Agenda

How will the economy in the U.S. recover? The pandemic has changed how businesses operate and how citizens consume. In this new normal, resilience to shocks will be a much more prominent concern. We will all need to be prepared to adapt and respond to shocks without freezing or overreacting. This keynote session will weave together Paul Romer’s research on technological innovation, which earned him his Nobel Prize, and his recent deep-dive into the specifics of how the nation can contain the pandemic without destroying our economy. The overarching lesson is that the basic methods of science -- resolving disagreements about facts and using logic to make sense of them -- are the key both to making progress in the long-run and to responding optimally to short-run disruptions. This method requires an honest inquiry into the mistakes the United States made in responding to the pandemic and a serious attempt at making sure we never repeat them. But we must be sure that these tasks undermine neither our confidence that the citizens of the United States can keep making progress nor our commitment to sustain the effort that it requires.

Overnight the pandemic changed the business landscape, forcing marketing leaders to lead in new ways and rethink how they connect with their consumers. From quickly shifting strategy to lean heavily into digital to reallocating resources to provide a public service, this panel brings together CMOs to discuss how they were able to reimagine the customer experience, deliver on their brand purpose and establish new ways of collaborating with partners, employees and customers. Hear how these brands pivoted during the pandemic and are positioning themselves for future success.

The recent events have shown us that voices matter – and at times, even more so than our own message. As brands, we’ve not only had to rethink how we market to our consumers - ensuring responsive and tone appropriate messages, we’ve had to seek out those voices whose values reflect our own and partner with them to help drive positive change. Unfortunately, capitalizing on social and aligning with trusted talent is risky given the millions of followers to choose from and fake followers that run rampant. Join Bob Lord, SVP, Cognitive Applications, Blockchain and Ecosystems, Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential, and Josephine Chew, Vice President of Brand and Reputation at Wells Fargo as they discuss the power artificial intelligence can have in bringing some much-needed trust and responsibility to this enormous market opportunity.

Recent events in the U.S. have highlighted the racial and social inequities blacks and other people of color face in our society. This panel brings together diversity and inclusion leaders to accelerate the conversation within the C-suite on the value of diversity to drive innovation, creativity and increased performance. It will also discuss how the industry can be held more accountable and implement real changes within their organization and the marketing industry at large.

In a constantly evolving world, it’s hard to foresee what will happen next. Things are changing all the time which makes it almost impossible to predict where everything is heading to. That’s why sometimes it’s best to focus on the things which will probably not change. With economic turmoil and social tensions on the rise, companies and brands have the responsibility to take real, concrete actions and play a positive role for people and the planet. In this presentation Fernando Machado, Global CMO for Restaurant Brands International, will present a framework on how to create a positive impact for your brands while avoiding some common pitfalls we all face.