8:00 a.m.
Registration, Continental Breakfast & Networking

8:30 a.m.

Chairperson's Welcome, Opening Remarks & Presentation: Aligning Employees And Customers Around The Brand:
An Internal Branding Approach To Improving Attraction, Retention And Engagement To Boost Performance

While almost all managers understand their business strategy only half of them can articulate their company brand and under half of their customer-facing employees say they aren't able to deliver on the brand promise for lack of training, tools or other support. New research by Watson Wyatt uncovers the gap between customer and employee experience as well as the performance power when the two are aligned. In this session, you will learn how this research can guide an analysis of your own organization's brand alignment.

In addition, you will take a simple brand alignment quiz to help diagnose opportunities for improvement. Based on years of experience and the latest research, this session will help you understand the distinct DNA of organizations and how you can successfully leverage brand attributes to attract, retain and engage employees.

Kathryn Yates, Global Practice Director – Communication
WATSON WYATT WORLDWIDE

9:40 a.m.

Speed Networking

Meet your colleagues in this fun and fast-paced forum! You'll have a chance to meet and greet your fellow attendees.

10:40 a.m.

What Your Brand Voice Says About You And Your Organization – And How To Use It To Connect Employees To The Brand

Your brand voice is the style, tone and manner in which you present your brand to customers. Defining language and voice gives your brand a character that helps shape advertising and marketing. But what about your employee communications?

Internally, the voice can help the company connect employees with the brand. And employees who adopt the brand voice begin to live the brand, regardless of their role.

• Understand what is the brand voice
• Determine your brand voice and how it relates to employees
• See how voice is critical to internal branding efforts
• Incorporate voice into your own communications

Mark Mills, Senior Consultant – Internal Branding
NATIONWIDE

11:35 a.m.

What's Your Real Brand Story?:
Using Culture Assessment And Story-Based Communications Tools To Engage Your Employees And Build Value For Your Organization

This innovative case study will show how a science-based government organization "found its voice," engaged its staff in a new way of talking about the organization, and learned how to tell its real story—all through a cohesive, culture-based process called "Storybranding."

Through Storybranding, the Langley Research Center's Science Directorate, an organization within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), was able to define and tell its story, and learn how to engage others in the most meaningful and motivating aspects of its work. This in-depth session will share the process, which integrates internal quantitative and qualitative culture assessment to define an internal brand with the training, resources and materials employees need to convey it. You will also learn about the Organizational & Team Culture Indicator, the foundational Storybranding assessment tool that "types" an organization based on the storylines that best define its values, strengths and operating style.

• Help any organization understand the storylines that shape its purpose, personality and behavior
• Involve an entire organization in the development of an authentic, inspiring and compelling brand
• Identify and leverage the cultural strengths most likely to create internal and external branding success
• Transform fact-based, attribute-oriented messages into more inspiring, more outcome-oriented communications
• Increase the resonance and effectiveness of all communications programs

Lelia Vann, Director, Langley Research Center's Science Directorate
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION,
LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER

Cindy Atlee, Senior Vice President
PORTER NOVELLI

Join a group of your communication and marketing colleagues for lunch with an informal discussion facilitated by one of our expert speakers. Take this opportunity to join others in a small, interactive group setting to network and brainstorm solutions to your most pressing internal branding concerns.

2:00 p.m.

Building A Brand From The Inside, Out: Starting From Scratch

The Detroit Public Library (DPL) has never had a strategic branding campaign in its 143 years of existence. That's not to say it didn't have a brand. The DPL has a brand that it basically fell into, which is not a good thing. As a result, the DPL, which has a main library and 23 branches throughout Detroit's various neighborhoods, is virtually invisible to the community at large due to its lack of a strategic branding campaign.

The foundation for the DPL's strategic branding campaign was formed internally, by employees working together, being honest about their roles and the roles of the administration. Once they could clearly see where they were, they could cooperatively plan on where they wanted to be and how they wanted to be perceived by the community.

In this highly practical and informative presentation, the DPL, a non-profit community organization that strives to enlighten and empower its citizens to meet their lifelong learning needs through open and equitable access to information, technology, and cultural/educational programs, will share its best practices for building a strategic branding campaign from the inside, out - - and starting from scratch.

• Extract accurate internal primary data from your best source - - your employees - - through strategic planning committees
• Educate your employees about what a brand consists of and why it's necessary
• Communicate your branding strategy to your employees for effective buy-in and implementation
• Manage internal coordination of various departments and staff
• Organize your branding strategy using a simple format
• Understand the use of technical materials needed to launch a successful branding strategy
• Understand and manage the time factor to effectively create, manage, implement and maintain a successful branding strategy
• Research, interview, secure and work with external advertising and marketing companies

Atiim J. Funchess, Assistant Director - Marketing
DETROIT PUBLIC LIBRARY

3:10 p.m.

Everything Matters:
The Nuts And Bolts Of Launching A Global Brand

Formed in 2005 by the merger of three regional firms, DLA Piper, the world's largest law firm, needed to capitalize on what made it unique and valuable to its clients, prospective clients and recruits. Doing so meant not only conducting the market research typical of large-scale branding programs, but also looking deeply and extensively within the newly formed firm to understand what was unique and true about its people, approach to client service and culture. This insight led to the development of a solid brand strategy that was then extended through internal and external communications, design and language, and ultimately resulted in a organizational change program focused on building consistent brand behaviors across the firm's worldwide network of 8,000 people in 25 countries.

During this session, you'll hear about the challenges and opportunities behind every step of a global brand launch, from building consensus and forming the project team, to establishing the foundation for the brand and making creative decisions, to execution and "living the brand."

Jodi Krohmer, Global Director, Internal Communications
DLA PIPER

Bill Schroeder, Global Director, Brand Management
DLA PIPER

4:05 p.m.

Building A Strong Brand... From The Ground-Up That Permeates All Levels Of Employees And All Channels Of Communication

Change is never easy. Turnover of employees, different management styles, and merging departments or organizations can present a multitude of challenges and obstacles. Building a consistent brand strategy that permeates all levels of employees and all channels of communication is imperative to success.

• What is a brand anyway?
• How do you tell what your employees REALLY think about your brand?
• Why is it important to protect, strengthen, and build your brand from the ground-up?
• How do you provide your organization with a "blueprint" that will strengthen your brand?
• What is the single most important initiative you can implement that will have the most impact on your brand?
• What are some practical brand-building tips and tools you can use?

Teresa Rivera, PMP, CME, Outreach & Awareness Manager, AQD/NBC
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

5:00 p.m.

End Of Day One & Networking Reception: Please Join Us!

Let's meet and have a drink as you relax with your peers. ALL conference attendees and speakers are welcome to join us for this special opportunity to meet new colleagues. Don't miss this chance to benchmark ideas over complimentary drinks!

Sign up during the day for dinner with a group. Take advantage of Chicago's fine dining while you continue to network with your colleagues.