2024 Conference

Join Conan Venus in this helpful and fun presentation as he unveils the secrets of the STAND OUT branding process. Discover how to differentiate your brand in a crowded market and create an enduring impact. This session will guide you through essential questions and actionable strategies to elevate your brand's presence and distinctiveness, ensuring it stands out in the minds of your audience. Key Learning Objectives: ● The Essence of Standing Out: Delve into what standing out truly means. Uncover the three pivotal elements that all standout brands possess and how to harness the power of the unique STAND OUT process for your brand. ● Mastering Competitive Analysis: We'll explore effective techniques for conducting industry audits and analysis, enabling you to identify and disrupt industry norms for a competitive edge in strategically positioning your brand in the marketplace. ● Crafting a Compelling Brand Narrative: Discover the art of developing a strong brand voice, style, and content. We will explore three critical questions that will help you define your brand's perspective, solidifying what your brand stands for in the consumer's mind. ● Revitalizing Your Brand Without Starting Over: Learn how to inject new life into your existing brand elements, transforming them into dynamic components that STAND OUT. Whether you're looking to refine your existing brand or build a new one from the ground up, this session will equip you with the insights and tools you need to make your brand truly STAND OUT. ____________________BIO: From small-town farm boy, to punk-rock youth and art school dropout, Conan Venus' journey to becoming the driving force behind Conan Venus And Company is an extraordinary one. Conan's early career as a freelance illustrator and print designer quickly evolved with the rise of the internet. His expertise in digital design and project management earned him a leadership position at Biggs|Gilmore, one of West Michigan's largest privately owned advertising agencies. There, he took the reins of the Kellogg's and Heinz accounts, making a significant impact over eight years, helping to deliver countless award-winning campaigns. Conan played a pivotal role in the account's growth and success, including the eventual sale of Biggs|Gilmore to VML. A true expert in advertising and marketing strategy, Conan has consulted and collaborated with global, national, and regional brands to create amazing campaigns. His impressive portfolio includes Kellogg's, Heinz, Fresh Express, E. & J. Gallo Winery, Rembrandt Toothpaste, and many, many more. With Conan Venus at the helm, your advertising and marketing endeavors are in the hands of a seasoned visionary ready to craft compelling strategies and drive exceptional results.

Having an inclusive online experience should be the goal of any company with a digital presence. One in four adults in the United States have some type of disability. In this presentation, learn what digital accessibility standards are, how websites can strive to accommodate those with disabilities, and how accessibility can even aid in SEO and user experience efforts. Main questions covered: - What is accessibility and how big of an opportunity is it for company websites? - What are various types of disabilities and their associated assistive devices online? - How can accessibility work hand-in-hand with SEO to create human-centered website experiences that perform? - What are best practices for images, videos, and page content to adhere to both accessibility and SEO standards? __________________BIO: Andrew Prince currently serves as a Senior SEO Manager at Rocket Mortgage in Detroit. With a track record of success, Andrew has held influential roles at prominent companies such as Wayfair and the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, where he demonstrated his prowess in driving impactful SEO strategies. Throughout his career, Andrew has been recognized for his innovative approach, leadership skills, and ability to deliver tangible results. Outside of work, you can find Andrew exploring new cities, cheering on Michigan State sports, and watching Survivor.

In the current world, marketers are able to gain large amounts of data and results from various analyses, yet the challenge is to derive appropriate insights from such data, and subsequently use insights to tell compelling and impactful brand stories. This session addresses this challenge by providing participants with a clear strategy on how to turn their data into insights and use it to tell their brand’s story. Effective brand storytelling positively influences consumers’ identification with the brand, and ultimately purchasing behaviors. Learning Objectives ❖ Participants will be better able to distinguish between analysis results and, and how to use results to develop insights. ❖ Participants will be better able to use insights to understand their consumers’ identities and how to craft stories to increase consumers’ identification with their brands. ❖ Participants will be better able to develop strategies that are optimal for consumers to verify their identities with their brands. ____________________BIO: Dr. Lova Randrianasolo is the director of DEIB and an assistant professor of marketing at Loyola University Chicago’s Quinlan School of Business. Before joining Quinlan, Dr. Randrianasolo held a post at Butler University where he chaired the marketing department as well as a post at John Carroll University. His research focuses on international marketing strategies, consumer behavior, as well as bottom of the pyramid marketing, and has been published in premier academic journals. Dr. Randrianasolo has taught courses such as Marketing Analytics, Research, Insights & Storytelling, International Marketing, and Consumer Insights at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Finally, along with his career in academia, Dr. Randrianasolo consults organizations regarding brand storytelling, marketing research, marketing analytics, and has delivered speaking engagements for organizations in multiple countries.