By Vicki Matranga, Design Programs Coordinator
Learn how to develop and launch the right products for the right customer—with the right methods! Be sure to attend some of the free executive-level educational sessions at the Innovation Theater. These programs will give you a fresh perspective as you walk the Show and will inspire, inform and improve your business.
The four days of the 2015 International Home + Housewares Show will be packed with events and educational sessions. To help you plan your valuable time at the Show, we preview the 21 presentations that will take place in the Innovation Theater in the Lakeside Center. Don’t miss the chance to meet the speakers in person and the opportunity to ask questions relevant to your work. All programs are audio-recorded and will be available on www.housewares.org after the Show.
Make It a BRAND New Day: Mastering the Three Rules of Branding
Saturday March 7 2:30—3:20 p.m.
Innovation Theater, Lakeside Center, Room E350
Adrienne Weiss is the principle of the Adrienne Weiss Corporation (AWC) and has been called “the high priestess of pop marketing.” Since 1986, AWC has developed award-winning brand strategies for companies in many industries – food and beverage, retail, consumer products, convenience stores, real estate developments, sports stadiums and entertainment concepts. From Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Build-A-Bear to Target Stores, Five Below and Disney, Adrienne and her team create and reimagine brands that impact businesses all over the globe.
As an international speaker on branding, Adrienne has addressed a wide variety of audiences including the National Restaurant Association Show, the National Association of Convenience Stores, the International Shopping Center Convention, as well as entrepreneurial classes at Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Her talks enlighten retailers and manufacturers on how to create “brand genetics” and how to deploy them and make stronger connections with consumers.
Prior to the founding of AWC, Adrienne was a vice president of Applause, Inc., where she helped expand the Smurf’s brand to over $1 billion in revenue. After her successful tenure at Applause, Inc., Adrienne became the president of Rage, Inc., a gift manufacturing business. Adrienne received her BFA from Syracuse University and did graduate work at American University. She has served on the boards of the School of the Art Institute, the Gene Siskel Film Center, Common Threads and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago. She is presently on the board of Metropolitan Family Services.
Adrienne, what is the most interesting/exciting part of your job?
Our work as brand navigators is to merge right and left brain points of view–we see opportunity when creativity and emotion intersect with real-life business strategies and solutions. Balancing story-telling and emotional resonance with quantitative realities is what excites us. We are in the position of seeing the trends and the competitive landscape. When we work with our clients, we love being the “innocent eyes” that challenge and push existing notions of a brand to see how it can flex and evolve for today’s marketplace.
What has changed most in your business? How has your company responded to these challenges?
As with most businesses today, you can not underestimate the power of social media and being responsive in the digital space. Your brand is more than a strident adoption of a style guide or the militant use of a logo or tagline. Rather, a brand must respond to existing and potential customers on so many levels and in so many mediums. It is about engaging others in a meaningful conversation and being many things to many people. Not to mention that the voice you put out there in the world must be authentic, nimble and always relevant. When we develop and refine brands, we work closely with our client to see how that brand voice speaks true in the ever-changing digital space. We want to make sure that the twitter feed, Facebook post or picture shared online is pushed through that brand’s filter and shares the same creative DNA.
Why did you choose to speak at our Show?
The home and housewares industry has become one of the most fashion-driven, trend-focused market segments. The demand for story-driven concepts and brands that resonate with customers is growing as shelf space diminishes and competition grows. A strong brand voice is essential to thrive in this commercial landscape.
What will you be speaking about?
Our presentation is about the importance of branding and how anyone can breathe new life into any brand with our headlines and strategies. So many times the essential story of a business is left up to interpretation by customers, employees and vendors. Identifying the emotional aspects of a business and putting words and pictures to it allows everyone experiencing your brand to understand it in the same way. The hero stories are the ones that are inclusive. They speak to everyone and people can understand the story in their own way.
What are you looking forward to most from speaking at the Show?
Participants at this Show know this market space very well, and there is so much creative work and thought in this industry. We love speaking to an audience that is dynamic, thinking critically and creatively. We are looking forward to an interactive and exciting conversation with the audience that appreciates entrepreneurial thought and market disruption.
What are consumers’ biggest concerns regarding housewares products?
Competition is ever-present so staying ahead of the curve and being trend-right in this industry is so important. Responding to fashion, colors and technology is a must for companies that want to stay relevant to today’s consumer. There is so much noise and distraction these days, it is critical for a brand to have a clear vision and engaging voice that cuts through the clutter. When we develop a brand voice, we ask “How does this fit into the cultural landscape?” Being mindful of those influencers enables us to develop a brand narrative that is current, credible and responsive.
Thank you, Adrienne, for outlining your perspective on branding. Your program is sure to be a draw for our Show audiences, because your creative spark has envisioned the distinctive branding and memorable appearance of the International Home + Housewares Show for more than a decade. We look forward to learning from your insights on Saturday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m. in the Innovation Theater.
To learn more about Adrienne’s work, visit www.aweisscorp.com
Contact Keren Weiss at kweiss@aweisscorp.com
