October 8 - 11, 2023
Austin, TX

Event Sponsors

Agenda

Sunday, 10/08

6:30 PM Central
7:30 PM ET
Welcome Cocktails Bar AC

Monday, 10/09

7:45 AM Central
8:45 AM ET
Coffee Service Available Otis Foyer
8:00 AM Central
9:00 AM ET
VIP 1:1 Meetings Meeting Rooms 2&3
8:30 AM Central
9:30 AM ET
Breakfast Buffet Opens Otis Foyer
9:15 AM Central
10:15 AM ET
Sponsor Breakfast Presentation Otis Ballroom
9:35 AM Central
10:35 AM ET
Opening Remarks
MC
Steve Smith, VP, Editorial Director, Events, MediaPost 
9:45 AM Central
10:45 AM ET
Keynote: AI in Aisle 3: How Hungryroot Transforms Grocery Customer Experience with Artificial Intelligence
While all brands now "talk the talk" of AI, Hungryroot was built from the ground up leveraging generative, predictive and prescriptive AI in all aspects of its online grocery engine. Stephanie explores how two-thirds of the items it now sells were recommended by their AI. What can the most AI-centric of D2C brands teach us about managing the data and resources needed by the evolving AI machine to do more than drive revenue. It can also optimize against costs, waste and sustainability.
Keynote
Stephanie Retcho, CMO, HungryRoot 
10:15 AM Central
11:15 AM ET
Panel: Maximizing Community: CRM, Loyalty, and Growing LTV
As CAC soars and brand loyalty wanes, LTV has become central to D2C growth. But what works against inflationary headwinds and brand hopping? Panelists share the tactics that are increasing loyalty and driving LTV. What role do discounts, product development and community play across different brands? How do you structure and use lifecycle and loyalty programs to drive insights for marketing and new product opportunities for growth? And what are the limits of growth through LTV, anyway?
Moderator
Cory Treffiletti, Contributing Writer, MediaPost 
PanelistS
Eric Bandholz, Founder, Beardbrand 
Jess Cokins, VP of Product Marketing, Thorne 
Barbara Hagen, VP, Sales and Marketing, ThriftBooks 
10:45 AM Central
11:45 AM ET
Sponsor Spotlight and Break
11:15 AM Central
12:15 PM ET
Panel: Broadening the Base: Inclusive Brand Building
Embracing a diverse and inclusive marketing approach is not only a good policy but good business. Underserved demos are among the most loyal to the brands that recognize them. What is key to correctly finding and speaking to a more diverse and inclusive base both authentically and efficiently? What creative and media strategies work best?
Moderator
Gabrielle Richards, Brand Director, Trafilia Tech-Ecommerce Group 
PanelistS
Jerome Clark, Founder & CEO, In Good Conscience 
Derek Sellhausen, Retention Marketing Manager, Athletic Brewing Company 
11:45 AM Central
12:45 PM ET
Roundtable: Reaching Multicultural Consumers
How do you identify multi consumers in your target? Are there better ways of reaching them? Are your creative and copy different when reaching multi audiences?
Featuring
Jerome Clark, Founder & CEO, In Good Conscience 
11:45 AM Central
12:45 PM ET
Roundtable: Loyalty and LTV
How can you engage consumers with less perks? Are there other creative ways to keep them loyal to your brand?
Featuring
Barbara Hagen, VP, Sales and Marketing, ThriftBooks 
11:45 AM Central
12:45 PM ET
Roundtable: Containing Customer Acquisition Costs
The three Cs of DTC - Clutter, Competition, CAC are pressing on everyone. What tactics are solving for the escalating cost of getting new cusotmers? What channels and tactics are serving DTCs well? Discuss.
Featuring
Kerry Curran, Chief Growth Officer, Gen3 Marketing 
12:40 PM Central
1:40 PM ET
Lunch
2:00 PM Central
3:00 PM ET
Pickleball
Brewery Tour
Kayak on Austin Town Lake
6:30 PM Central
7:30 PM ET
Cocktail Party Bar AC
7:30 PM Central
8:30 PM ET
Dinner At World Famous Matt's El Rancho (shuttle leaves hotel at 7:30pm SHARP!!)

Tuesday, 10/10

7:45 AM Central
8:45 AM ET
Coffee Service Available Otis Foyer
8:00 AM Central
9:00 AM ET
VIP 1:1 Meetings Meeting Rooms 2&3
8:30 AM Central
9:30 AM ET
Breakfast Buffet Opens Otis Foyer
9:15 AM Central
10:15 AM ET
Sponsor Breakfast Presentation
9:35 AM Central
10:35 AM ET
Opening Remarks
MC
Steve Smith, VP, Editorial Director, Events, MediaPost 
9:45 AM Central
10:45 AM ET
Case Study: If It Takes a Village, Then Buy One

As the Trafilea brand looked to build a community of customers and prospects for its size-inclusive Shapermint and Truekind brands, they discovered that one already existed. Gabrielle explores what the company has learned from buying the BodyCon online and events community, how it has leveraged a very different business into new reach for the brands and revenue for the company.

Presenter
Gabrielle Richards, Brand Director, Trafilia Tech-Ecommerce Group 
10:15 AM Central
11:15 AM ET
Presentation: Rapid Response Reallocation
With uncertainty in the economy, rapidly shifting consumer demand and a looming election, Marketers have to be able to move quickly to redeploy advertising dollars. In order to achieve the ability to move quickly there are a few key tools, tricks and technologies that will make this not only possible, but fun!
Presenter
Dan Williams, CRO, 3 Day Blinds 
10:25 AM Central
11:25 AM ET
Sponsor Spotlight & Coffee Break
10:55 AM Central
11:55 AM ET
Panel: Reallocation Tango: The Post-Cookie Media Plan
As platforms cut brands off from the precise ad tracking that helped build D2C, companies are diversifying their media mix, devising workarounds, opting for bigger branding efforts on CTV and even OOH and direct mail. We ask our panel to declare where, how and why they have reallocated their media budgets in the last year. What have they learned about post-cookie performance and ROAS?
Moderator
Steve Smith, VP, Editorial Director, Events, MediaPost 
PanelistS
Matt Annerino, VP, Growth, CRM & Media, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation 
Dan Williams, CRO, 3 Day Blinds 
11:25 AM Central
12:25 PM ET
Case Study: Back to Basics: Wellcore's Newsletter Strategy
As newer D2C brands look for reach, sometimes the answer is much simpler than building it yourself through costly performance channels. As Keith explains, Wellcore has found its CAC from borrowing the audience of established newsletters outperforming paid search and social, influencers, lead gen and podcasts. How do you find the right publisher with just the right audience with purchase intent?
Presenter
Keith Peterson, CMO, Wellcore 
11:45 AM Central
12:45 PM ET
Case Study Q&A: A Legacy CPG Finds Direct Connections

Traditional CPGs like E.J. Gallo have struggled to build consumer direct relationships, let alone the kind of first-party data that drives this generation of D2Cs. But as D2Cs move into brick and mortar, and now have to contend with a more attenuated personal and data relationship with their consumers, what can they learn from an old hand? Marisa explores how she is using a range of new partners and tactics, from delivery apps to wine clubs and tasting events to create new pools of first and zero-party data.

Interviewee
Marisa Smith, Head of CRM & Loyalty, E. J. Gallo Winery 
Interviewer
Steve Smith, VP, Editorial Director, Events, MediaPost 
12:05 PM Central
1:05 PM ET
Roundtable: Creative Partnerships
How do you identify other brands to partner with? What types of data are shared between partners? How is your team structured for these campaigns?
Featuring
Keith Peterson, CMO, Wellcore 
12:05 PM Central
1:05 PM ET
Roundtable: Post-Cookie Customer Acquisition
What is the media and partnership strategy now as cookies crumble and CTV as well as social media costs climb?
Featuring
Joe Anhalt, VP of Marketing, KOIO 
12:50 PM Central
1:50 PM ET
Lunch
2:00 PM Central
3:00 PM ET
Cruise on Lake Austin
Axe Throwing at Urban Axes
Golf at River Place Country Club
6:30 PM Central
7:30 PM ET
Cocktail Party At world renowned Franklin BBQ (shuttle leaves hotel at 6:15pm SHARP!!)
7:30 PM Central
8:30 PM ET
Dinner At world renowned Franklin BBQ

Wednesday, 10/11

8:00 AM Central
9:00 AM ET
Breakfast Buffet Opens Otis Foyer
9:00 AM Central
10:00 AM ET
Panel: The Opportunities and Challenges of Brick-and-Mortar Retail
D2Cs that were digitally native now have their products available sometimes in their own stores and/or traditional retailers. How do they balance both marketing D2C and in store? How are their teams structured to handle both?
Moderator
Jennifer Peters, Senior Manager of eCommerce, OLLY 
PanelistS
Jimmy DeCicco, Co-founder, Chief Brand Officer, Super Coffee 
Collier Hammons, Director of Growth Marketing, Removery 
Michelle McKinney, VP, Brand Marketing, Cabinet Health 
9:30 AM Central
10:30 AM ET
Panel: Did You See That Ad?: Messaging the Breaks Through the Clutter
We close the D2C Brand Insider Summit with Show and Tell. We ask several of our D2C brands to share examples of creative ads that have broken through and tell us how and why it worked.
Moderator
Steve Smith, VP, Editorial Director, Events, MediaPost 
PanelistS
Joe Anhalt, VP of Marketing, KOIO 
KC Simmons, Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Quiksilver 

Venue

The Otis Hotel Austin, Autograph Collection
1901 San Antonio St
Austin, Texas, 78705

As the first Autograph Collection Hotel in Austin, The Otis Hotel is the educated choice in the bustling Campus District just one block from the University of Texas. The Otis believes that life should be an adventure in elevated living by offering easygoing luxury. Boutique guest rooms feature nods to Austin's history as The Live Music Capital of the World as well as the neighboring university with in-room vinyl record players and more vintage schoolroom touches.
Booking your Room at The Otis Hotel

To secure a room for MediaPost's Brand Insider Summit D2C, you MUST be a registered attendee of the 3-day conference. If you ARE NOT registered in our event system you will NOT be able to retain any reserved room under our discount booking link below. Any reservations made WITHOUT event registration will be revoked. If you haven't done so yet, you may register for the event here.

To book your discounted room at The Otis Hotel, go to:
https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1689788305515&key=GRP&app=resvlink

This discounted room block will EXPIRE on FRIDAY, 9/22/23!!

If your room is not booked by this time, you will run the risk of prices increasing and hotel inventory becoming unavailable, so please book as soon as possible.

 

The Otis Hotel Austin, Autograph Collection

Contact Us

Speaker Consideration

For speaker consideration please complete the speaker proposal form. Due to the high volume of speaker proposals that we receive we will only be able to notify those whose proposals have been selected. All proposals must go through this form, no exceptions. Do not contact other MediaPost representatives regarding speaker opportunities.

Sponsorships

For questions regarding sponsorship of this event please contact Seth Oilman, SVP, Chief Revenue Officer at seth@mediapost.com.

Press

For press inquiries, please contact Ken Fadner at ken@mediapost.com.

General

For general summit inquiries please contact Seth Oilman, SVP, Chief Revenue Officer at seth@mediapost.com.

VIP Program

For questions about or to apply to the VIP Program please contact Kevin Massa, Manager of Brand & Agency Relations at massa@mediapost.com.

Quality Pledge

MediaPost strives for excellence in its coverage of media, marketing and advertising. Our mission is to critically engage key questions for brand marketers, media buyers, sellers and emerging platforms. We choose speakers exclusively for their ability to bring perspective and insight to our stage. All conferences are programmed by proven, expert, unbiased journalists. MediaPost has never and will never engage in "pay to play" conferencing.