The 2020 ANA Brand Masters Conference was jam-packed with valuable insight from some of today’s leading thinkers in the world of brand marketing. Here are seven of our favorite quotes from their presentations.

1. OUR 7 FAVORITE
QUOTES FROM
THE 2020 ANA
BRAND MASTERS
CONFERENCE

2. Daring creative, razor-sharp cultural keenness,
and the willingness to constantly test your assumptions.
These were three of the major themes shared by top
marketers and CMOs at the 2020 ANA Brand Masters
Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. Over three days,
two dozen marketing leaders shared their top insights
for modern brand marketing. And while the conference
featured dozens and dozens of valuable quotes
and takeaways, these were our seven favorite:
g

3. “IF YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING TO GET FIRED FOR AN IDEA,
IT’S PROBABLY A GOOD ONE.”
— BRAD HIRANAGA, CHIEF BRAND OFFICER AT GENERAL MILLS

4. 4© Copyright 2020 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.
“Create a safe haven for ideas,” Brad implored
the audience during his Day 1 session. His reasoning?
Because to create a truly open and creative workspace,
your team has to be confident that they can pitch dangerous or
risky ideas. Even if the risky idea isn’t the one your team ends
up using, it can still create the spark that powers your campaign.

5. “PEOPLE DON’T NEED OR WANT GREAT ADS.
THEY WANT GREAT STORYTELLING.”
— MANOS SPANOS, SVP OF BRAND MARKETING AND CMO
AT DANONE NORTH AMERICA

6. 6© Copyright 2020 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.
“Eighty-seven percent of the branded content
that is published receives no significant engagement,”
Manos said. Brands don’t need to create posts or content
for every single cultural moment. Instead, they should have
a laser focus on the events and moments that make sense
for their brand. After all, as Manos said during his session,
“What the heck does Danone Triple Zero yogurt have to do
with Valentine’s Day?”

7. “THE MINDSET OF ‘OR’ LEAVES US LESS NUANCED,
LESS COMPLETE, AND LESS HUMAN. IT IS TIME
TO EMBRACE THE MINDSET OF ‘AND.’”
— VICTORIA MORRISSEY, GLOBAL MARKETING AND BRAND DIRECTOR
AT CATERPILLAR, INC.

8. 8© Copyright 2020 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.
“You can’t build a brand without ‘and,’” Victoria
stressed. Her point: Don’t get caught up in binary thinking,
assuming everything always has to be either/or. Rather,
never underestimate what is possible when your team bands
together around a great idea and being emotionally rational.

9. “WE ALL WANT HELP AND WE ALL WANT THE EFFICACY OF
THE DIGITAL EXPERIENCE. WHEN YOU CAN COMBINE THOSE
TWO THINGS, IT IS A POWERFUL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.”
— VINOO VIJAY, CMO AT H&R BLOCK

10. 10© Copyright 2020 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.
Vinoo spent his time discussing the importance
of having a powerful and authentic interaction
with consumers in our digital world. Often, the technology
that creates ease and efficiency for your customer comes
at the cost of having a human experience. Vinoo was steadfast
in his belief that brands must master creating meaningful,
warm experiences within the confines of the technological
tools that drive interaction today. When a brand can do that,
they’ll be ahead of the competition.

11. “WE NEED TO MOVE MUCH FASTER TO
COMPETE IN THE MARKETPLACE TODAY.”
— ALICIA ENCISO, CMO AT NESTLE USA

12. 12© Copyright 2020 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.
The days of glacial corporate processes and
spending three years on a planning deck are long
behind us. Brands need to be nimble and ready to adapt to
a market that is moving faster with each passing day. If your
brand isn’t ready to capitalize on an opportunity right when
it presents itself, one of your competitors will, gaining a little
more relevance for themselves and taking it from you.

13. “IF ANY MARKETER TELLS YOU WE KNOW WHAT OUR
PLAYBOOK IS OR WE KNOW EXACTLY WHICH LEVERS TO
PULL, THEY’RE EITHER LYING OR NOT PAYING ATTENTION.”
— MELISSA HOBLEY, GLOBAL CMO AT OKCUPID

14. 14© Copyright 2020 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.
There are far too many touchpoints and levers
to pull for a modern marketer to always know the exact
thing to do. The job of a marketer is to constantly test and learn,
gaining more knowledge and a better understanding of their
channels so they can have the most informed strategy for
reacting when an opportunity presents itself.

15. “BRANDS, LIKE ANY SPECIES, NEED TO ADAPT OR THEY DIE.”
— JANNA REDDIG, DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL INTEGRATED MARKETING AT BEAM SUNTORY

16. 16© Copyright 2020 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.
“All of your companies are paying you to be
here right now so they don’t become dinosaurs,”
Janna said. And she’s right. Marketing executives know
they have to invest in employee learning to remain relevant.
Understanding the channels where people are spending
their time now so you know how your brand should behave
on them is of paramount importance. Because, as Janna said,
“We stick out like sore thumbs when we don’t understand
digital environments.”

17. Want more to see more great insights from
the 2020 ANA Brand Masters Conference?
You can start with these four session recaps,
courtesy of the ANA Marketing Knowledge Center:
The Power of “And” in Brand: How Turning Opposites
into Compliments Can Build an Enduring Brand
Reviving Human Connection in the Age of Digital Domination
OkCupid: Leaning into Cultural Relevance to Ignite Growth
Reviving the Nesquik Brand for a New Generation