• September 4, 2003

Vanguarde Media, the publisher of Savoy, Savoy Professional and Honey, announced yesterday that MTV Networks has signed on as the lead sponsor of its annual impact! Marketing Retreat (iMR). The event, scheduled for November 5 to 7 in Miami, will survey a host of issues related to the convergence of marketing and urban popular culture. "Over its history, MTV has demonstrated an uncanny ability to define new trends in pop culture and serve as the marketing vehicle for varied consumer segments, including the urban demographic," said Vanguarde national marketing director of media Gary Lewis in a press release. "Today, MTV Networks is an unparalleled portfolio of media properties and a model for how the intersection of urban pop culture and marketing strategy sells product." Past participants at iMR have included execs from BMW, HBO, Island Def Jam, PepsiCo and Motorola.