It’s an exciting time to be in the brand development business. Ideas are now more powerful than process. The conversation with customers can no longer be based on product attributes, but rather on experiences. There is a metaphysical aspect to creating experiences consumers love to engage in. There is a explosive drive to create value on a higher level.
Just go to an Apple Store. What’s happening there is not based in a spreadsheet. The Apple Store is church for the brand faithful. There are other examples: Southwest Airlines, Herman Miller, IKEA, Target, Patagonia, Harley Davidson, BMW and yes, Wal-Mart too. These brands offer an experience that transcends what they make and market. The white hot center of competitive advantage is based in a compelling customer experience. In effect these brands have been loyal to their customers, not the other way around.
To do this right, brands have to stand for something authentic and real. And whatever that “something” is, it cannot be decorative or superficial. More importantly, creating experiences people love is not a “best practices” kind of process. That’s just another way of defining the status quo and doing what everyone is doing.
So if you buy into the premise of attraction marketing, your brand-building initiatives will be based in a core purpose of adding great value to people. Simple, unique and compelling ideas will be the gravity that attract the like-minded to the white hot center of your value proposition and your competitive advantage.
At The Un-Conference: 360 Degrees of Brand Strategy for a Changing World, senior B2C and B2B marketers work together with brand strategy experts through the lens of brand leadership and attraction marketing. The Blake Project’s sixth, fun, ‘Competitive-Learning’ event is about taking a deep dive into the how and why that results in strong brands. It’s an experience designed to help you develop strategies that will propel your brand to a leadership position or to assist you in maintaining the leadership position you have worked so hard to achieve. It’s the marketing world’s most unique event.
No Attendees. Only Participants.
The best pathway for learning is through participation, not observation. The Un-Conference: 360 Degrees of Brand Strategy for a Changing World will challenge your thinking about brands and brand management. To do that, we’ll put you on a team of 10 and offer you opportunities to compete, lead and learn alongside other marketers from around the world in a unique environment. The challenges you’ll tackle are based on and influenced by actual issues that you and other participants are facing.
This year we are focused on brand strategy to include brand architecture, brand storytelling, brand purpose, emotional connection strategy, customer engagement and digital. Participating marketers are joining us from a wide range of brands including Humana, TD Ameritrade, Bloomberg, R.J. Reynolds, Liberty Mutual and the Wounded Warrior Project.
It all takes place at The Hard Rock Hotel, San Diego, California May 14-16, 2018.
Our schedule…
Monday, May 14th – Kickoff Mixer: 7- 9pm at The Hard Rock Hotel Rooftop Pool
Tuesday, May 15th – Day 1: 8am – 5pm, at The Hard Rock Hotel / 6:30pm – ? Team building event and dinner
Wednesday, May 16th – Day 2: 8am – 5pm, at The Hard Rock Hotel
Who Should Participate?
We have reserved these two days (and a kickoff mixer on the evening of the 14th) for 50 senior B2C and B2B marketers who see growth as a way of life and who seek a learning experience superior to last century’s format of marketing conferences:
-Marketing oriented leaders;
-Marketing professionals (brand managers, product managers, directors, vice presidents, CMO’s, brand strategists etc.);
-Advertising agency professionals (account executives, planners, agency heads)
-Marketers facing brand strategy issues;
-Marketers seeking a competitive advantage;
-Professionals in charge of brand building, brand management, human resources;
-Marketers who prefer participation over observation and action over reaction; and
-Marketers who don’t believe that last century’s format of marketing conferences advances them as leaders.
Every revolution in marketing is remembered for the brands that pioneered it, not the me-too brands that came flooding in next. ~ Walker Smith
To secure a spot for you or your group at The Un-Conference: 360 Degrees of Brand Strategy for a Changing World call me directly in Los Angeles at 813-842-2260. Or simply email me.
Special pricing for MENG / Marketing Executives Group and American Marketing Association Members.
I do hope you can join us.
Sincerely,
Derrick Daye
Managing Partner
The Blake Project
