RELEVANCE
RELATIONSHIPS
RECOGNITION
REWARDS

PANEL

The Future of the Direct Brands Economy

We're assembling an ongoing virtual advisory panel to explore the future of the "Direct Brands Economy". Specifically, with dramatic changes in e-commerce, industry supply chains, first-party data, and self-service models, we'll discuss how brands, agencies, and media players are responding to this industry shift. This engagement is publically sponsored by IAB.

A professional facilitator will be leading an open and honest discussion. In this collaborative engagement, you will be one of 20 equal-caliber peers in your field. You will have the unique opportunity to gain recognition for advancing the industry and demonstrate your thought-leadership -- in addition to earning merit-based compensation.

Activities include:
1. Exploring a variety of themes
2. Map the competitive landscape (i.e. emerging trends, disruptive tech, etc.)
3. React to the latest media/reports in this space
4. Enjoy the option of one-to-one engagement with other board members

Participation is 100% online and at your own convenience. By applying here, you are committing to participate once per week or as inspired, at your convenience.

peopleExpert participation

- CMOs
- Brand strategists
- Direct-to-Consumer experts (e.g. Dollar Shave Club, Casper, etc.)
- Brand Managers
- Creative Agencies
- Media Agencies
- Adtech and Martech disruptors
- Chief Revenue Officers
- Sales and Service Development Leaders

Applicants
Mark Newcom
Managing Director at Teneo
As the Chief Strategy Officer of a large digital agency, I have responsibility for how our agency pursues these specific questions. I have helped other organizations like Accenture Interactive address these questions as well. I am also client facing meaning I have responsibilities delivering strategic work to clients , which constantly gives me a sense of where our clients are looking to go and how they like to approach new challenges.
David Berkow
Serial Marketer: marketing & strategy leader connecting ideas, people, and technologies
I built the emerging media / social practice at 360i, was the CMO at Publicis shop MRY, and then have had c-level strategy and marketing roles on the sell-side.
Patrick Van Sc
Global Business Executive │ CMO | Managing Director | SVP Sales & Marketing | CPG Leadership | Supervisory Board Roles
I'm dealing with businesses that have omni- or multi-channel approaches, including e-commerce.
Laurence Minsky
Associate Professor
If you're seeking someone who creates brand stories as well as writes about what makes effective branding, then I should be on this panel. I'm an Associate Professor, School of Media Arts, Columbia College Chicago, an author of books and articles on branding, advertising, and marketing, and a consultant providing strategic marketing and creative development services for clients across the globe. My books include The Activation Imperative: How to Build Brands and Business by Inspiring Action, which reached #1 on several Amazon.com lists and is included on the “Must Read” list of Association of National Advertisers' Advertising Education Foundation alongside the classics by Aaker, Cialdini, Ogilvy, Vance Packard, and others. They also include the best-selling Audio Branding: Using Sound to Build Your Brand and How to Succeed in Advertising When All You Have Is Talent, now in its second edition. And my articles have been published by The Harvard Business Review, The European Business Review, and other leading outlets. I'm also currently a panelist on The Future of Media Agencies Knowledge Stream. Specifically for this panel, I am under contract to be a co-author of a book on Global Brand Management, which was given after a blind peer review of the proposal. The research for this book is complete and the manuscript is being prepped for a blind peer review next month. It is scheduled to be published the fall of next year. As a consultant, I have also developed brand stories and brand and activation programs to help communicate them. Specifically, I'm known for known for developing effective cross-channel solutions that boost marketing ROI for many Fortune 500 clients, including AARP, Amazon, Black & Decker Spacemaker, DTE Energy, Kraft, McDonald’s, MetLife, PetSmart, Sleep Number, Taiwan External Trade Development Council, Target, Unilever, United Airlines, United States Postal Service, Vita Foods, and many others. I also have extensive experience in healthcare and business-to-business marketing. My expertise includes brand strategy, positioning, and planning; new product development; online & in-store shopper marketing; lead generation and lead nurturing programs; digital, mobile and social strategy; content marketing; and cross-channel brand activation program development. As a result, I have received more than 125 industry awards to date. As an educator, my students have gone on to success at some of the greatest agencies in the world. And, I am an experienced workshop facilitator and conference presenter. I believe my success is due to my ability to think like a planner, digging into the data and seeing patterns that result in actionable insights; like a copywriter and creative director to develop strategically informed programs that draw on the insights and opportunities; like a project manager who knows how to break down programs into actionable steps that generate business and brand results; and like a business owner who appreciates ROI.
Craig Macdon
Managing Director: Programmatic Media; Digital Lead for Communications and Media/Entertainment Vertical, North America
I run the media agency at Accenture Interactive. Do all of our media analytics. Also ran a media agency before coming to Accenture (Covario) and also worked for Google and Bing.
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lockThis panel is now closed to new applicants.

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Engage with equal-caliber peers any time you want.

star

Enhance your knowledge on this subject.

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Gain recognition as a thought-leader in your industry.

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Earn cashable rewards through points.

“I like that I can do this when I have time,
and there is no set schedule.”


Eric Allen, Senior Manager, Supply Chain at EY

“I find the topics engaging and I love the
flexibility of checking in and providing insights
at my convenience.”

Kimberly Underwood, Consultant at Underwood Consulting

“Great platform, great questions and topics.
The potential to earn a little more money for
participating is nice as well.”

Oren Birks, Sr. Director of IT at PBI-Gordon

“I really enjoy being on the panels, sharing
information and reading the perspective of the
other panelists. It is quite intriguing and most
all of the panelists are quite bright.”

Patty Soltis, CX Strategist at Kinetic Edge Consultants

“Very interactive, informative and without
any inherent bias. This is as good a collaborative
platform as you can get.”

Pinaki Banerjee, Program Director at ITC InfoTech

“It is a perfect platform not just to share
but to learn and stay updated.”


Armando Leyva, HR Director at 360º HC

FAQ
  • add remove What is Currnt?
    Currnt is a “Knowledge Networking” platform where companies and professionals come to stay relevant on the latest advances in their industries in the face of the increasing pace of change. Companies sponsor panels to learn about where markets are headed or how to leverage new capabilities. Professionals join to demonstrate and develop their passions with equal caliber peers in expert-only facilitated online engagements. On Currnt, we take our passions seriously and ourselves lightly. See our Community Guidelines, to learn more of the rules of the road, here are some highlights

    • Be yourself. The authenticity of Currnt begins with the passion of people.
    • Be respectful. This applies to every person, at all times.
    • Be inclusive. Tolerate, welcome, and consider diverse people and perspectives.
    • Build empathy and understanding. Engage in debates that are in good faith.
    • Foster meaningful and genuine connections. This is what Currnt is all about.
    • Do not plagiarize or fail to cite other’s ideas.
    • Don’t game the points by trying to coordinate intentional recognition.
  • add remove How do Panels work?
    The panel is like a facilitated forum of hand selected experts on a topic sponsored by a company that wants to learn fast. Panels are organized in chapters called Themes that focus on one subtopic at a time. In some panels Themes are only 24 hours in duration, in others they are a week long, and in some they are two weeks long. When one Theme closes, a new one begins. You come in when you feel like it, but try to come in twice per Theme. You earn points from your peers and the facilitator when they react to your ideas. Likewise, others earn points when you interact on their posts. The more we discuss and debate, the better the insights, the more points earned by all.

  • add remove Why should I apply? Do I get paid?
    Professionals join Currnt because they want to remain relevant on subjects they’re passionate about and subjects that are shaping the future of their industry. They also:

    • Engage and connect with equal caliber peers in their industry
    • Learn and enhance their knowledge
    • Get recognized and rewarded for providing their inputs and thought-leadership
    • When specified above in the project description, you can earn honorarium payments and/or recognition points redeemable for cash. Learn more here.
  • add remove Are there specific times I need to participate?
    There are no set times for calls or meetings. Participation is 100% online on the Currnt platform and engagement between the all expert panelists is asynchronous in written form. Just come in twice per Theme, at your convenience.

  • add remove How do KnowledgeStreams and DesignSprints work?
    Streams are ongoing online engagements for exploration or working iteratively with a panel, and Sprints are on-demand engagement to get to actionable insights quickly. Both are facilitated and are always-on for participants to engage at-convenience. The conversations are segmented into Themes which are subtopics which are like chapters in a book. In a 4 Day Sprint, Themes are 24 hours, whereas a Theme in a Stream is every two week. Throughout the discussion, the facilitator highlights and categorizes the “key takeaways” to be voted and distilled into a summary report. It’s also common that other pieces of content (whitepapers, blogs, podcasts) are also prepared from the distilled insights.

  • add remove I’ve applied. Now what?
    Your application will be internally reviewed in the following 24-48hrs and screened for any conflict of interest, and general fit. Next your application will be shortlisted for the sponsor to accept, bookmark or reject. You will receive a notification each step of the way, but expect this may take a couple of days, or even weeks if the panel is new. Nevertheless, in addition to the notifications, you can always go back to the Apply page to view the status of your application.

  • add remove I’ve been selected. What am I expected to do when selected?
    Once you receive your Welcome Email, please RSVP by clicking the link in the notification. You can also gain access to the panel through your ‘My Currnt’ at the top of the page. Finally, once you have RSVP’d by logging into the panel, there is often a Welcome Tab where you can introduce yourself to the other panelists. If it’s a new panel, the first Theme will launch in a few days, if it’s an ongoing panel just jump right in by reacting to the question or to what the other panelists had to say.

  • add remove If I have other questions or issues, what should I do?
    Please contact support to answer any other questions or troubleshoot any issues via email or chat.

The Future of the Direct Brands Economy