AGENDA

PRWeek brought together CEOs, CMOs, CCOs and PR agency leaders to move the agenda from lip service to genuine purpose and engagement that benefits communities and the bottom line.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2014

This is what you missed at this year's PRWeek Conference.

8.15 - 9.10am - Breakfast

Meet fellow delegates in a collegial environment over breakfast and conversation.

9.10 - 9.15am - Welcome and Rules of Engagement: Gideon Fidelzeid, managing editor, PRWeek

9.15 - 9.55am - Making the case for non-profit media

President Reagan described public television as the most successful public-private partnership ever. Former president of NBC News and ABC News producer Neal Shapiro, now president and CEO of WNET, makes the case for publicly subsidized TV and explains the importance of non-profit media and the value it provides to local audiences and communities.

Speaker:
Neal Shapiro, president and CEO, WNET

9.55 - 10.35am - Fireside Q&A – Building A Social, Environmental and Economic Supply Chain

Mike Fernandez, corporate VP, corporate affairs at one of the world’s largest food conglomerates, demonstrates how smart PR can contribute to inclusive and iterative business processes that go far beyond showing up and throwing money or donations at an issue. In conversation with PRWeek executive editor Bernadette Casey, Fernandez will explain how Cargill’s communications team is closely involved in engaging staff, NGOs, customers, policymakers, and competitors to establish and maintain a responsible supply chain.

Speaker:
Mike Fernandez, corporate VP, corporate affairs, Cargill

10.35 - 11.00am - Networking and Coffee Break

11.00 - 11.40am - Breakout Sessions

Customize your conference experience.

Track 1: Uncommon alliances for the common good
sponsored by FleishmanHillard

One in every three people lives on less than $2 a day. Natural resources are declining, while the world’s population increases. These global challenges provide opportunities for corporations to help address social and environmental issues. The most powerful solutions bring together organizations around common objectives, such as the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, a public-private partnership that saves lives, empowers women, and protects the environment. This session will demonstrate how global brands can partner effectively with governments, foundations, and civil society to solve problems and achieve bottom-line results, as well as navigate local and regional governments.


Speakers:
Audrey Choi, CEO, Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing
Mark Kramer, senior fellow, CSR Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School of Government and MD, FSG
Aaron Sherinian, VP of comms and PR, UN Foundation

Moderator:
Kris Balderston, GM, Washington office, FleishmanHillard

Track 2: Making thought leadership count
sponsored by Edelman

As the world slowly recovers from the global economic crisis, perhaps no industry has been more harshly criticized than the financial services sector. Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, a long-respected financial services company known for its research and thought leadership, has truly amplified its focus on issues important to the global financial system in an effort to position both the broader sector and its own organization in a different light. This session will reveal how the company – and the sector at large – have sought to rethink their higher purpose and how they communicate with regulators, policymakers, employees, and the general public.

Speaker:
Catherine Mathis, SVP, marketing and communications, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services

Moderator:
Ben Boyd, president, Practices, Sectors & Offerings, Edelman

11.40 - 12.20pm - Mission at the Heart of Business: Soap=Hope

SoapBox Soaps CEO David Simnick describes how he started a for-profit one-for-one business in his basement and in four years evolved it into a $3m+ social enterprise that supplies major retailers including Target, Whole Foods, Costco, and Fresh Market while helping those in need around the world. He explains how a great product and a great mission can equal a great company.

Speaker:
David Simnick, CEO & co-founder, SoapBox Soaps

12.20 - 1.30pm - Networking Lunch

12:50 - 1:20pm - Lunchtime keynote: Doing good can be really "cool"

Speaker:
Robert Tuchman, board of directors, chair of the development committee, ALS Association Greater New York Chapter

Perhaps no three words have been on more lips in recent weeks than "Ice Bucket Challenge." One of the most successful viral campaigns in recent memory, it has brought unprecedented awareness and raised well north of $100 million for the ALS Association. This session will focus on how the nonprofit has amplified its efforts based on this marketing windfall and its plans to maintain the momentum once the global euphoria thaws. In addition, Tuchman, a well-regarded entrepreneur, will underscore the importance of startups immediately incorporating "doing good" into their business models while also sharing his thoughts on brands that have most uniquely and authentically risen to the "Challenge."

1.30 - 2.10pm - Breakout Session

Track 1: Brands go “unexpected” places
sponsored by Toyota

Organizations can benefit society by sharing the knowledge and know-how that revolutionized their own operations to make nonprofits more efficient. For example, following Superstorm Sandy, Toyota brought aid to victims by applying its rigorous production systems to a Food Bank For New York City member agency to help it deliver more food, more quickly, to more New Yorkers in need. This session highlights the ways a brand can think outside the box or a solely cash-donation mindset to successfully contribute to society while enhancing their corporate reputation, as well as the bottom line.

Speakers:
Michael D. Rouse, vice president, diversity, philanthropy and community affairs, Toyota; president, Toyota U.S.A. Foundation
Margarette Purvis, president and CEO, Food Bank For New York City
Matthew Bishop, globalization editor at The Economist; author of Philanthrocapitalism: How Giving Can Save The World

2.10- 3.00pm - The Battle of Big Ideas

Six thought leaders pitch their Big Idea on how companies can remain competitive while solving real social problems. An audience vote decides whose argument is most compelling

Speakers:
Paulette Frank, vice president, sustainability, Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies
WINNER: Heather Harder, national president, Public Relations Student Society of America
Rob Imig, SVP, global communications & public relations, Kiehl’s
Anastasia Khoo, marketing director, Human Rights Campaign
Aman Singh, VP, business and social purpose, Edelman; former editorial director, CSRwire
Dan Solomon, managing director, Litton Entertainment

3.00 - 3.40pm - Platinum Panel: Business Citizenship – A New Social Contract with Millennials
sponsored by MSLGROUP

Around the world, Millennials – the most influential generation to date – are turning to businesses to fill the void left by government to help solve the world’s most challenging problems. A 17-country study of Millennials’ views on citizenship and the role of business has revealed sentiments starkly different from those of preceding generations. This demographic overwhelmingly believes corporations’ involvement in tackling issues such as health, education, and environment is a critical exchange for their brand loyalty and employee engagement. It is also a huge opportunity for businesses worldwide to reset in the face of declining consumer trust. This session explores the “Business Citizenship” trend in terms of a social contract and highlights a fresh set of obligations and opportunities for each side.

Speakers:
Amy Hargroves, director, corporate responsibility, Sprint
Milinda Martin, VP, community investment, corporate brand & reputation, Time Warner Cable
Lenore Feder, director, Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility, Viacom

Moderator:
Scott Beaudoin, global practice director, corporate and brand citizenship, MSLGROUP

 

3.40 - 4.05pm - Networking and coffee break

4.05 - 4.45pm - A License to Operate

‘Good Business, Better Business’ is a noble mission, but how do you make this real and how does it drive business growth? Using the example of Ecomagination and other initiatives, GE’s VP of communications and public affairs Gary Sheffer describes how companies can demonstrate to the C-suite, employees, investors, and other stakeholders that social alignment is essential from both a commonsense and business point of view.

Speakers:
Gary Sheffer, vice president, communications and public affairs, General Electric Company
Reidar Gjærum, senior vice president, corporate communication, Statoil

4.45 - 5.25pm - Doing Well by Doing Good

Henry Schein and Colgate have had a long-standing commitment to corporate social responsibility. In conversation with PRWeek managing editor Gideon Fidelzeid, Henry Schein Chairman and CEO Stan Bergman and Colgate’s Justin Skala, President North America and Global Sustainability, explain how the success of each company embodies a philosophy of enlightened self-interest. This involves giving back to the industries and communities they serve through initiatives such as the Give Kids a Smile! free dental treatment initiative, in partnership with the American Dental Association, and DEXIS.

Speakers:
Stan Bergman, CEO, Henry Schein
Justin Skala, president, North America and global sustainability, Colgate-Palmolive Company
Jeffrey Dalin DDS, secretary-treasurer, St. Louis Give Kids A Smile; chairperson, National Advisory Board for Give Kids A Smile for the American Dental Association

5.25 - 6.30pm – Cocktail Reception

Post-conference and pre-40 Under 40 dinner

6.30 - 9.00pm - 40 Under 40 Dinner and Awards Presentation

Open throughout the day:

Connect Zone

Catch up on email, check in with clients or the office, network with other delegates, or relax in the PRWeek Connect Zone, open throughout the conference.

Dashboard Live: Products and Tools  

Open throughout the day, PRWeek's Dashboard Lab presents practical demonstrations of products, tools, and tactics to help communicators triumph in an age where they no longer own their brands. Powered by user insight and experience, Dashboard shows how tools are deployed on brands, corporations, and agencies.