Unlocking The Brave New World of Marketing

FRIDAY MARCH 14TH 2014, NEW YORK, USA – Some of the world’s most influential marketers gathered in New York City for The Big Rethink 2014 US conference, hosted by The Economist.

The first-ever U.S. event investigated the impact of large-scale trends on the future of marketing, and explained how successful marketers are leveraging technology to build loyalty and drive profits.

The Big Rethink aims to bring to life The Economist's expertise in macroeconomic trends and global business, and alter the way industry leaders think about marketing in the 21st century.

""Seismic changes are disrupting the world of marketing,"" said Martin Giles, Big Rethink event chair and US technology correspondent for The Economist. ""Leaders must rethink how they leverage global, mobile, social and data strategies to maximize their marketing efforts and adapt to tomorrow's audience.""

Industry leaders from companies including Kraft Foods Group, Coca-Cola, NASDAQ and Cisco, as well as editors from The Economist, explored the trends redefining marketing and customer engagement – from content and real-time marketing; marketing to the Chinese middle class; and fine-tuning big data to make it meaningful.

Some highlights of discussions included:

Tim Mahoney, CMO, global Chevrolet and global GM marketing operations leader, General Motors Company: ""Smartphones are the primary screen in China, not the second"" Michael Brenner, Vice-president of marketing and content strategy, SAP: “There's no content bubble - ad dollars have been shifting from other areas to content marketing” Ann Mukherjee, Senior vice-president & CMO, Frito-Lay North America on ROI measurement: “data is the new oil” Esther Lee, Senior vice-president, brand marketing, advertising and sponsorships, AT&T: “It's no longer just about a phone in your hand; you're carrying your life. Today tech brands are lifestyle brands” Tom Lamb, CMO, Lowes: “We have moved beyond the fixation on going viral”, Laura Henderson, Director US media & communications, Mondelez International on real time marketing: “need to plan to be spontaneous”

A web video highlighting the event will be available Monday 17th March.

For more information on the developing landscape of marketing visit: http://www.economistgroup.com/leanback/

For more information please contact:

Jessica.Costanza@tvcgroup.com: +1 919 812-2080