The Next Frontier of Commerce Is Creative
“The art of commerce is about understanding how consumers are living their life today.” — Beth Ann Kaminkow
In this fireside chat, Beth Ann Kaminkow, CEO of VMLY&R Commerce and VMLY&R New York, took the stage with Matt Scheckner, chairman of Advertising Week, to explore the era of modern commerce, the acceleration of creative commerce, and how brands and agencies are reimagining ways of working to reach audiences across new commerce channels.
During the session, Kaminkow shared her strategies for putting commerce at the center of your brand’s consumer experience and how creative commerce is taking the industry by storm. She also explored the role of data and tech, and ways we are working with clients to test new formats and channels that help them to “see around the corner.”
Agency Innovation: The Emerging Tech Fueling Creativity and Connection
“The big ideas that come out of creatives and agencies are not going to be replaced by AI. AI is not able to create anything net new.” — Luke Hurd
Luke Hurd, VMLY&R director, experience design, joined 4A’s Chick Foxgrover, Meta’s Head of Agency Bianca Bradford, and DDB’s Christine Lane for a discussion about how agencies are leveraging emerging tech to drive innovation today.
This expert panel explored the growth of the creator ecosystem and how it has altered the agency model, how AI is ushering in a new era of creativity, and the role of agencies in building an inclusive metaverse.
They discussed how advertising agencies can lean into technological innovation to evolve and compete for new customers and help their clients.
Brand Experience Is the New World Order
“The more connected audiences become to brands and vice versa, the more critical it becomes to turn social media into a brand experience.” — Kyle Luke
Kyle Luke, VMLY&R group director, strategy, led this insightful conversation about the brand experience on social media with Paige Raiczyk, strategist, Berlin Cameron; Kelley Myers, director of social media, Microsoft; and Jonathan Kratz, director, head of industry, Meta.
During the session, panelists discussed how social media platforms are the home of real-time brand experience, where you can communicate with widespread and nuanced communities and immerse yourself in cultural moments and movements. It’s way more than content creation — it’s where brands come alive.
They discussed the power of one-on-one communication on social media, how Microsoft uses nostalgia to create fun experiences, and how we can evaluate the impact of these new age social media platforms.
Putting Inclusivity Into Practice
“Being able to galvanize a community to create changes for a cause that’s affecting them directly has been impactful, but has also leveraged visibility, connection across capability and support for clients.” — Tasha Gilroy
Tasha Gilroy, VMLY&R chief equity inclusion and belonging officer, joined a panel of experts, including Brian Ellner, U.S. public affairs lead, WPP; Amy Litt, VP, communications planning, CMI Media Group; and Julie Hurvitz Aliaga, EVP, innovation, content and partnerships, CMI Media Group, in a discussion on the power of ERGs and inclusivity.
Throughout the panel, insights were shared regarding the effectiveness of ERGs, how clients can benefit from agency ERGs, and steps agency employees can take to improve their inclusivity strategy.
Holding Companies: The Underutilized LGBTQ+ Asset
“Beyond agency ERGs, benefits of holding companies at scale include writing policy and making an impact that goes beyond the agency level.” — Graham Smith
Graham Smith, VMLY&R managing director, experience strategy, and global LGBTQ+ lead, joined Graham Nolan, co-chair, storytelling and partnerships, Do the WeRQ; Kai Deveraux Lawson, SVP, diversity equity inclusion, Dentsu Creative; and Jacob Porpossian, global executive creative director and partner, FleishmanHillard on a panel discussing the benefits of holding companies in scaling agency-level inclusivity progress.
These agency leaders shared how they harness their agency-level commitment and scale it with the power of their holding company in terms of community building, resource allocation, policy setting, and talent investment.
Dear Black Talent Power Summit
Dear Black Talent is a recruitment platform launched by the 4A’s Foundation and VMLY&R that is geared toward attracting new talent into the industry, driving consideration for those returning to the industry, and elevating individuals seeking professional growth and development — with a keen eye on mid- to junior executive-level talent. The site opens new doors for careers in marketing and advertising and connects talent to organizations committed to diversifying their talent pools.
At the Power Summit, representatives of Dear Black Talent examined the state of the industry, facilitated honest conversations around diverse representation, and discussed the value of companies investing in this pool of talent for long-term succession planning. It provided attendees the opportunity to network with industry peers and learn more about our commitment to empower the next generation of Black advertising leaders!
Learn more about Dear Black Talent here: https://www.dearblacktalent.com/#dbt
Dear Black Talent Power Summit
Dear Black Talent is a recruitment platform launched by the 4A’s Foundation and VMLY&R that is geared toward attracting new talent into the industry, driving consideration for those returning to the industry, and elevating individuals seeking professional growth and development — with a keen eye on mid- to junior executive-level talent. The site opens new doors for careers in marketing and advertising and connects talent to organizations committed to diversifying their talent pools.
At the Power Summit, representatives of Dear Black Talent examined the state of the industry, facilitated honest conversations around diverse representation, and discussed the value of companies investing in this pool of talent for long-term succession planning. It provided attendees the opportunity to network with industry peers and learn more about our commitment to empower the next generation of Black advertising leaders!
Learn more about Dear Black Talent here: https://www.dearblacktalent.com/#dbt
