Monday

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The first event I attended was Burger King’s Hackvertising presentation, where they shared useful tactics on how to break into the online conversations. In one situation, they noticed that the emoji pictures sparked a debate on which side the cheese belongs. On Facebook, the cheese is on the bottom of the patty. On our phone, the cheese is on the top of the patty. Whether you’re #TeamAppleEmoji or #TeamFacebookEmoji, you are able to enjoy a burger YOUR WAY at Burger King by stating which emoji you want it to look like. In another clever hackvertising strategy, they were able to turn a 15 second advertising slot into a 30 second advertisement without spending any extra money. In the ad, they called out to the audience’s Google Home and asked what is a Whopper? Then, the long and descriptive Wikipedia definition of the Whopper was answered through the user’s Google Home device. This method of hackvertising was proven to be risky (they got into some legal trouble) but the ROI was well worth it. In both methods, they received tons of earned media from their fans. Their ads not only went viral but showed that Burger King is a fun brand.

Following Hackvertising presentation, I attended the Death of Masculinity panel. This discussion examined the role of men in the wake of the MeToo movement and the TimesUp movement. It explored how equality could be obtained on both sides of the gender spectrum and what it means to be a man in today’s society. This talk resonated with me because I am a communications strategist for The Cottage, which is an advocacy center in Athens for victims of sexual assault and child abuse. I wanted to know of ways that men could support these women and how advertising can transition from the old idea of masculinity to a more inclusive and fluid form. In becoming better partners and allies, men can help raise equality for women and contribute to the discussion on sexual assault prevention. Although the feminist movement is based on women’s rights, it wouldn’t be as strong without all genders joining the fight.

My next session was on Androids, AI, and the Future of Creativity. This seminar explored the more human approach to AI. Although some people believe that robots will take away jobs from humans, others believe that the future needs robots in order to increase productivity in the economy. The rise of AI would shift countries out of poverty and work in favor of humans in the long run. Humans would have more time for personal growth and education as opposed to working constantly.

In my last session, I attended the Branding Africa event starring special guest Akon. He talked about the coming up of Akon Lights Africa and Akoins in 18 countries. This session sparked the entrepreneurial spirit in me and inspires me to start on a side-hustle. Akon’s mission stimulated the economy and is gradually pulling African countries out of poverty and hunger.

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