ThinkLA Podcast

🧠 Your mental health matters, especially during your job hunt in the media world. Discover why on our latest podcast episode. 📢 Don't miss it!

This month, Andrea Green is interviewing James Kinney, the Founder of the Advertising Alliance for Mental Health. It could not be more fitting for the Wellness Wednesday hosts to be aligned with the messages and goals of our guest during May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month. Come join us for a discussion on this month's topic: Breaking the Stigma: Navigating Mental Health in the Advertising Industry. --------- Advertising Alliance for Mental Health (AMH) is a community of ambitious individuals eager to improve ourselves and our environments by investing in mental health education and care. We are professionals navigating the complicated balance between work and life. As a community, we value compassion towards ourselves and others, empathy, and resilience. https://www.advertisingmentalhealth.com/ James' Social: IG: jamesnicholaskinney Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameskinney/ AMH's Social: IG: amhworldwide Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amhw... ThinkLA is a Media, Marketing, and Advertising Collective with a mission to connect, inspire and educate the LA marketing community. We are a non-profit 501(c)(6) association founded in 2006 to promote Los Angeles as a network of creativity and innovation in media, marketing, and advertising. Celebrating our 14th year of service, we connect LA’s creative community; grow ideas, business and talent; and inspire through education along with social and philanthropic events. www.thinkla.org. Our Socials: @Thinkla

In this episode, we talk tech, gaming, and opportunities for brands with Jonathan Stringfield, PhD, who is VP, Global Business Research and Marketing for Activision Blizzard. He is the author of Get in the Game: How to Level Up Your Business with Gaming, Esports, and Emerging Technologies, an essential guide for marketers and execs wishing to integrate their brands with modern games and esports, available on Amazon and at Bookshop.org. Amazon Link Bookshop Link (supports local bookstores)

In this episode, we talk with Mark Miller, co-author of Legacy in the Making: Building a Long-Term Brand to Stand Out in a Short-Term World (McGraw-Hill Education, 2018). He is the founder of The Legacy Lab, a thought leadership and consulting practice that explores how brands can build modern legacies; and he is also Chief Strategy Officer at Team One, Publicis Groupe’s global luxury and premium brand agency. Having worked for more than 20 years in the communications industry, Mark has become a go-to strategist for global brands seeking enduring relevance, including Lexus and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. For more information about ThinkLA's mission and membership, go to https://www.thinkla.org.

How does a brand find a way to promote a cause and maintain authenticity without falling into the same pitfalls as other brands? We talk with Mark Egan, Managing Director, West Coast, and Latha Sundaram, Group Business Leader, Executive Director, of corporate members Mediacom to learn more about finding meaning in marketing and creating a structure of consistency and authenticity when it comes to purpose-driven marketing. Learn more at https://www.mediacom.com. More about our guests: Latha Sundaram is a social impact driver, passionate about the role companies can –and should -play to drive positive social change. She is committed to helping brands use their scale to create meaningful collaborations. She has spent the past 25 years in global media, helping multinationals develop valuable partnerships and expand their global footprint. Latha joined MediaCom U.S. in 2020, heading up a team of 200 as the agency's global business lead on Uber. Latha is a champion in MediaCom's diversity, equity, and inclusion mission and serves as a committee lead for Women in Power, one of the agency's employee resource groups. Mark Egan helps his teams drive service and product excellence across their various assignments collaborating with other agencies and clients to constantly break new ground. As part of the MediaCom executive team, Mark draws on our award-winning resources around the globe to power solutions locally. This past year Mark was named “Agency Executive of the Year” by ThinkLA. Previously, within GroupM, Mark served as Chief Client Officer at Maxus for the Americas. In that role, he helped their client service teams consistently achieve service scores among the highest in the industry.

How does a brand find a way to promote a cause and maintain authenticity without falling into the same pitfalls as other brands? We will talk with Mark Egan, Managing Director, West Coast, and Latha Sundaram, Group Business Leader, Executive Director, of corporate members Mediacom to learn more about finding meaning in marketing and creating a structure of consistency and authenticity when it comes to purpose-driven marketing. Learn more at https://www.mediacom.com. More about our guests: Latha Sundaram is a social impact driver, passionate about the role companies can –and should -play to drive positive social change. She is committed to helping brands use their scale to create meaningful collaborations. She has spent the past 25 years in global media, helping multinationals develop valuable partnerships and expand their global footprint. Latha joined MediaCom U.S. in 2020, heading up a team of 200 as the agency's global business lead on Uber. Latha is a champion in MediaCom's diversity, equity, and inclusion mission and serves as a committee lead for Women in Power, one of the agency's employee resource groups. Mark Egan helps his teams drive service and product excellence across their various assignments collaborating with other agencies and clients to constantly break new ground. As part of the MediaCom executive team, Mark draws on our award-winning resources around the globe to power solutions locally. This past year Mark was named “Agency Executive of the Year” by ThinkLA. Previously, within GroupM, Mark served as Chief Client Officer at Maxus for the Americas. In that role, he helped their client service teams consistently achieve service scores among the highest in the industry.

In today's episode, we talk with Cliff Atkinson and Shon Davis from the New Flight Awards, which aims to help students in south-central Los Angeles join the worlds of advertising in film and create a portfolio that will help them get started and pursue careers in those fields. They will also receive a grant to further their education. Learn more at https://www.newflight.us. Cliff Atkinson is an innovative Digital Marketing Executive with 20+ years experience developing and implementing digital strategies for some of the largest brands in the world. Cliff began his career at Grey NY and has progressed through the dynamic world of digital with key posts at Deutsch NY and LA, Saatchi&Saatchi LA and RPA. His account experience includes Toyota, Honda, Procter & Gamble, Coors Light, Cedar Sinai, Sony Consumer Electronics, and Starwood Hotels to name a few. He’s currently the Co-founder at Mesh Communities developing solutions designed to support content creators, communities and brands. Shon Davis is an innovative Account Executive refusing to watch the industry be renovated from the sidelines. As Co-Founder of the New Flight Awards, Shon has transformed investments from ThinkLA's MAT Program and ADCOLOR's Futures into a platform that will inspire today's youth to reshape the fields of Advertising + Entertainment.

In this episode, we hear from Bernice Chao and Jessalin Lam, industry professionals and the founders of Asians in Advertising. They offer their perspectives on how people of Asian descent are seen and treated in the workplace, advice for making your voice heard, and how allies in the community can help build understanding. https://www.asiansinadvertising.com Their mission statement: "Asians in Advertising strives to develop a free community, create opportunities, and help elevate Asians to higher leadership positions. To make space for Asians within the advertising industry to come together in a community where we are often excluded. Connecting with each other in order to advance their goals, careers, artistic/personal growth. Help answer questions, offer advice, and have discussions about the issues that the Asian community faces as a whole or in creative careers." Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asiansinadvertising Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asiansinadvertising/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/asiansinad

Seow Leng Porter, Managing Partner at MediaCom, discusses the importance of training in today’s agency and how to achieve employee commitment instead of turnover. We’ve all heard of teaching hospitals, but never a “teaching agency”. MediaCom has taken this idea and integrated it into their extensive employee training program which gives employees options to advance their knowledge and their careers with the support of the organization. The result is less turnover, more job satisfaction, and a better trained team to support clients. https://wwsw.mediacom.com

Sure, everyone started a podcast last year. But if you did -- or even if you're considering creating one -- is it the right solution for your company, brand, or agency? We ask podcasting expert Chaz Volk about the best way to get started, create content, and produce and distribute your podcast so that it can be an effective marketing tool. Chaz is a Los Angeles native who is incredibly passionate about supporting the arts and entertainment industry. His background in audio helped him start his company, Mr. Thrive Media, a multimedia company that specializes in podcast marketing and networking events. Today, Chaz works as the Producer and Founder. The company's goal is “To generate engaging media while connecting artists across the nation.” Chaz currently produces The Mr. Thrive Podcast and oversees the production of SmallBizCast, The Social Spice Podcast, It's About Language, and more. Find them at https://www.mrthrive.com. Promotional content from Gimbal, a corporate member of ThinkLA. https://www.gimbal.com

Sure, it feels like everyone started a podcast last year. But if you did -- or even if you're considering creating one -- is it the right solution for your company, brand, or agency? We asked podcasting expert Chaz Volk about the best way to get started, create content, and produce and distribute your podcast so that it can be an effective marketing tool. Chaz is a Los Angeles native who is incredibly passionate about supporting the arts and entertainment industry. His background in audio helped him start his company, Mr. Thrive Media, a multimedia company that specializes in podcast marketing and networking events. Today, Chaz works as the Producer and Founder. The company's goal is “To generate engaging media while connecting artists across the nation.” Chaz currently produces The Mr. Thrive Podcast and oversees the production of SmallBizCast, The Social Spice Podcast, It's About Language, and more. Find them at https://www.mrthrive.com. Promotional content from Gimbal, a corporate member of ThinkLA. https://www.gimbal.com

In this episode, we talk with Bill Durrant, Founder and President of Exverus Media, an award-winning media agency based in Los Angeles. He has over fifteen years of experience helping some of the world’s largest and most compelling brands through a combination of incisive media strategy and creativity in media. Bill’s mission is to help marketers and brands develop the most effective advertising. A Harvard Business School alum, Bill has worked at 20th Century Fox Australia, OMD and ZenithOptimedia. He has won numerous industry awards including recognition from Cannes, the Creative Media Awards, the Webbys and the Clios. Recent awards include a MediaPost OMMA Award for Interactive Creative for the “How Do You Adventure?” campaign with CLIF Bar, and the YouTube Ad of the Year in 2018, with brand Bonobos and creative agency Observatory, for #EvolvetheDefinition. Exverus won Adweek’s Media Plan of the Year in 2018, was named one of Adweek’s Fastest Growing Agencies in the world in 2019 and 2020, and was named one of Ad Age’s Small Agencies of the Year for 2020. Bill is also the author of ‘Digital Stone Age: How the World\'s Most Successful Advertisers UseTraditional Thinking and Innovation to Drive Growth.’\r\n

Sara Smith of Hope Creative and Jim DiPiazza of Area of Expertise discuss why curated freelance teams can help agencies ramp up for projects and find the right teams for the right projects. They also talk about best practices for creatives who might need to polish their self-marketing efforts and keep their skills sharp to find and keep working coming. Links mentioned in this episode: https://hopecreative.co https://areaofexpertise.co https://atheneumcollective.com

To continue to support diversity and celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, ThinkLA proudly presents Insights into The Big Shift with Dr. Jake Beniflah. In this discussion, Dr. Beniflah will dive into his new book The Big Shift, shedding light on the advancement of marketing to Latinos. He will take a critical look at the past, present, and future of marketing to a diverse marketplace and advance a strategic framework of how marketers can take their business to new heights in the 21st century. Our moderator is Robert Orci.

Brands today are leveraging technology, creativity, and connectivity to change the way media is created and distributed. The emergence of technologies like VR/AR, 5G and advanced algorithms have cascaded to all industry categories, including media and entertainment. In this thought-provoking discussion, hear from experts in the entertainment, media, platform and advertising technology space about how they reach cross-screen consumers through the convergence of content, creativity, and new technology innovation.

To continue to support diversity and celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, ThinkLA proudly presents Insights into The Big Shift with Dr. Jake Beniflah. In this discussion, Dr. Beniflah will dive into his new book The Big Shift, shedding light on the advancement of marketing to Latinos. He will take a critical look at the past, present, and future of marketing to a diverse marketplace and advance a strategic framework of how marketers can take their business to new heights in the 21st century. Our moderator is Robert Orci. Thanks to Matt Weissbecker and H Code for their support. Link: https://hcodemedia.com/why-h-code/

Innovative Solutions to Redefine the Path To Purchase The world is  changing on a daily basis, and new consumer behaviors are emerging --  many of which are here to stay. In a digital world where 80% of shoppers  tune out mobile ads, Verizon Media is investing in immersive  experiences that capture attention, build trust, and meet consumers  where they are.  Cut through with immersive 3D/AR content, dynamic ad  creative, native commerce, and new digital experiences in the store.  Tony Gemma, Head of Global Ad Creative Technology & Innovation, will  explore how to re-define the path to purchase by using innovative  commerce experiences that increase engagement, interest, and ROI. The discussion includes Rob Towne, Director of Performance Marketing for Purple. Learn more about ThinkLA's mission at https://www.thinkla.org.

Our second Automotive Discussion focuses on how the dealer and automotive consumer purchase model has evolved in rapid fashion in just a matter of months. During this webinar, you'll hear from key stakeholders across the OEM, Dealer, and Automotive Online Marketplace space on how they've adapted, evolved, and successfully navigated this new automotive retail world. Presented by https://www.cargurus.com Speakers: LAURA T. BARNES, VICE PRESIDENT THE THOMPSON ORGANIZATION TYSON JOMINY, VP, DATA AND ANALYTICS JD POWERS ERIC PETERSON, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER THE LINCOLN MOTOR COMPANY SPENCER SCOTT, SVP, ADVERTISING AND DIGITAL MARKETING CARGURUS

This is part two of our series, Industry Accelerator: Diversifying the Talent Search. While part one focused on job seekers, this episode offer information and perspective for hiring managers. Our brilliant speakers for this session include: • Dani Allen, Senior Director, Talent and HR Operations, Walton Isaacson • Shari Holly, Director of Operations, Pipelines • Reonna Johnson, VP, Director, Marketing and Business, RPA • Moderator: Lincoln Stephens, CEO and Co-Founder, Marcus Graham Project

There is a new awakening in our industry for some, and this movement is ours to carry: how do we recognize, recruit, support, and promote people of color and other underrepresented people so that our agencies and companies better reflect American society? We'll talk with leaders from Pipelines, Three's A Crowd, The Marcus Graham Project, and hiring managers from L.A. agencies about how to assess where your agency stands, practical steps to take, and how you can take your allyship to a new level and do the right thing for your agency, your clients, their brands, and our community.  In this session of the two-part series, we discuss how diverse talent, those new to the industry, and veterans can accelerate their careers. The panel discusses topics on how to position skills and talents in this landscape, finding support in allies and mentors, and how to introduce more diversity into a company's culture.    Speakers:  • Shari Holly, Director of Operations, Pipelines • Reonna Johnson, VP, Director, Marketing and Business, RPA • Karen Erasmus, Learning and Organizational Development, NA, Talent Development, DEI • Monica Fleetwood, DEI Manager, TBWA Media Arts Lab