CEO of The Guardian North America, Vice President of Brand Evangelism and Activation for Charles Schwab & Co., Vice President Brand Strategy & Communications for Sony Computer Entertainment America and a partner at eatbigfish to Lead Keynote Session

DALLAS — (BUSINESS WIRE) — April 7, 2015 — ad:tech San Francisco 2015, the longest-running digital marketing event in the industry, has announced four major names in the business world to headline a joint keynote session titled “Challenger Brands: Embracing Your Inner-Underdog.” Eamonn Store, CEO of The Guardian North America, Julian Aldridge, Vice President, Brand Evangelism and Activation for Charles Schwab & Co., Maria Surricchio, Vice President Brand Strategy & Communications for Sony Computer Entertainment America and Mark Barden, partner at eatbigfish will discuss “challenger brands,” the plucky upstarts that formulate bold plans to take down the dominant company in their respective industry. This exciting session will draw from the speakers’ collective expertise on what goes into becoming a challenger brand and ways to incorporate these principles into your business plans to either “claw your way up” or stay at the top.

“Looking at how top challenger brands like Netflix and Spotify have capitalized on delivering consumer needs in what seemed like previously solid markets, it is easy to see why we have so many startups chasing that same dream in 2015,” said Kimberly Dunn, marketing director for ad:tech. “We are thrilled to have some of the top experts in the branding space deliver keen insights on how challenger brands soar to success by turning customers into fierce brand advocates, and how you can do the same for your organization.”

Store, Aldridge, Surricchio and Barden will speak on May 20 at 1 p.m. Store brings over 20 years of marketing and branding experience and is currently spearheading efforts to amplify The Guardian’s North American presence. Aldridge delivers more than 30 years’ experience in the advertising and marketing industry and one of his driving passions throughout his career has been re-invention and re-imagination of brands – a passion that has seen him most recently pioneer challenger thinking and activation within major corporations. A true trailblazer in diverse consumer marketing and building brands that inspire consumer engagement, Surricchio oversaw the challenger brand strategy and launch of the Greatness Awaits campaign that contributed to the PS4 being the most successful platform launch in PlayStation history. As partner at eatbigfish, the agency that coined the term “challenger brand,” Barden recently drew from his experiences to co-author the book “A Beautiful Constraint: How to Transform Your Limitations Into Advantages, and Why It’s Everyone’s Business,” (Wiley, 2015).

The two-day ad:tech San Francisco event will take place on May 20-21, 2015, and will feature industry-leading keynote speakers from world-renowned brands and agencies. The remaining keynote speakers will be announced in the weeks ahead.

More Information:

• For more information and details on this year’s keynote sessions, visit:  http://www.ad-tech.com/sf/Content/Keynotes/5_9/
• For more information on ad:tech, visit:  http://www.ad-tech.com/sf/Content/Welcome
• To register for ad:tech San Francisco 2015, visit:  http://www.ad-tech.com/sf/Content/Register/3/
• For more information on the expo floor features, visit:  http://www.ad-tech.com/sf/Content/Expo/4/
• Follow  @adtech on Twitter and join the conversation using #adtechSF

About ad:tech:

ad:tech is a conference and exhibition where the marketing, technology and media communities come together to share new ways of thinking, build strong partnerships, and define new strategies to address key industry challenges and opportunities. Several annual events around the world focus on top-notch education through keynote speakers, topic-driven panels and workshops as well as showcase the latest products and services to help deepen understanding and create new ideas that will drive business forward. Attendees leave ad:tech with the tools and techniques they need to compete in an ever-changing marketplace. For more information, visit  www.ad-tech.com.

ad:tech is owned by dmg events, which was founded in 1989 and now organizes over 80 events in 25 countries each year. Headquartered in Stamford, Conn., it is currently active in North America, the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia, employing more than 300 staff. dmg events is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc, one of the largest media companies in the United Kingdom. For more information on dmg events, visit  www.dmgevents.com.

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