ThinkLA Podcast

In this episode, we talk with Bill Durrant, Founder and President of Exverus Media, an award-winning media agency based in Los Angeles. He has over fifteen years of experience helping some of the world’s largest and most compelling brands through a combination of incisive media strategy and creativity in media. Bill’s mission is to help marketers and brands develop the most effective advertising. A Harvard Business School alum, Bill has worked at 20th Century Fox Australia, OMD and ZenithOptimedia. He has won numerous industry awards including recognition from Cannes, the Creative Media Awards, the Webbys and the Clios. Recent awards include a MediaPost OMMA Award for Interactive Creative for the “How Do You Adventure?” campaign with CLIF Bar, and the YouTube Ad of the Year in 2018, with brand Bonobos and creative agency Observatory, for #EvolvetheDefinition. Exverus won Adweek’s Media Plan of the Year in 2018, was named one of Adweek’s Fastest Growing Agencies in the world in 2019 and 2020, and was named one of Ad Age’s Small Agencies of the Year for 2020. Bill is also the author of ‘Digital Stone Age: How the World's Most Successful Advertisers UseTraditional Thinking and Innovation to Drive Growth.’

Sara Smith of Hope Creative and Jim DiPiazza of Area of Expertise discuss why curated freelance teams can help agencies ramp up for projects and find the right teams for the right projects. They also talk about best practices for creatives who might need to polish their self-marketing efforts and keep their skills sharp to find and keep working coming.

Brands today are leveraging technology, creativity, and connectivity to change the way media is created and distributed. The emergence of technologies like VR/AR, 5G and advanced algorithms have cascaded to all industry categories, including media and entertainment. In this thought-provoking discussion, hear from experts in the entertainment, media, platform and advertising technology space about how they reach cross-screen consumers through the convergence of content, creativity, and new technology innovation.

To continue to support diversity and celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, ThinkLA proudly presents Insights into The Big Shift with Dr. Jake Beniflah. In this discussion, Dr. Beniflah will dive into his new book The Big Shift, shedding light on the advancement of marketing to Latinos. He will take a critical look at the past, present, and future of marketing to a diverse marketplace and advance a strategic framework of how marketers can take their business to new heights in the 21st century. Our moderator is Robert Orci. Thanks to Matt Weissbecker and H Code for their support. Link: https://hcodemedia.com/why-h-code/

Innovative Solutions to Redefine the Path To Purchase

The world is  changing on a daily basis, and new consumer behaviors are emerging --  many of which are here to stay. In a digital world where 80% of shoppers  tune out mobile ads, Verizon Media is investing in immersive  experiences that capture attention, build trust, and meet consumers  where they are.  Cut through with immersive 3D/AR content, dynamic ad  creative, native commerce, and new digital experiences in the store.  Tony Gemma, Head of Global Ad Creative Technology & Innovation, will  explore how to re-define the path to purchase by using innovative  commerce experiences that increase engagement, interest, and ROI. The discussion includes Rob Towne, Director of Performance Marketing for Purple.

Our second Automotive Discussion focuses on how the dealer and automotive consumer purchase model has evolved in rapid fashion in just a matter of months. During this webinar, you'll hear from key stakeholders across the OEM, Dealer, and Automotive Online Marketplace space on how they've adapted, evolved, and successfully navigated this new automotive retail world.

TYSON JOMINY, VP, DATA AND ANALYTICS

ERIC PETERSON, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

SPENCER SCOTT, SVP, ADVERTISING AND DIGITAL MARKETING

This is part two of our series, Industry Accelerator: Diversifying the Talent Search. While part one focused on job seekers, this episode offer information and perspective for hiring managers.

There is a new awakening in our industry for some, and this movement is ours to carry: how do we recognize, recruit, support, and promote people of color and other underrepresented people so that our agencies and companies better reflect American society?

As the business of automotive continues to restart across the country,  ThinkLA has created a set of webinars that will tee up to this year’s  Automotive Summit on Oct. 21. 2020. These hour-long sessions will  discuss how marketing, media, and data will help automakers drive their  business forward through unprecedented times in the automotive industry.   

Social media platforms are seeing civil rights leaders calling attention to rampant racism, users being confronted with misinformation, and advertisers left wondering where they can ethically advertise... and where they need to draw the line on hate speech and misinformation.