Brand Purpose

INTRODUCTIONS (11:00AM – 11:10AM EST)
Ken Beaulieu, Director of Brand Purpose Committee and the ANA Center for Brand Purpose, ANA
Paul P. Robinson, Director, Brand Activation, ANA

Consumer Perception of Brands’ ESG Impact (11:10PM – 11:25AM)
Speakers: Al Torres, Vice President, Revenue & Partnerships, Swayable

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION (11:25AM – 11:45 AM)
The rise of purpose-washing and what to do about it

I. Purpose-led Innovation (11:45 AM – 12:15PM)
For over 70 years, World Vision has been telling stories on behalf of children living in poverty. But what if a fundamental change to our core product could empower children with more choices and amplify their own voices? Propelled by this challenge, we created Chosen® — a new invitation to child sponsorship. Angelique Rothermel, Executive Director of Brand, Content and Creative at World Vision USA, will explain how pursuit of their brand purpose fueled their internal team to create this category innovation, resulting in business growth, renewed employee connection to the brand, and positive social change at the same time.

Speaker: Angelique Rothermel, Executive Director, Brand and Communications, World Vision Organization

II. How Purpose Led Helzberg Diamonds to Discover New White Spaces (12:15PM – 12:50PM)
Helzberg Diamonds is a 105-year-old diamond retailer owned by Berkshire Hathaway with a history of innovation and a remarkable brand story. But like many retailers, the brand lost its focus, relying on driving the business through promotions. Ellen Junger, CMO at Helzberg Diamonds, will share the journey of reinvigorating the Helzberg brand by reconnecting with the brand’s DNA and purpose.  That focus led to the launch of an exciting innovation called “Hitched at Helzberg,” where the company ordained sales associates to perform marriage ceremonies in-store. Learn how the brand’s refocus on purpose resulted in business and market share growth during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic.

Speakers: Ellen Junger, Chief Marketing Officer, Helzberg Diamonds

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Speaker Bios

Al Torres, Vice President, Revenue & Partnerships, Swayable

Al Torres is the VP of Client Partnerships at Swayable, a global research platform focused on predicting the impact of messages on consumer opinion. He is focused on helping marketers, especially those focused on driving ESG awareness of their brands through powerful storytelling; because doing good is good for business.

Al is experienced in the world of media, marketing and new digital technologies. He is a driver of growth and innovation, with a proven track record of achieving results through motivating teams, challenging the status quo, and influencing change across the wider organization. By helping create strategic plans for clients, he analyzes industry & marketing trends to identify obstacles and design unique, innovative solutions. He has presented and appeared on stage at events such as CES, ANA, SXSW and the Deutsche Bank Annual Media, Internet & Telecom Conference.

Angelique Rothermel, Executive Director, Brand and Communications, World Vision Organization

Angelique Rothermel is Executive Director of World Vision’s in-house agency, leading creative strategy for the nonprofit’s U.S. marketing and fundraising efforts. She is an award-winning creative leader and champion of insight-driven innovation, and has led agency teams in integrated, multi-channel campaigns in diverse industries including nonprofit, medical device, health & beauty, fine jewelry and watches, and ad tech.

Speakers: Ellen Junger, Chief Marketing Officer, Helzberg Diamonds

Ellen McKeever Junger is the Chief Marketing Officer of Helzberg Diamonds based in Kansas City. Helzberg Diamonds is owned by Berkshire Hathaway and has a nationwide omnichannel retail presence. Responsible for Helzberg’s overall marketing and customer experience, she leads the company’s focus on driving customer engagement through data-driven personalization, leadership in loyalty, accelerating customer traffic and building the Helzberg brand.

Junger is passionate about building brands and in particular brands with a strong legacy of purpose and innovation. Before Helzberg Diamonds, Junger was the Chief Marketing Officer at Hallmark Cards, another deeply purpose driven brand.

Ellen has an M.B.A. in Marketing & Finance from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a degree in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University. She lives in Mission Hills, KS with her husband, daughter and two dogs.