WASHINGTON, DC — December 16, 2004 — Forward-thinking consumer research, cutting-edge sessions and insights into the latest advertising and marketing trends highlight the 2005 Advertising and Marketing Executive Conference. Hosted by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the conference will be held April 10-12, 2005, at the Stanford Court Hotel in San Francisco, CA.

The conference will feature a series of presentations highlighting the newest developments in private label, customer relations and direct marketing strategies. Examples of supermarket advertising from radio, television and print mediums will be on display throughout the meeting.

Kicking off the conference with a keynote address will be Mark Stevens, author of Business Week’s best seller Your Marketing Sucks and the forthcoming Declare War on Your Business. Stevens will explain that in order to keep a business in line with strategy, marketplace changes, pricing trends and customer demands, CEOs and senior managers must declare war on their businesses by challenging the oxymoron of “conventional wisdom” that permeates organizations.

Key industry topics that will be explored over the three-day conference include:

• The Power of Radio — Advertisers spend billions of dollars a year on radio advertising and yet much of it is wasted. In this session, participants will learn how to use one of the most powerful mediums to help build a brand, drive sales or both. They will also learn the common mistakes made in radio advertising and new ways that cutting-edge advertisers are using this age-old medium.




• Is Mass Media an Oxymoron? — With the fragmentation of the media, increased commercial clutter and ratings erosion on the traditional broadcast networks, advertisers are questioning the current value of mass media in general and television in particular. This session will explore whether traditional mass media still works, how mass media can adapt to today’s consumers and how technology brings power to the people.




• Driving Sales and Customer Count — In today’s age of rapid-fire marketing, supermarkets need to put the “wow” back in promotion to drive sales and customer count. Participants will learn to take advantage of the power of synergy in promotion by combining the right elements to create a unique shopping experience that both rewards loyal shoppers and enables retailers to retain the new customers they attract to their stores. Additionally, they will gain valuable insights into how to avoid the “same old thing”... no new news, no new customers.

  
  

• In-House Editing — Keeping current with technology is a must in today’s budget-cutting world. In this session, participants will discover what is available in the category of editing — from weekly item/price advertising to their company’s internal presentations.




• Private Label as a Marketing Tool — What are the latest trends in private label? What are the benefits of a successful private label program?   This session will answer these questions while exploring how retailers can build private label brands and capitalize on them as a marketing tool.




• Customer-Focused Direct Marketing — How effective is direct mail for marketers? This session will discuss the types of direct mail consumers read, as well as what percentage is responding to direct mail from stores at which they don’t typically shop. Readers’ personality profiles will be explored to better understand what captures their attention and what offers they are most likely to respond to.




• Real Solutions for the Real World — This popular segment features advertising professionals presenting ideas that worked. Participants will learn about solutions that they can implement immediately.

Other topics to be addressed include customer relations management, communicating promotions to customers, the top 10 marketing ideas for 2005, and the year’s best in radio, print and television advertising.

To register, or for more information, contact Pat Shinko (pshinko@fmi.org) or Mike Burke (mburke@fmi.org), or visit the FMI Web site at www.fmi.org.