CONFERENCE RECAPS

On March 21 st , I attended the Women of the world Summit In Harlem, NY. This three-day summit was geared toward sharing the stories of women that often go untold but often shape culture and industries as we know them. Here I attended two seminars that directed related to the communications industry and how we approach communications at large. Session #1 – In Conversation with April Ryan.   The first session was a dynamic interview session with April D. Ryan, white house correspondent.   We all know of the tumultuous relationship between the leader of the free world and Mrs. Ryan. Throughout his presidential campaign and his current term, the office of the president has taken a unique approach to communicate their message. This nontraditional candidate took to nontraditional mediums to address the nation, reflect the party in office’s opinions and ridicule them free press. Ms. Ryan opened this discussion by explaining the role of the free press and...

March 7th at 5pm. New York As a graduate student wanting to be part of the corporate social responsibility movement, I had set my eyes on this session for weeks in advance. The conference session was part of the Advertising Research Foundation Salon Series. This particular session focused on “Corporate Social Responsibility - What’s it Worth?’ - taking place on March 7th of 2019 at 5 pm in New York City. The session included a small group of attendees and guest speakers from Unilever, Bank of America, and McPherson Strategies. ARF”s own CEO, Scott McDonald, moderated the panel and helped drive an insightful discussion in brands responsibility of improving society. He stated that brands should practice having an active “...dialogue with society.” Unilever’s Head of Sustainability, Viviana Alvarez, had many many takeaways that are sure to inspire brands and position them as advocating and communicating purpose-driven goals. Furthermore, positioning them as being a positive role ...

As a graduate student with fascination for social purpose, I was specifically interested in attending the Advertising Research Foundation’s talk on corporate social responsibility last March 7, 2019. The conference is part of the Salon Series and the discussion centered on how sustainability programs are fundamental in any business operation. While the panelists agree that CSR is crucial to the attainment of their business objectives, they also agreed that choosing the right program or programs may be equally interesting and challenging. They all agreed that CSR programs should embody the goals and objectives of the company, as well as their core values. The conference started with a short but thought-provoking remark from ARF’s president, Mr. Scott McDonald, Ph.D. “Corporate social responsibility is part of a broader trend that companies have been engaging in realizing that they don’t just sell things. ... But they also are about a ... dialogue with the society. Companie...

The Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) recently debuted their new event series for members (and BIC Students). These intimate, fire side chat style conversations, entitled The Salon Series, bring together advertising thought leaders and strategic thinkers to discuss topics that matter to our industry and society. This string of 6 events are hosted at the ARF headquarters and run throughout the spring season! After each of the discussions guest are encouraged to connect, network, extend the panel discussion food and wine (Yes to food. Yes to wine.) As an Integrated Marketing Manager at a lifestyle publication, three of the six panels peaked my interest: Corporate Social Responsibility, What’s It Worth?, TV Killed the Radio Star, But Will Anything Kill Upfronts?, and Emerging Tech: How Will 5G Supercharge AI? #1 Corporate Social Responsibility, What’s It Worth? - March 7 th With all that’s happening in politics and society in 2019, the question (or quest...