Barbara Kahn: In the 21^st century, brands depend on two factors to be successful: name recognition and a relentless focus on the consumer. Kahn, executive director of the Marketing Science Institute, Wharton professor and leading authority on the evolution of retail in the age of Amazon, offers a detailed framework that can be applied by companies in any industry to win and maintain customers. Furthermore, Kahn, author of “The Shopping Revolution: How Successful Retailers Win Customers in an Era of Endless Disruption (Wharton Digital Press, June 2018), is a leading expert on how to make brands global household names, leveraging the power of name recognition to capture market share. In the age of social media, a 24-hour news cycle and digital platforms, Kahn helps companies rethink their entire approach to marketing.

Marco Bertini: Selling to customers depends on more than product or service quality, says Bertini, professor of marketing at ESADE. It relies on understanding consumer psychology, people’s perception of value and how modern technology stimulates accountability for brands. In his lively keynotes, which are also available as interactive workshops, Bertini draws on his years of detailed research and advising Fortune 500 leaders to show marketers how they can anticipate how consumers think and feel about the real value of their offerings, not just how much they cost to purchase. He moves beyond the traditional “4 Ps” of marketing to reveal how brands can convince consumers of their inherent value.

David Bell: A leading expert on the digital transformation of the consumer and retail sector and best-selling author of “Location Is (Still) Everything,” Bell advises companies on how they can leverage digital capabilities to reinforce consumer appeal and build customer loyalty. He also teaches marketers how to reorient their brands toward millennials through his groundbreaking “B.O.S.S. Model” of consumer engagement, focusing on the importance of experience over mere customer service.

Jeremy Heimans & Henry Timms: Authors of the national best-selling book “New Power: How Anyone Can Persuade, Mobilize and Succeed in our Chaotic, Connected Age” (US version, Penguin Random House, February 2019), Heimans and Timms constructed a revolutionary new perspective for understanding influence in the digital era, guided by the truth that persuading people now requires you to engage them rather than rely on exclusivity and expertise. For marketers, “New Power” demands a reimagining of how your organization communicates with the public, requiring more transparency and consumer participation in how decisions are made. Crucially, the brands that survive in this new order will be the ones that follow and draw strength from mass cultural movements.

Marketing, branding and corporate communications are undergoing immense transformation, but their underlying principles remain to strike a chord with the public and safeguard reputation. These speakers help you navigate those challenges and capitalize on the opportunities of change.