2023 Marketing Forum Agenda

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. - FIRST TIMERS' ORIENTATION

Calling all first-time attendees! Let us help you get the most out of your overall conference experience. Join the members of the Marketing Committee to:

  • Guide you through the program
  • Get answers to your questions
  • Meet new friends, and most of all…Have FUN!

2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - MEET AND GREET

Join us as the conference begins to meet and greet peers while you share ideas and common experiences.

2:30 p.m. - 2:40 p.m. - WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS

Dan Griesemer - Marketing Portfolio Director, Individual Life and Financial Services, OneAmerica

2:40 p.m. - 3:20 p.m. - GENERAL SESSION

Marketing Matters: Changing Perceptions and Delivering Value

Marketers often face challenges when it comes to demonstrating the value of market investments to executive leadership. While marketing efforts can lead to an increase in brand awareness, customer engagement, and ultimately revenue, it can be challenging to directly link these efforts to concrete financial outcomes. To overcome this challenge, marketers need not only clear and concise metrics to track the success of their marketing campaigns but also to have a compelling storyline for communicating the value of their investments, in a way that is both understandable and impactful. Join Doyle as he shares his experience and insights and helps you take the lead in proving that “marketing matters!”

Doyle Williams - Chief Marketing Officer, Protective Life Corporation

3:20 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - BREAK

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.: BREAKOUT SESSIONS

1. Reaching New Audiences Through Podcasting

LYNDA BANERJEE
Director, Insurance Marketing
John Hancock

Learn how to start a podcast or improve the one you already have with tips on planning, recording, editing, and executing each episode. Gain knowledge of generating high-value content that engages new audiences and create a podcast promotion plan to spread the word about your show. You can also hear from a Boston morning show host who will give you production advice to help make your podcast top-notch!

2. Are Your Emails Landing in the Junk Folder?

CHRIS ARRENDALE
CEO
CyberData Pros

PASHEA BENTON
Head of Customer Relationship Management
MassMutual

If your marketing emails don’t land in the inbox, nobody will ever see them! Join Chris Arrendale, CEO of CyberData Pros and author of Deliverability Inferno, in a session designed to help email marketers improve their trade craft. This breakout session will cover the latest deliverability trends and metrics that you need to consider if you want your message to land in your recipient’s inbox. You’ll learn about the top 10 ways to increase inbox placement and walk away with actionable tools you can use immediately to monitor and improve your email deliverability.  Pashea Benton will share a success story about how their MassMutual team implemented these recommendations and improved email reputation and deliverability.

3. Better Benefit Decisions Through Behavioral Economics

KIMBERLY LANDRY
Associate Research Director, Workplace Benefits Research
LIMRA and LOMA

PATRICK LEARY
Corporate Vice President, Workplace Benefits Research
LIMRA and LOMA

Many employees opt out of voluntary benefits when they are offered, and often spend only a few minutes making decisions that will impact their financial security for the rest of the year. How can benefit providers help employees make better decisions when they give us so little attention?

The field of behavioral economics has identified a variety of mental shortcuts that guide consumer decisions, particularly when people are “thinking fast.” In this session, we will discuss how these principles can be applied to benefits enrollment and share the results of a new LIMRA study that explored incorporated behavioral economic techniques into benefits messaging.

5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. - LIMRA WELCOME RECEPTION

Thursday, May 18, 2023

7:15 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. - BREAKFAST

8:15 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. - OPENING REMARKS AND INSIGHTS

DAN GRIESEMER
Marketing Portfolio Director, Individual Life and Financial Services
OneAmerica

8:30 a.m. - 8:50 a.m. - LIMRA RESEARCH

LIMRA Research: The Rules of Attraction

In today’s business environment, it’s harder and harder to attract the best talent. As expectations have changed, how you recruit and retain talent must change, too. This high-impact session will share key insights from recent LIMRA research on how candidates view the industry, how to get their attention, and how to get them excited to work with you.

Todd A. Silverhart, Ph.D., LLIF - Corporate Vice President and Director, Research Quality & Markets Research, LIMRA and LOMA

8:50 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. - GENERAL SESSION

For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want To Be

Each and every day, all of us try to influence others — to get them to believe, join, buy, embrace a vision, and most of all, to move and take action. In both our personal and professional lives, no matter what we do, we are all marketers. And, culture is the most powerful vehicle for influencing beliefs and behaviors. In this inspiring talk, Marcus shares stories from his own life and career as a top marketer.  Combining thought-provoking examples drawn from contemporary culture with a deep perspective based on a century’s worth of data, he shares the tools for catalyzing collective change and inspiring action.

Dr. Marcus Collins - Head of Strategy Wieden+Kennedy; 2022 Cannes Lions Jury Member & Expert on Cultural Contagion

9:50 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - BREAK

10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.: BREAKOUT/ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION SESSIONS

4. Product Launch Pitfalls You Can't Afford to Ignore

COLIN BURNS
Director Product Marketing- Retirement and Wealth
MassMutual

LAUREN GAWLIK
Senior Product Marketing Manager, Group Protection
Lincoln Financial Group

KERRI RUDIGER
Vice President, Product and Strategy Marketing, Individual Retirement Strategies
Prudential

MICHAEL YUEN
Senior Consultant, Marketing Management
Nationwide Life Insurance

What’s the key to a successful product launch? In this session, a panel of industry experts will share their experiences and advice for how to avoid common pitfalls. Plus, you’ll get the chance to share and engage with marketers through several roundtable discussions. This session will address key phases of the product marketing lifecycle including, starting the launch process, developing messaging and marketing materials, and promoting your product. Find out how to overcome potential product launch issues in each phase of your rollout, including simplifying complex products and working with internal partners.

5. Online Brand Reputation — How Are You Showing Up?

HILLARY CARLSON
Manager, External Communications
Sammons Financial Group

CINDI EMERICK
Director, Digital Marketing
The Baltimore Life Companies

RESA HOELLER
Director, Digital Experience
Sammons Financial Group

SUSAN O’NEILL
AVP, Corporate Marketing and Communications
The Baltimore Life Companies

Did you know that 95% of customers rely on online reviews to decide whether or not to buy a product or acquire a service? Online brand reputation and SEO strategy are vital whether your organization is B2B, B2C or a combination of both. In this interactive session, you will hear from two life insurance carriers on their first-hand experiences with how a company’s online presence can impact a business. They will share their journey as well as how to identify trouble spots, build a strategy, gain buy-in, and more. You will leave armed with actionable takeaways no matter where your company is in their quest for online brand reputation management.

6. How to Engage and Retain your Clients

ANGELA CALCAGNO
Director, Operations & International Marketing
John Hancock

KRISTA STEVENS
Marketing Strategist
Ameritas Life Insurance Corp.

We tend to focus on acquiring new clients, but are you interested in improving the quality and level of your engagement with existing clients? In this session you will have the opportunity to hear how other companies are tackling this challenge and also participate in a dialogue with your peers to discuss how we, as marketers, can improve client engagement and persistency.

11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - NETWORKING LUNCHEON

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.: BREAKOUT SESSIONS

7. Getting the Most Visibility and Impact from Video Marketing

KRISTA STEVENS
Marketing Strategist
Ameritas

Hit the jackpot with your video marketing strategy. This session will help you strategize campaign goals and optimize the video work while still staying on a tight budget. We will share successful campaigns and much more.

8. Best Practices and Use Cases for Overcoming Common Data Challenges to Enable More Segmented and Personalized Customer Experiences

NATALIE BERENTHIN
Marketing Research Analyst Sr., Life and Disability Product Management/ Business Development
Anthem Life Insurance Company

ALEX DE FURASAC GASH
Senior Director, Analyst
Gartner for Marketers

JOHN PROANO
Director, Participant Engagement Marketing Strategy, Workplace Solutions Group
Prudential Financial

LIN YUAN
Director
Data Foundation and Journey Analytics

Based on the participant survey results from the 2022 LIMRA session — “Data for Engagement — Creepy or Value Add,” we have a panel of industry experts who will share use cases and best practices to help you break down the key areas of concern shared by your industry peers:

Here’s what we heard from the 2022 LIMRA Marketing Conference attendees:

  1. 53% lack the ability to use data for targeting
  2. 20% said customers are opting out of personalized communications
  3. 13% indicated data automation is limited or not yet available
  4. 13% said regulation or control partners are challenging use of data for customer engagement

Our panelists will share their learnings and key take aways that you will be able to bring back to your workplace to help you advance your data enablement strategies to drive more segmentation and personalization and deliver an ideal customer experience.

9. Survey Says — Using Research Data for Storytelling and Building Relationships

ADAM ITCZAK
Brand Manager
OneAmerica

KELLY TINGLE
Field Communications Manager
OneAmerica

Hanover Research Group Speaker — TBA

As marketing professionals, we know facts and figures can help enrich a company’s thought leadership materials…but can they help build better relationships? Learn how OneAmerica partnered with Hanover Research Group to leverage a series of consumer and advisor surveys to both build better stakeholder relationships and gain market visibility. Hanover Research Group will also share additional best practices for survey development and execution that can truly maximize mid-size marketing budgets.

2:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. - BREAK

2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.: BREAKOUT SESSIONS

10. Direct Mail Isn’t Dead!

KAIT MILLER
Manager, Strategic Marketing
Sammons Financial Group

MOLLY WENDEL
AVP, Marketing
Sammons Financial Group

Digital fatigue has become a reality, and having a strong integrated marketing strategy has become more important than ever. While a digital approach is essential, don’t ignore your old friend, direct mail. In this session, you will hear from industry peers on how direct mail can bring your marketing strategy back to life. The speakers will highlight the power of direct mail through the sharing of key logistics, best practices, and case study examples of results-proven, successful campaigns. You will leave the session energized and well-equipped with a road map to execute direct mail successfully whether your budget is big or small!

 

11. Understanding Today’s Consumer

KENDALL GADIE
Research Manager – Insurance
Comperemedia

ADAM SCHILLINGER
Strategy & Sales Enablement Manager | Vice President | Reinsurance
Swiss Re America Holding Corporation

TODD SILVERHART, Ph.D.
Corporate Vice President & Director, Research Quality & Markets Research
LIMRA and LOMA

To optimize opportunities in the marketplace, it is critical to understand the sentiment of your prospects and clients. In this session, researchers from LIMRA and Mintel will join forces to share insights and engage the audience in a discussion of what’s on the minds of today’s consumers, especially related to life insurance. Specific topics to be addressed include economic outlook, financial concerns, purchase preferences, adoption of technology, and the role of social media.

12. Marketing to the Field

ALEXA BUCKINGHAM
Field Marketing Director
Penn Mutual

TRACY CHIPMAN
Director of Integrated Marketing
Penn Mutual

We, as marketers, are focused on providing the right solutions and materials that will make an impact. But how do we make sure our sales teams are using our materials? And using them effectively? During this session you’ll hear perspectives from multiple marketing professionals on tactics they implemented to ensure resources are successfully adopted — at both the wholesaler and financial professional level. You will walk away inspired with new ideas on how to finally bridge the sales/marketing gap and make sure your materials are used to the fullest extent.

3:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. - BREAK

3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - OPENING REMARKS AND INSIGHTS

DAN GRIESEMER
Marketing Portfolio Director, Individual Life and Financial Services
OneAmerica

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - GENERAL SESSION

Managing Change for Front-Row Success

We have been through a lot and are encountering change more than ever before. A significant portion of today’s workforce is emotionally detached. How can we become re-inspired and give our best effort every day? Marilyn will share her success formula that shows how top performers never settle for balcony seats and instead move to the front-row.  She will equip you with the tools it takes to do more, be more, overcome obstacles, and really love what you do. You will leave with strategies and actionable information on how to take your current success to the next level in both your career and life.

Marilyn Sherman - Founder, UpFront Presentations

5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - HAPPY HOUR

Friday, May 19, 2023

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. - BREAKFAST

8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

13. Meeting of the Minds for Sharing Marketing Measurability

Try saying that 10 times! Marketing is measurable, thanks to evolving tools and research. But how can we best share these results to various stakeholders in an efficient, effective and digestible way to continue to support and grow marketing efforts? And it doesn’t end there. How can we, and others in our organization, learn from our results? Let’s meet and wrap our minds around what works from within your organizations as well as others. Come with ideas to share and questions to ask!

14. Let’s Chat: How to Accelerate Your Growth for Future Success

JENNIFER MURRAY
Solutions Marketing Manager, Enterprise Marketing
Securian Financial

ANN MCGARRY
Head of Enterprise Marketing & Branding
Securian Financial

Are you still grappling with how to develop yourself or to lead, support and connect with your teams in this hybrid world? You. Are. Not. Alone. Join us for a lively discussion focused on skill development, sharpening leadership techniques, and professional growth. Gain insight from your peers on what’s working well in today’s virtual workplace and leave with new friends and a list of ideas for development opportunities that can become the foundation for your future success.

15. Best Practices for Testing Ideas

There are so many ways to test marketing campaigns — A/B testing. User testing. Content testing — just to name a few. But which method is best for which type of campaign? And where do you find the time when the team is already up against tight timelines? Join us for best practices from testing experts and learn how to help optimize and continually improve your marketing efforts.

9:30 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. - BREAK

9:50 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - FINAL INSIGHTS

DAN GRIESEMER
Marketing Portfolio Director, Individual Life and Financial Services
OneAmerica

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - GENERAL SESSION

Bringing It Home: Translating The Forum Into Action

ALISHA REED, Moderator
Vice President, Head of Retail Marketing
Protective Life Insurance Company

It’s not uncommon to leave an event like this one fully energized with new ideas to take back to your organization only to find yourself sidetracked by day-to-day priorities and unclear avenues for sharing your learnings. Join us to hear from a panel of your peers as they share best practices from their experiences bringing insights home and transforming them into action in their companies. We’ll discuss top takeaways from the forum along with ideas for how to translate your attendance into real-world impact. This is one instance, where we want to make sure that what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas.

Lori Dentch - AVP, U.S. Segment Marketing, John Hancock

John Proaño - Director, Customer Engagement & Omnichannel Marketing, Prudential

Jonathan Yoon - Vice President, Head of Life Marketing, Nationwide

11:00 a.m. - ADJOURN