The eighth annual Marketing Innovation Conference @ Scheller on February 21 brought together students, alumni, faculty, and the business community for an engaging afternoon of thought-provoking presentations and interactive breakout sessions. This year’s conference underscored the vital role human creativity plays at the heart of marketing.
Against the backdrop of rapid technological change, this year’s event explored the future of marketing in a digital-first world. The conference featured an outstanding lineup of speakers, including industry leaders from The Coca-Cola Company, Intuit Mailchimp, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Resurgens Gaming, Edgewise Media, Cox Automotive, Dagger, Alloy, Atlanta Beltline, and Brand Positioning Doctors.
Attendees gained firsthand insights from leading brands shaping the industry's future while benefiting from networking opportunities, connecting marketing students and professionals across the Atlanta area.
The success of this year's conference was made possible through a collaborative effort between Scheller’s MBA Marketing Club and faculty and student volunteers.
Technology Meets Creativity: Shaping Marketing's Next Chapter
As marketing enters a new era, technology and creativity are transforming how businesses connect with customers, design campaigns, and shape their strategies. This year’s focus explored how marketers can navigate this dynamic landscape by blending innovation with creativity to craft the next marketing chapter.
The event began with opening remarks from Dean Anuj Mehrotra and Dr. Timothy Halloran. The conference then kicked off with two engaging keynote talks.
The first speaker, Darryl Cobbin, podcast host of Brand, Beats, and Bytes and a former executive at 20th Century Fox and Coca-Cola, delivered a compelling talk titled Back to the Future: Slowing Down to Speed Up. He explained that with all of the technology we have at our fingertips, the brand promise and the consumer relationship still take priority. If we use technology and “violate” our brand promise, we do more damage than good.
Following Cobbin, Kristin Beatty, senior manager of consumer marketing at Cox Automotive, and Ashley Karim Kincey, senior vice president at Dagger, shared their insights in a session titled The Subculture Blueprint: From Data to Creative Impact. They discussed how subcultures and microtargeting enable marketers to engage more closely with those consumers who are more likely to embrace our brands.
The conference continued with interactive breakout sessions, allowing participants to engage in more focused discussions on key marketing topics.
Adam Walker, founder of Edgewise Media, led a session on Creating Breakthrough Content, which explored strategies for brands to develop content that stands out in an oversaturated digital landscape.
Jasmine Howard from Intuit Mailchimp guided attendees through A/B Testing Beyond the Classroom, offering a practical deep dive into how brands can refine their messaging and optimize engagement through real-world experimentation.
Todd Harris, founder of Resurgens Gaming, shared insights on The Role of Gaming and Influencers in Marketing, illustrating how gaming culture and influencer partnerships shape the future of brand engagement.
Meanwhile, Kelly Rosenberger, vice president of Creative at Alloy Marketing, and Meghann Gibbons, vice president of Communications and Media Relations at Atlanta Beltline, Inc., led an interactive case exercise on The Reimagining of Atlanta’s Beltline, where participants examined how marketing and UX strategies can drive community engagement and urban development.
The event concluded with a dynamic panel discussion titled Is it Real or Is it AI? And Does It Even Matter? moderated by Halloran. The panel featured leading experts at the forefront of AI’s impact on marketing, including Pratik Thakar, global vice president and head of generative AI at The Coca-Cola Company, Raj Choudhury, CEO of Alloy, Lauren Leipold, IP litigation partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP, and Larry Taman, managing partner at Brand Positioning Doctors.
The discussion delved deep into AI’s expanding role in marketing, from automating content creation to redefining customer engagement. A lively debate emerged around Coca-Cola’s recent holiday ads, which sparked significant controversy in both U.S. and global media. In a rare opportunity, attendees witnessed a direct and candid discussion between the panel and Thakar, the man behind the campaign, highlighting the unique access the conference provides to leaders driving the industry’s biggest conversations.
While AI’s growing influence was a key theme, the conversation repeatedly circled back to a fundamental truth: Human creativity remains irreplaceable. In an era of technological advancement, authentic storytelling and emotional connection continue to define successful marketing.
Planning for next year’s conference is already underway. Those interested in contributing or sharing innovative marketing activities are encouraged to contact Halloran at tim.halloran@scheller.gatech.edu.
