Between the VMAs, Apple’s Wonderlust event, Fashion Week, and the start of NFL season, pop culture talkability may be at its annual peak this week. I’m back in Miami and although our peak season starts in October, it’s a big week down here, too.
Brandweek has brought all of the brands and marketers to town. A great conference is an ideas exchange, and this one is filled with luminaries talking case studies, campaigns, programs, and learning. It’s where agendas can be moved forward and new ideas are spawned.
Conferences often miss the mark with entertainment programming, but not this time. Tonight, we booked Manu Manzo to perform on a yacht. Manu is an exciting, up-and-coming artist from Miami who’s making moves in the Latin music scene. She was recently part of Mastercard’s Web3 Accelerator Program. I’ve become friendly with her in Miami and thought she’d be a great addition to Brandweek.
Tomorrow, I’m doing a panel on The Magic of Miami: A Guide to Inclusive Marketing, Emotions and Storytelling.
Miami is a gateway to modern American advertising. It’s become the hub of cultural confluence with its diversity and vibrancy continuously shining through multicultural marketing initiatives. During this conversation, we’ll be leaning into Miami’s commitment to upholding its place as an inclusive advertising epicenter and how all marketers can learn from what’s happening here.
Ironically, when it comes to marketing successfully on a global stage, I believe it’s all about marketing hyper-locally to individual cities. A marketer needs to treat Miami differently than Brooklyn, L.A., Chicago, Paris, Berlin, or Tokyo. Gone are the days of the massive, broadstroke campaign. What resonates now are tailored campaigns that target a city’s culture.
I’m excited for this talk and honored to be speaking on behalf of my newest hometown. Not only do I go on right after Zach Braff and Donald Faison (Clueless fame!), but I’m sandwiched between their panel and the Chief Brand Officer of Taco Bell, Sean Tresvant.
Our conversation will feature talented thinkers including my new friend Alejandra Salazar, the CEO of a holding company of multicultural agencies; and Arturo Nunez, a legendary marketer who’s run marketing in Latin America for Apple and is currently an owner in Dante’s HiFi, one of the must-see music attractions in Miami.
Dante’s is a good example of a local idea with legs. Under the creative lead of co-owner, Rich Medina, this vinyl bar features DJ’s who only play records. It’s an homage to the intimate, Tokyo-style record bars that emerged in the 1960s. Someone plays a record and then tells a quick story about the relevance of the record to the DJ. It’s interactive in a way that few nightlife experiences are. The drinks are amazing and the concept is scalable, as evidenced by the Dante’s expansion to Austin, TX. From what I’ve heard, there are more locations in the works.
I’m thrilled to have these panelists in tow to highlight one of the most fun, eclectic cities in the world. Even though many of my New York friends have decided to move home (this one stung), when I’m in Miami I feel like I’m in a city on the rise. It’s a hotbed for launching brands and bringing bright minds together. Come visit this winter!
No Fields Found.Also published on Medium.