Neil Morgan, Marketing Professor, Wisconsin School of Business
See highlights from Neil’s session in the above video.
This graphic recording and sketch note of Neil’s session were created by Lin Wilson. Feel free to save these images to remember the key takeaways from the session. Learn more about Lin here. Click on the images above to view them in full screen and download/save them.
Strategic Excellence in Marketing: Enhancing Organizational Effectiveness
Neil Morgan, Marketing Professor, Wisconsin School of Business
Join Neil Morgan for a compelling session on the strategic imperatives that drive winning marketing organizations. In this presentation, Neil will examine key elements that enhance operating effectiveness, offering insights grounded in his extensive research and expertise. The session will explore the critical aspects of building and sustaining high-performing marketing teams, providing a holistic view of the strategies necessary for success.
Through a blend of theoretical frameworks and practical examples, Neil will highlight the critical importance of developing robust marketing capabilities that align with organizational goals. Attendees will gain valuable perspectives on creating a cohesive marketing strategy that not only meets current market demands but also anticipates future challenges and opportunities.
Key session takeaways:
Understand the foundational principles that underpin successful marketing organizations.
Explore strategies for enhancing operational clarity and aligning team efforts towards a shared mission.
Learn the significance of fostering innovation and agility within marketing teams.
This session promises to equip marketing leaders with actionable insights and a strategic mindset to elevate their organizational effectiveness and drive sustained success in an ever-evolving marketplace.
Neil Morgan
Marketing Professor, Wisconsin School of Business
Professor Neil Morgan’s primary research interests are in marketing capabilities, brand strategy, marketing strategy formulation and implementation, customer feedback systems, and marketing performance assessment. He is one of the pioneers of the academic study of firms marketing capabilities, publishing multiple research papers linking such capabilities with firms’ financial performance, and has worked with a number of organizations to help them plan and build improved marketing capabilities.
Neil has previously served on the faculty at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business (most recently as Professor and PetSmart Distinguished Chair of Marketing), and on the faculty of the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business, and also Cambridge University’s Judge Business School. He holds a BA from the London School of Economics, and an MBA and PhD in business administration from the University of Wales.
A Remarkable Customer Experience Is Your Biggest Competitive Advantage
See highlights from Dan’s session in the above video.
A Remarkable Customer Experience Is Your Biggest Competitive Advantage
Dan Gingiss, Author of The Experience Maker
In today’s competitive landscape, standing out requires more than just great products or prices. Join Dan Gingiss, customer experience expert and former Fortune 500 executive, to discover how remarkable customer experiences can be your ultimate differentiator. Based on his book, “The Experience Maker,” Dan will share practical strategies and examples from various industries to show how creating memorable experiences can turn customers into loyal advocates. Learn how to make customer experience your strongest competitive advantage and walk away with actionable insights to deepen your customer connections.
Key session takeaways:
Identify the most shareable customer experiences and understand why they resonate.
Apply a simple, 5-step framework for creating remarkable, shareable experiences.
Leverage successful examples from multiple industries to inspire practical, cost-effective ideas.
This session is designed for marketing leaders, customer experience professionals, and business strategists seeking to differentiate their brands through exceptional customer experiences. Gain valuable insights and practical tools to enhance your strategy and drive business growth.
Dan Gingiss
Dan Gingiss is an international keynote speaker and customer experience expert who believes that a remarkable experience is your best competitive advantage. His 20-year professional career included leadership positions at McDonald’s, Discover, and Humana.
Dan is the author of two books, The Experience Maker and Winning at Social Customer Care, and he co-hosted the award-winning Experience This! podcast.
We are thrilled to have Dan Gingiss speak at this year’s Annual Conference on October 1 under the Marketing Track as well as lead an exclusive Mini Boot Camp the day before on Creating Competitive Advantage with Memorable Marketing. Hear a bit more about him in this exclusive interview with our conference’s Master of Ceremonies John Stofflet:
Revolutionizing ROI: Elevating Social Media with Compelling Storytelling and Top of Mind Awareness
Spencer X Smith, Author of ROTOMA: The ROI of Social Media Top of Mind
See highlights from Spencer’s session in the above video.
Revolutionizing ROI: Elevating Social Media with Compelling Storytelling and Top of Mind Awareness
Spencer X Smith, Author of ROTOMA: The ROI of Social Media Top of Mind
In today’s competitive landscape, staying relentlessly relevant is crucial for brand success. Join Spencer X. Smith to explore how brands can harness the power of social media and compelling storytelling – supercharged through AI – to maintain top of mind awareness throughout the sales cycle. This session will provide actionable insights for both B2B and B2C audiences, focusing on strategies to enhance engagement, drive measurable business results, and increase the lifetime value of customers.
Key session takeaways:
Master the art of compelling storytelling to create engaging, multi-channel social media strategies that resonate with your target audience.
Discover brand-new AI tools to expedite content creation and graphical representations, saving you hours of work.
Acquire advanced skills to measure and optimize marketing performance, ensuring continuous budget and stakeholder backing.
Harness social media to amplify brand visibility and deepen audience engagement.
Whether you are a marketing leader in a B2B or B2C organization, this session will equip you with the cutting-edge strategies needed to transform your social media efforts and achieve substantial business outcomes. Don’t miss this chance to leverage the power of Return On Top Of Mind Awareness (ROTOMA) to revolutionize your marketing ROI.
Spencer X Smith
Spencer X Smith consults for and invests in dozens of high-tech projects and teaches using simple language. He is an AI advisor for the world’s largest bond manager (PIMCO) and is a graduate of the Economics of Blockchain & Digital Assets program at the University of Pennsylvania.
After starting his career at IBM during the Y2K days, Spencer has always been an early adopter of new technology so he can better teach others what he’s learned. He’s the author of Amazon Bestseller ROTOMA: The ROI of Social Media Top of Mind and has served on the Wisconsin Technology Council Board of Directors since 2017.
Leveraging Diversity to Drive Market Growth: The Business Case for DEI&B in Marketing
Featuring panelists Kelli Williams, Mary Beth George, Anthony Romano, and Marilka Velez
See highlights from this session in the above video.
This graphic recording and sketch note of this session were created by Lin Wilson. Feel free to save these images to remember the key takeaways from the session. Learn more about Lin here. Click on the images above to view them in full screen and download/save them.
Leveraging Diversity to Drive Market Growth: The Business Case for DEI&B in Marketing
Featuring panelists Kelli Williams, Mary Beth George, Anthony Romano, and Marilka Velez
Join us for an insightful session featuring leading voices in marketing and diversity, as we explore the powerful impact of diverse, equitable, and inclusive workspaces on business growth and market competitiveness. Our distinguished panel will share their experiences and strategies for leveraging diversity to drive market growth and reflect customer values.
This session will highlight the tangible business benefits of diversity within marketing teams. You’ll gain insights into how inclusive campaigns resonate more deeply with diverse customer bases, fostering loyalty and promoting social responsibility. Discover the positive outcomes experienced by our panelists and learn how organizations like The BrandLab can support your efforts to diversify your marketing teams.
Key session takeaways:
Recognize the gap between the diversity of marketing teams and their customer base.
Understand the business benefits of fostering diversity within marketing teams.
Learn from real-world examples and positive outcomes shared by the panelists.
Explore how organizations like The BrandLab can assist in diversifying your marketing teams.
Gain actionable insights to support and champion DEI&B initiatives within your own company.
This session is designed for marketing professionals at all levels, providing valuable perspectives and practical strategies to enhance your organization’s market competitiveness through diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Meet Our Panelists
Kelli Williams is the CEO of The BrandLab, an organization transforming the marketing and advertising profession by fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Kelli Williams believes her purpose on this earth is to create opportunities to grow and achieve more for the next generation — and she is actively walking in her purpose as the Chief Executive Officer The BrandLab, a nonprofit on a mission to change the face and the voice of the marketing & advertising profession.
Kelli has a passion for individual and group development and has proudly taught, mentored, and motivated teams for over 20 years while working inside marketing agencies and corporate environments, as an independent consultant, and now as a nonprofit leader focused on diversifying the profession. In every iteration of her career, Kelli has led with a passion for driving organizational success through people and strategic development.
Mary Beth George is the Vice President of Retail Brand Experience at Target, overseeing in-store marketing and visual merchandising. Mary Beth is an experienced retail and brand marketer. She has held various positions in her 18 years with Target including In-Store Marketing, Guest Insights and roles in Brand Category Marketing. Prior to her time at Target, Mary Beth held advertising and marketing positions at Best Buy and Allen & Gerritsen. Today, she is an advocate for racial equity by championing Target’s racial equity commitments in marketing and serves as board chair for the BrandLab, an organization focused on changing the face and voice of the marketing and advertising profession.
Anthony Romano is the CEO at Laughlin Constable and Board Member at The BrandLab. Anthony is a versatile marketing and growth executive with over 30 years of experience driving brand and business transformation for some of the most iconic brands in the world, like Porsche, Harley-Davidson, Anheuser-Busch, Best Buy, General Mills, Citi, Ralph Lauren, Gap, Samsung, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Hershey’s, MasterCard, Converse, Loews Hotels, Sherwin-Williams, Braun, Verizon, PlayStation and Uber.
Anthony is currently the CEO of the independent creative agency, Laughlin Constable. Prior to LC, he founded an independent marketing and growth consultancy and before that, Anthony was President of the Midwest region for the global data and tech-driven agency, Wunderman Thompson. He’s also the former CEO of the NY office for the storied global creative agency, Bartle, Bogle and Hegarty (BBH), the former Chief of Client Services for the US region for the renowned digital innovation agency and the industry’s 2015 Agency of the Year, R/GA, and he’s the former Global Head of Digital Innovation for the fashion empire, Ralph Lauren. He’s been named to the Campaign US “Digital 40 Over 40” list and his teams have been associated with some of the industry’s more prestigious awards, such as Cannes Lions, Effies, Webby, Clios, and the One Show.
Marilka Velez is the Senior Vice President and Senior Director of Marketing at Associated Bank, where she leads the company’s brand, media, digital marketing, marketing operations and technology, and public relations strategies. In this role, Marilka drives the development and execution of dynamic, integrated brand strategies and product marketing campaigns aimed at strengthening Associated’s corporate reputation, driving revenue growth, accelerating core customer deposit growth, and delivering a better banking experience for customers.
With nearly 20 years of experience, Marilka has successfully built and led high-performing creative, branding, and digital marketing teams. She leverages her diverse background, strong cultural competence, creativity, and collaborative work style to inspire and develop talent. Her prior roles include Creative Director at BuySeasons and progressive design management positions at Kohl’s.
Steering Committee members provide guidance on track content, topic suggestions, and speaker selection. Thank you to the 2024 Marketing Track Steering Committee:
Anne Norman
EVP, Chief Marketing Officer
UW Credit Union
Scott Edmunds VP Marketing Kohler
Sherina Smith Chief Marketing Officer American Family Insurance
Tom Hershberger serves as the Marketing Practice Director for the UWEBC, working with member companies to enable peer-to-peer learning. Tom believes in the power of collaborative exchange and strives to create an environment where innovation, learning, and practical application intersect. Through his guidance, member companies not only learn from each other but also build valuable networks that extend beyond traditional learning.
In addition to promoting peer learning, Tom leads group discussions on emerging technologies with the potential to help fellow marketers stay ahead of the curve. Tom brings more than 25 years of marketing and product development experience, including top B2C brands such as Kimberly-Clark, Johnson Wax, Oscar Mayer, and Kraft Foods. He has also led marketing and innovation teams with B2B product and service companies and has successfully commercialized new products and technologies.
Tom earned an MBA in marketing and an MS in Biotechnology from UW-Madison and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois. He holds seven patents, is a Six Sigma Black Belt, and is a Certified Project Manager.
