Wednesday, March 19

Arcadian Court, Loft 1/2, Loft 4/5

Arcadian Court

Featuring:

Judy Davey
VP Media Policy & Marketing Capabilities
ZenithOptimedia

Chris Unwin
Executive Director
Free Agency

Arcadian Court

The question is not whether branded content is the future of advertising, but whether it’s the future of media and entertainment consumption.  Electus is a production studio that unites creators, advertisers and distributors under one roof.  From format shows like Bet on Baby, a gameshow in which parents try to predict their child’s next move in order to win money for their future education, to Samsung’s WCG Ultimate Gamer an 8-episode, gaming reality series which ran on SyFy and USA Networks,  Electus is redefining how entertainment is produced, packaged and consumed. In conversation with Barry Krause, Laura Caraccioli-Davis, President, Content Marketing for Electus, offers her insights into how next generation studios are  leveraging entertainment and pop culture ... and bravely makes a few predictions on future formats and content.

Moderating:

Barry Krause
Founder, CEO
Suite, The LiveLab Company

Featuring:

Laura Caraccioli
President, Content Marketing
Electus

Arcadian Court

Red Bull has earned a legion of loyal consumers through its ballsy marketing and unique presence on the entertainment scene, from creating its own sporting events to producing films and running its own music studio and record label. A leader in the branded content space, Red Bull’s original productions – which are as sophisticated as any shows produced by traditional media companies – have reshaped the meaning of branded content.

McMorris & McMorris is a prime example of Red Bull’s marketing ethos. This eight-part docu-series for MTV follows Mark and Craig McMorris, professional snowboarding brothers from Regina, Saskatchewan, as they travel and compete around the world. Execs from Red Bull, MTV and Buck Productions will convene for an “anatomy of a deal” panel to discuss the creation and execution of McMorris & McMorris.

Moderating:

Randy Stein
Partner, Creative Director
Grip Limited

Featuring:

Jason Ford
Supervising Producer, Moving Images
Red Bull Media House

Jim Kiriakakis
Head of Unscripted
Buck Productions Inc

Craig McMorris
McMORRIS & McMORRIS
.

Brook Peters
SVP, Sales & Business Development
Bell Media Entertainment Specialty Television

Loft 1/2

Imagine your brand centre stage of remarkable storytelling

Creating donuts for Tim Hortons in Donut Showdown, demonstrating GE appliances in Top Chef Canada and developing twists for Twistos in Big Brother Canada are just a few examples of Shaw Media's commitment to telling advertisers brand stories.  Shaw Media produces over 650 hours of original programming each year with a keen focus on integration and branded content.  Drama, Comedy, Celebrity, Reality, Design, Food, Home Improvement....Shaw Media has the properties and the expertise to reach every audience.  Join Shaw Media as they share case studies and reveal what's new on the content marketing slate!

There will be a draw for 3 pairs of tickets to a live show taping of Big Brother Canada

To reserve a spot, you may sign up in advance by email: bconexpocustomercare+shawmedia@brunico.com

Please also check availability onsite where you may join additional Upfront sessions, on a first-come, first-served basis at the door.

Unfortunately, direct competitors will not be permitted to attend these sessions.

Featuring:

Sean Fernie
Director of Online Product and Content
Shaw Media and Communications

Cheryl Hickey
Host of ET Canada

Emily Morgan
Executive Producer National Productions
Shaw Media

Ann-Marie Spurr
Director, Media Strategy & Content Works
Shaw Media

Loft 4/5

The Globe and Mail's custom content group discusses the purpose, process and payoff of a content marketing strategy.

Join Brand Partnership Manager Connie Corner and our guest panelists including Globe and Mail Editors and clients as they discuss the collaborative and creative approach to telling brand stories.

To reserve a spot, you may sign up in advance by email: bconexpocustomercare+globeandmail@brunico.com

Please also check availability onsite where you may join additional Upfront sessions, on a first-come, first-served basis at the door.

Unfortunately, direct competitors will not be permitted and will be notified by email to choose another session.

Featuring:

Connie Corner
Group Client Director
The Globe and Mail

Lisa Mazurkewich
Director Marketing and Digital
Bacardi Canada

Peter McNeill
Director of Marketing
KPMG Enterprise

Arcadian Court, Loft 1/2, Loft 4/5

Arcadian Court

Brands seek to forge emotional connections, so little wonder many are turning to a traditionally compelling format – the documentary. In a post-script to the Olympic coverage, this panel features two long-form branded content films about the love of the game. The impact begs the question: in an attention-span-challenged environment, where viral buzz is fuelled by media innovation, what are the advantages of going long form and old school?

Moderating:

Mark Tomblin
Founder
TAXI

Featuring:

Julie Bristow
Founder
Bristow Global Media

Jennifer Dettman
Executive Director, Unscripted Content
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Susan O'Brien
Chief Brand and Customer Officer
Canadian Tire

Arcadian Court

In a pithy creative rebuttal to the long-form, there’s a plethora of short-and-sweet innovative projects popping up. From viral videos to recipes-as-commercials, this panel explores some of the unusual new approaches and cool technologies in the branded content space. From Molson’s YouTube “Beer Fridge Project – Indonesia”, MasterChef and Kraft recipes-as-content, to Mondelçz Canada’s 17  days of  real-time content ops during the Sochi Olympics, key players discuss which approach works best to attract and engage viewers, build social buzz - and have a shelf life. 

Moderating:

Mark Campbell
CEO
VMG Cinematic

Featuring:

Terry Chang
.
StarVest Media Group

Christine Jakovcic
Vice President, Global Brands
Molson Coors Canada

Alastair Taylor
CEO
MEC Canada

Mezzanine

Carmen Lago
So you want to integrate a Canadian brand into a U.S. show?

Lago has conceptualized and executed a variety of customized branded content campaigns at CHUM TELEVISION (now Rogers Media), Global TV (now Shaw) and Bell Media including TD’s “Making of a Star” with the hit reality show X-Factor which was the first time a Canadian brand was integrated into a U.S. reality show.  At her luncheon table, Lago will break down the steps for successful branded content integrations including the brand and the broadcaster.

Spencer Baim
How to keep your indie cred and still engage with brands?

Spencer Baim  Chief Strategic Officer  VICE MEDIA
Vice Media has paved the way for a new media beast: brand as publisher. At his round-table discussion Baim will address how Vice maintains its “indie” approach to content while engaging directly with brands. One example is “The Creators Project” site, a collaboration between Vice and Intel, dedicated to the arts. Explore what lines to draw when partnering with brands on content, and how to craft an authentic product.

Barry Krause
Creating An Experiential Brand Content Wheelhouse To Fuel A New Product Launch

Last summer, NIKE set out to activate its transformation to a digital age brand for the everyday athlete. The NIKEFUEL BAND was the product engine and the NIKEFUEL HOUSE was the experiential content engine created for the launch. Suite was brought on to create and operate a custom  LiveLab for Nike Central Region in Chicago's active Lincoln Park near the lakefront. People took free classes, watched top athletes face off on the basketball courts and softball field and experienced NIKEFUEL first hand. Every experience, all summer long, was candidly captured, turned into exciting content and framed into a real time digital launch rocket for NIKE+.

Krause will discuss how brands can create their own brand content factories and digital igniters to support major initiatives.

Mark Tomblin
How are conventional ad agencies bridging the gap between conventional advertising and branded content?  

What are big brands with big budgets looking for in branded content? Tomblin will discuss how branded content strategically fits into mass campaigns for mainstream brands, citing some of the successful projects Taxi has done. including the Instagram feed of Mexican wrestler & muscle oil enthusiast El Tabador, for Koodo Mobile, as well as the Crystal Light “Weird, Wonderful, You” Vine campaign. 

Terry Chang
How to: Pick the Right Technology or Format 

Terry Chang has no fear of technology when it comes to branded content campaigns.  Whether it’s branded-content recipes or savvy real-time, animated social media campaigns, Chang has tackled numerous cool projects. What technology fits for what project? 

Alan Palmer
How to: Work With A Content Studio

Content is now integral to connecting with attention-starved audiences, but what are the steps to branded content success? Learn about the process of translating an advertising brief into a content plan, engaging the right storytellers, and how to distribute branded content across owned, paid and earned channels. Join Alan Palmer from Free Agency as he shares why brands are engaging content studios as a strategy for connecting with culture.

Featuring:

Spencer Baim
Chief Strategic Officer
VICE MEDIA

Terry Chang
.
StarVest Media Group

Barry Krause
Founder, CEO
Suite, The LiveLab Company

Carmen Lago
Senior Manager
BCT INC. || Branded Content Media

Alan Palmer
Senior Vice President
Free Agency

Mark Tomblin
Founder
TAXI

Arcadian Court, Loft 1/2, Loft 4/5

Loft 4/5

Newsworthy Partnerships: Content Marketing and Innovative Publishing

Yuri Machado, SVP of Strategy and 3i, is a key player in Postmedia’s branded content initiatives. He has spearheaded a variety of business partnerships to help expand content marketing opportunities and develop a customer-focused strategy for success. Duncan Clark, VP of Strategic Initiatives, has taken a different approach to content marketing. He has identified key partnerships in the social space to organically build communities where brands and people collide. Yuri and Duncan have both been successful in developing unique ways to get the right message to the right audience. In this session, they will explain their approaches to content marketing, explore strategic partnerships and provide award-winning examples from projects such as Gastropost (Canadian Online Publishing Awards: Gold – Best Use of Social Media). These innovative content marketing solutions signify the importance of exploring strategic partnerships and have helped usher in the new era of news media.

To reserve a spot, you may sign up in advance by email: bconexpocustomercare+postmedia@brunico.com

Please also check availability onsite where you may join additional Upfront sessions, on a first-come, first-served basis at the door.

Unfortunately, direct competitors will not be permitted and will be notified by email to choose another session.

Featuring:

Duncan Clark
Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
Postmedia Network

Yuri Machado
Senior Vice President, Integrated Advertising Sales & Strategy
Postmedia Network

Loft 1/2

Bell Media was named by Strategy Magazine as 2013 Brand Partner of the Year for its unique and innovative partnerships with a variety of advertisers across its vast content portfolio including The Amazing Race Canada, Master Chef Canada, The Much Music Video Awards, etalk, The Social, TSN World Junior Hockey Championships etc.  Meet the Content leaders of Bell Media as they discuss the planning activity that occurs when developing new content ideas across its Acquisitions, Independent Production, In-House Production & TSN Production teams.  They will take part in a moderated panel and describe how creating relevant content for our brands and audiences also provides opportunities for our advertising partners to create amazing Branded Content to meet their business objectives.

To reserve a spot, you may sign up in advance by email: bconexpocustomercare+bellmedia@brunico.com

Please also check availability onsite where you may join additional Upfront sessions, on a first-come, first-served basis at the door. 

Unfortunately, direct competitors will not be permitted and will be notified by email to choose another session.

Moderating:

Perry MacDonald
VP Advertising Sales and Partnerships
Bell Media

Featuring:

Corrie Coe
Senior Vice President, Original Programming
CTV

Mike Cosentino
President
CTV Networks

Nanci Maclean
Chief Operating Officer
Bell Media

Mark Milliere
Senior Vice President and General Manager
TSN

Arcadian Court

As media consumption becomes increasingly dominated by the social feed, personalities are disproportionately representing the top channels on YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook.

Funny or Die has been a front-runner in tapping these celebs for brand light viral videos that defy ad or comedy categorization. While most have subtle integrations, FOD is now working more directly with brands.

This begs the question: What is the new role of creator collaboration and how does it impact a brand's content marketing efforts?

Chris Bruss, VP of branded entertainment for Funny or Die and president of FOD's commercial production company Gifted Youth, discusses the pros (and cons) of artist-and-brand-powered content evolution.

Moderating:

Rae Ann Fera
Journalist and Creative Curator
Co.Create

Featuring:

Chris Bruss
VP of Branded Entertainment
Funny or Die

Arcadian Court

The gradual blurring of the lines between brand content and pure entertainment will eventually lead companies in a new direction: the era of brands as full-fledged entertainment properties.

In a new white paper entitled "Going Beyond Sponsorship", Bertrand Cesvet, chairman of Sid Lee, argues that brands can no longer rely on leveraging someone else’s entertainment value.  The ultimate goal should be to “build owned entertainment properties on a massive scale that deliver transformative consumer experiences”. 

Cesvet argues these landmark experiences could reshape brand associations entirely. In a twist on Marshall McLuhan: “The experience is the message: the consumer is the medium.”

Featuring:

Bertrand Cesvet
CEO
Sid Lee

Loft 1/2

Making ‘branded content show-business’ sense for Canada  

 
CBC’s content, programming and revenue executives share upcoming opportunities for advertisers plus the critical elements required to undertake successful branded entertainment partnerships with Canada’s public broadcaster –– from music to sports to entertainment programming - all through the creative filter, process and lens of what makes sense to CBC’s visitors, listeners and viewers. 

To reserve a spot, you may sign up in advance by email: bconexpocustomercare+cbc@brunico.com 

Please also check availability onsite where you may join additional Upfront sessions, on a first-come, first-served basis at the door.

Unfortunately, direct competitors will not be permitted to attend these sessions.

Featuring:

Kai Black
Executive Producer CBC Music
CBC Music & Radio

Gaye McDonald
Director of Content Marketing
CBC Revenue Group

Trevor Pilling
Head of Programming CBC Sports & Asst Gmolympics
CBC Sports

Susan Taylor
Executive in Charge of Production and Development, Unscripted
CBC

Loft 4/5

Makers.com part of AOL Lifestyle; a dynamic digital platform showcasing thousands of compelling stories - both known and unknown - from trailblazing women of today and tomorrow.

Align your brand with an incredible movement; MAKERS is a landmark television and digital video initiative that aims to be the largest video collection of powerful women's stories ever assembled. MAKERS brings together the stories of well-known figures such as Nora Ephron, Gloria Steinem and Arianna Huffington with the lesser known trailblazers such as Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. In the US, the initiative has seen great success with 60 million video views since launch. And we're bringing it to Canada with the support of great Canadian brands who want to lead the way in the content revolution.

To reserve a spot, you may sign up in advance by email: bconexpocustomercare+aol@brunico.com

Please also check availability onsite where you may join additional Upfront sessions, on a first-come, first-served basis at the door.

Unfortunately, direct competitors will not be permitted and will be notified by email to choose another session.

Featuring:

Maureen Sullivan
President
AOL.com and Lifestyle Brands

Arcadian Court, Loft 1/2, Loft 4/5

Arcadian Court

Are you distracted by content metrics? Is the noise taking you off focus and keeping your from achieving your strategic goals?

Robert Rose, chief strategist at Content Marketing Institute and co-author of the book Managing Content Marketing, argues that by focusing too closely on numbers, brands sometimes lose sight of the end game:  more valuable customers are that highly engaged. 

Rose addresses better ways to monitor, analyze and optimize every piece of content, at every stage of the buying process.

Featuring:

Robert Rose
Founder and CSO
Content Marketing Institute

Arcadian Court

Vice has revolutionized the way content is produced, distributed and monetized, spawning a record label, a pub, a film company and a book division from the magazine launched out of Montreal two decades ago. But the reason adland is so interested in the Vice model – WPP bought a stake – is its brand content innovation and its fanbase-building success with online video.

Working with brands such as Nike, Intel and Absolut, in-house agency Virtue creates collaborations that are perceived as genuine entertainment, maintaining Vice’s edgy voice and indie cred. And Vice has also increased its reach via its own ad network, acquisitions and new launches, from Noisey to Fightland. Vice's chief strategist explains how its Immersionist journalism culture has influenced the way brands and media can work together, shedding light on the future of brand content and the blurring roles of publisher and agency.

Moderating:

Chris Unwin
Executive Director
Free Agency

Featuring:

Spencer Baim
Chief Strategic Officer
VICE MEDIA

Arcadian Court

Arcadian Court, Loft 1/2, Loft 4/5