Bigwig Marketing Execs Turnout for 2020 Georgia Marketing Summit

Marketing leaders and branding experts descended on Atlanta earlier this month for the 2020 Georgia Marketing Summit at downtown’s Ritz-Carlton.

The conference, which took place days before public closures across the state due to Coronavirus, still drew an impressive – albeit smaller turnout – lineup of industry professionals and well-heeled attendees from across the country. Guests included everyone from CMOs, CBOs, creative directors, advertising strategists, and social media managers, among others.

The event’s keynote was Tiffany Baehman, Chief Marketing Officer at Cricket Wireless, whose talk centered on determining if your Marketing Is Making A Difference. During her speech, she emphasized the importance of tracking data and understanding your target audience.

“Since 2016 we are operating on a budget that’s roughly 25 percent less than where we started,” said Baehman, during her speech. “We know our audience, we measure everything, and we do our best to stay in alignment.”

Photo Credit: Ms. Lee Ashby. Watts (left) is CMO at Smith, Gambrell & Russell LLP, she was a moderator at the 2020 Georgia Marketing Summit

“As a result, we are more efficient in our marketing tactics. We are impacting our brand and how it’s viewed in the marketplace and I am very excited to say that we continue to be the fastest-growing prepaid brand in the U.S.”

Other notable speakers included Juliet D’Ambrosio, Senior Director of Strategy; Ray Owens, CEO & Founder DX Marketing; Emily Pachuta, Chief Marketing & Analytics Officer, Invesco; Ed Roberts, Brand and Creative Director, Georgia Power; Lincoln Parks, Marketing Director, Heritage Bank; Lee Ashley Watts, Chief Marketing Officer at Smith, Gambrell & Russell LLP, to name a few.

“We know our audience, we measure everything, and we do our best to stay in alignment.”

Adrenaline Agency’s Juliet D’Ambrosio also talked about empathy-led marketing that goes beyond transactions to build deep, lasting, and loyal relationships between brands and people.

 “The thesis of the talk is really about the idea of that we stop seeing our audiences in terms of us and them,” said D’Ambrosio. “There is but one “us” and that is the realization that brands are reaching people.”

Ed Roberts, Brand and Creative Director at Georgia Power, participated in the Building a Successful Brand/Agency Collaboration panel discussion. In an interview with UrbanGeekz afterward, he said the best partnerships start with transparency.

“As the client, the best way to build a solid foundation for successful brand and agency collaborations begins with transparency, said Roberts. “Your agency partners need as much transparency to fully understand the “why” behind your request. If they do not understand the “why,” they will be less successful in determining the “how” that will lead them to an appropriate, and in some cases, transformative solution.   The quality of the solutions delivered by the agency will be the “what” that could positively or negatively impact the brand, and over time, your career.”

“The thesis of the talk is really about the idea of that we stop seeing our audiences in terms of us and them. There is but one “us” and that is the realization that brands are reaching people.”

“Transparency comes in many forms and education is at the root of it all. The client must take the time needed throughout the relationship to educate their agency partner about their brand’s business. The agency must also be willing to listen and not assume that because they may have done business within a similar industry or the exact same industry that operations and cultures will be the same. Our world changes far too quickly for those assumptions.”

“Transparency and education are two horns on the same bull that can charge a brand and agency relationship towards a successful finish time after time. It is our job as the client to ensure the success of our agency partners through transparency and continuous education.”

The jam-packed daylong event included a host of exhibitors, keynote presentations, interactive panel discussions, 4 + hours of dedicated network receptions, and yummy grub throughout the day. Topics provided insight and inspiration to take marketing strategies to the next level.

Main Image: Courtesy of the Georgia Marketing Summit