Festival Day 4
Talk 1: Who’s Laughing Now? AXE’s Strategic Journey to Reclaim Relevance- Unilever and LOLA MulleLowe
My Notes…
In AXE’s commercials, they sought strong characters that aligned with their message.
They discovered that humor was a significant connector to their audience. They stated, “This humor is so stupid, it’s funny.”
They also found that younger audiences prefer purchasing and wearing sweeter fragrances.
Talk 2: Effectiveness Decoded: How Today’s Most Successful Brands Win- Netflix, Eos, and Superconnector Studios
My Notes…
I really enjoyed this talk. The CMO of EOS spoke so effortlessly because she genuinely connected with a younger audience like me. She discussed their campaign on their vanilla cashmere product, which was a cultural reset for many people and something I personally witnessed on social media. She also emphasized the importance of speaking to your audience, which that campaign effectively did.
The Vice President at Netflix shared how to work backwards from a framework and execute long-term planning for any project.
Talk 3: Stirring the Creative Pot: How Connection Through Food Fuels Growth- PEPSICO
My Notes…
The way people eat and experience good has transformed, especially through social media.
PepsiCo tries to identify microtrends early so they can integrate them with their brand, allowing them to be ahead of the curve when the rest of the world joins the trend.
Talk 4: Meet up with Alex- UM alumn
My Notes…
He shared with our group his journey to where he is in the industry today. Alex used to work at many different agencies but now is a freelancer. Our group asked him many different questions, but one that stood out the most to me was about how to make your about page stand out, as he personally goes straight to that page when hiring someone.
Talk 5: Meet up with Cara and Mia- UM alumn
My Notes…
Cara and Mia were incredibly kind and thoughtful. They had a lot of great things to say about the industry, but they also shared some challenges they’ve faced. Their conversation really opened up a meaningful dialogue and helped me gain a deeper understanding of the industry.
One thing they mentioned was to ask your boss what success looks like for you in the company in the next 1-2 years. I thought that was really important because it’s not just about advocating for yourself, but also about having a say in the direction of your career.
