<strong>Top Reasons to Attend the 2013 Social Branding Seminar</strong>

As discussed in <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/simonmainwaring/2013/09/20/top-3-trends-about-to-put-you-out-of-business/" target="_blank">Forbes</a>, there are three powerful trends that threaten your business and that, together, are potentially fatal:: Compounding global crises, fast-changing social technologies and rising consumer activism. Companies that fail to adapt can be undone by any one of these trends, but united they can put the most famous household names out of business.

<strong>That’s why how you define, frame and share your brand story is your most important strategic business decision today. </strong>Here are just some of the reasons companies like Mattel, Coke, Walgreens, Chanel, Nestle, Starbucks, and more are sending teams to L.A for the 2013 Social Branding Seminar: 

<strong>1. Urgency</strong>:  Did you know the Meaningful Brands Index <strong>outperforms the stock market by 120%</strong>, or that 55% of consumers have boycotted a company in the last 12 months? See our <a href="http://simonmainwaring.com/future/marketing-3-0-the-rise-of-purpose-driven-social-brands-infographic/" title="latest infographic" target="_blank">latest infographic</a>.

<img src="http://www.wefirstbranding.com/seminar/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/We-First-Infographic-Thumbnail-Purpose-Driven-Social-Brands-300x264.png" alt="We First Infographic Thumbnail Purpose Driven Social Brands" width="300" height="264" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-420" />

<strong>2. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/inauthenticity-kills-brands" title="Inauthenticity is the quickest way to kill your brand" target="_blank">Inauthenticity is the quickest way to kill your brand</a></strong>. An authentic alignment of a brand's mission, values and practices is the only way to survive the radical transparency now being imposed on companies. 

<strong>3. Internal & external synergy</strong>: Separating marketing from sustainability, and limiting sustainability to the environment, are two symptoms of leadership that has not recognized the larger role that customers expect business to play. See: <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/simonmainwaring/2013/07/08/cmo-vs-cso-8-steps-to-bridge-the-divide-that-could-undo-your-business/" target="_blank">CMO Vs. CSO: 8 Steps To Bridge The Divide That Could Undo Your Business</a>

<strong>4. Meaning-driven marketing wins</strong>:  As Steve Job says <a href="http://simonmainwaring.com/future/what-steve-jobs-knew-about-the-importance-of-values-to-your-company/" title="in this classic video" target="_blank">in this classic video</a> about how he turned around Apple: “Marketing is about values. It’s a complicated and noisy world, and we’re not going to get a chance to get people to remember much about us. No company is. So we have to be really clear about what we want them to know about us.”

<strong>5. A rare chance to learn from the best</strong>. Have you ever wondered how charity: water became the first non-profit to have 1 million Twitter followers and gets 75% of its fundraising through digital channels? Or how Starbucks is able to be both an iconic global brand and expert local community builder? It’s an incredibly rare opportunity to hear <a href="http://www.wefirstbranding.com/seminar/speakers/" title="global leaders" target="_blank">insights from global leaders</a> at Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Toyota, the UN Foundation and charity: water in an intimate setting and to ask questions about your toughest marketing problems.

<img src="http://www.wefirstbranding.com/seminar/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Speakers-2013-new-290x300.png" alt="Speakers 2013 new" width="290" height="300" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-421" />

<strong>6. Value and Clarity</strong>: After most events you leave with a lots of notebooks and business cards but little time to transpose your learning to your business or brand. That’s why over the course of two days you will work through a <a href="http://www.wefirstbranding.com/seminar/program/" target="_blank"><strong>Social Branding Blueprint</strong></a> answering questions specific to your business so that you walk out with real value in your hand.

<strong>7. Relationships</strong>: The event format has been specific designed to give you access to speakers and peers to start relationships that can lead to new business, partnerships and friendships. Here are just a few companies you’ll be joining: <strong>Nestle Purina PetCare, Mattel, Chanel, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Staffmark, FirstCapital Bank of Texas,  In-N-Out Burger, Thrive Farmers, the UN Foundation</strong> and more!

<strong>8. Contribution</strong>: Every attendee gets to invite their favorite non-profit for free giving them a direct experience in contribution to a cause they care about. The alignment of business and the non-profit sector really has the power to change the world.

<img src="http://www.wefirstbranding.com/seminar/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/breakout-group-1-300x200.jpg" alt="breakout group 1" width="300" height="200" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-422" />