2016 Marketing and Research Conference

Increased Marketing demands combined with the speed in Technological changes require strong collaboration. Meet a distinguished multi-company panel consisting of both marketing and technology leaders.

• Examine recent successful collaborated initiatives, and how to navigate corporate/role based cultural differences with best practice results.
• Learn the importance of planning marketing/technology projects with the customer experience in mind and how to best leverage that point of view when implementing initiatives at your company.
• Participate in the session through open panel dialogue.

Life Happens, formerly Life Foundation, continues to reinvent their brand and offerings. The non-profit organization offers various tools including new customizable marketing tools that your agents can use. Every moment gets better, come hear how they can help your marketing area.

• New Life Happens Pro can be your personal marketing department. Find out how this new platform can help your agents get more business.
• There is a full suite of marketing tools and resources that your agents can personalize. Learn how to make better use of the materials offered.
• A local agent will speak on the value of using Life Happens.
• Life Happens will share what real life stories are and provide examples.
• Life Insurance Awareness Month is September and Life Happens will share insight on the 2016 Campaign.

Learn about applying nonconscious methods to provide answers traditional research techniques have not been able to deliver.

• Hear how a leading financial organization has applied nonconscious methods to learn to engage consumers and motivate action.
• Understand their methods, stimuli and key insights.
• See how they have incorporated their findings into business practices.

Today’s audiences have an eight-second attention span. Eight seconds. To capture attention, your presentations, data, annual reports — even your emails — must be presented in a more captivating way. So what works? Compelling visual content. Seventy percent of the information we take in, we take in through our eyes. So in this fast-paced session, Debra and Betsy will examine: 

• The art of visual storytelling
• The rise of Pinterest, Snapchat, Vine, Periscope, and more
• The explosive increase in the use of infographics and data visualizations
• How to leverage new tools to share more visual data and reports

You have big goals: you need to improve your communications, marketing, and outreach to generate excitement and build stronger connections. Isn’t it time to harness the power of the visual?

Are your distribution channels meeting the demands of the different generations? This new consumer study from Zeldis looks at differences in channel preference and usage by age and generation. 

The research explores:

• Current and preferred ways of purchasing insurance
• Attitudes toward the agent/broker channel and relationship
• The direct channel
• New and emerging channels

Research is abundant about multicultural segments, but how do you determine your approach to multicultural segments as part of your overall market strategy? What considerations are critical in the development of a successful multicultural marketing program? Attendees in the session will:

• Review the business imperative for multicultural marketing and why it changes for each business
• Identify a common understanding of Total Market Strategy
• Explore how multicultural marketing is an integral part of a holistic market strategy
• A case study regarding multicultural strategy development.

This session will give you real-world, practical ideas to maximize your relationship with your sales teams.

• Explore the “Top 10 Tips” on how to most efficiently and effectively work with your sales teams
• Uncover practical solutions to create a true partnership between marketing and sales
• Share your Top Ideas and Success Stories with other session attendees

Video deliverables do what numbers on a page often cannot — leverage emotion to communicate key findings, connect insights to memory, and inspire action. Research departments at major companies like Starbucks, Warner Bros., T-Mobile, and MetLife are increasingly employing a “don’t just say it, show it” philosophy to sharing the voice of the customer. Video deliverables captured the hearts and minds of their stakeholders and the attention of senior management, raising the profile of research and most importantly, making it exciting. And with the rise of smartphones, social media, Snapchat, Skype, and FaceTime, consumers, brokers, and advisors have never been more open to sharing their opinions via video. 

In this session, you’ll learn:

• New methodologies for capturing video content, from mobile research platforms to online communities, and which methods are best for different objectives
• Unique ways to use video, including “teasers” for building research buzz and anticipation, video summaries to accompany a report, and even full video reports integrating quant findings (with examples!)
• Tips and tricks to make the most of video content before you conduct your research

Do you have that great idea that has never gotten past the conversation in your head or with a few co-workers over lunch? Or have you had a great idea that your company has successfully implemented? Dive into the marketing think tank and share your idea with your peers in attendance. The workshop will consist of four groups based on one of the following topics:

1. Buying experience: simplifying and personalizing the buying experience for today’s customer
2. Customer service: how you want it, when you want it!
3. Lead generation: including market development, social media, repeat business with existing customers, event marketing, re-engaging the un-engaged
4. Digital marketing: effective use of video, social media, web, webinars, or advertising

You will have 90 seconds to present and sell your idea to the group. Each group will vote on the best idea presented and prizes will be awarded to the winners! The winning ideas from each group will be presented to everyone attending the workshop. All attendees will receive a complete list of all ideas shared in the four groups.

Video is a powerful medium to engage with any audience including distributors, employees, and consumers. Video is the fastest growing medium on social media and the internet, and research shows audiences engage significantly more with video than static content. Join this session to learn from video experts how to:

• Conceptualize, create, and deliver outstanding video content
• Execute on a step-by-step video production project plan
• Customize video content for others to redistribute

In today’s complex marketing environment, diversity marketing is the new norm. This comes in many forms — from gender and race to life stage and hobbies. By recognizing these differences and tailoring your efforts to focus on differences rather than similarities, you validate the importance and uniqueness of your audiences and improve your results. Kelly’s presentation will explore:

• New market segments and how they’re impacting culture 
• Groups offering the biggest opportunity for your business — today and tomorrow
• Key emotional drivers for important targets
• Strategies for identifying and reaching high-potential segments