As brands gain prominence as sources of public trust, what role do they play in pulling people together? This conversation will center on rural America and spotlight Land O’Lakes’ CMO Heather Malenshek’s approach to questions like: How should brands define “rural?” What are the myths that keep us apart? And how can brands take action in bridging the rural-urban divide to help solve these societal issues? This is crucial work as the rural backbone of this country is a frontline defender of a sustainable, secure food supply. Because brands shape cultural conversations and alter our national discourse, these forces must be harnessed.

This joint presentation will discuss how The Guardian and Procter & Gamble partnered to create a highly successful video campaign that garnered over one million views and resulted in a substantial increase in brand consideration and awareness for Procter & Gamble’s Cascade brand. Focus will be on lessons around crafting relatable narratives that both educate and entertain, communication techniques that cut through the noise to drive positive change, and the difference that authentic trustworthy partner voices can make.

People turn ideas into reality and strategy into motion. They are the organization’s most important source of competitive advantage, and yet, paradoxically, they are often also the organization’s most misunderstood and least-leveraged asset.

Meaningful and lasting transformation starts from a transformation of mindsets: top-down, bottom-up, inside and outside of the brand equation. Even the best, most robust strategy fails when it does not resonate with those who are supposed to implement it or believe it.

The neuro-cognitive test shared in this presentation unveils hidden bias and unlocks the potential for lasting changes in attitudes and behavior; this session will offer a taste of the test, showing an example of how to find and quantify differences between employees’ words and true beliefs, and from there how to remove some of the most challenging barriers to desirable organizational change.