Discover how the D Brand is working to change perceptions of the city and region in a wide variety of ways from tourism to economic development to employee recruiting and retention. It's the time to get inspired and dream large. Download the speakers' presentations below.

The State of the D Brand Address

Jim Townsend, Executive Director, TEDC

Learn how and where the D Brand is being deployed and adopted, and what kinds of initiatives are planned for months to come. Jim Townsend, the individual responsible for overseeing the D Brand's development and ongoing support for tourism and economic development, provides a current and comprehensive assessment of the D Brand today.

Detroit: Making Sense of the Media Picture

Mary Kramer

Look at the D and what do you see? The D Brand is designed to promote a positive image of the city and region — and to counter negative perceptions and stereotypes that have been years in the making. What are the media saying today? What are Detroiters doing about it? The D News Bureau was created to counter media inaccuracies with factual, and favorable, information. Sharing what the D News Bureau has encountered — and addressed — in the national and regional media in recent months.

Morning Session

Recap of all morning presentations including Jim Townsend, Eric La Brecque and the Panel Discussion including Chris Baum, Carol Kendra, Rob Matwick, Cindy Pasky, Lisa Rudy and Christianne Sims.

Find Your Focus: Breakout Sessions

Brand-Building 101: Insider Insights to Getting Ahead in the Marketplace

Matthew Kruchko, Senior Associate, Applied Storytelling

The premise is simple: To make the D Brand work hardest for you, it helps to understand what brands really are and how brand-building works. For anyone who wants to understand or brush up on brand communications basics, this session is the essential first step. Matthew Kruchko, a strategist with Applied Storytelling, one of the D Brand's chief architects, introduces key elements of the basic brand communications toolbox and how they work together to enable you to tell your brand story with clarity, consistency and impact.

A Base of Believers: Using Your Brand Story to Strengthen Sponsorship Opportunities

Tavi Fulkerson, President, The Fulkerson Group

At a time of tight funding and growing demand, competition for sponsor dollars is more intensive than ever. How can telling a strong, brand-based story help sponsors to see the importance and relevance of your events and initiatives — and then inspire sponsors to align themselves with your cause? How can the D Brand story help you to increase the appeal of your Detroit-focused efforts even further? Tavi Fulkerson, the individual who secures sponsors for the Detroit International Auto Show and other high-profile local institutions, provides valuable firsthand insight.

A Sense of Belonging: Secrets of Building a Powerful Cultural and Institutional Brand

Carol Kendra, Chief Marketing Officer, The Henry Ford

Can a cultural institution or non-profit benefit from brand marketing? Absolutely. Organizations with ties to Detroit can gain even more by bringing the D Brand into their marketing mix. Carol Kendra, Chief Marketing Officer of The Henry Ford, has presided over the institution’s award-winning and influential brand buildout over the past several years. Find out what tools she’s using and what opportunities the brand is enabling The Henry Ford to pursue — and hear how the institution is planning to use the D Brand to further its own specific goals.

Media Presentation: Creative Detroit

A look at fresh work from Detroit's creative community

Irresistible Cities: Three Perspectives from The Forefront

Meet three individuals whose cutting-edge work helps to shape the cities, communities and companies around us in fresh and memorable ways.

Good Hoods: Leveraging New Media to Help Communities Advance

Brian Boyle, Co-Founder, Issue Media Group, model D

How can cities make the most of limited marketing dollars to focus attention on the exciting stories of their successful efforts to transform neighborhoods, build communities, revitalize downtowns and more? Brian Boyle shares an online media model that has gives cities a new way to leverage positive media to increase demand for investment, talent and visitors. Issue Media's "Buzz Media Model" can be a powerful channel for bringing the D Brand, and your brand, to audiences that care, and audiences that count.

Destination Sensations: Applying Brand Principles to Create Compelling Places to Live, Work and Visit

Russell Banks, Creative Director, Gensler Brand Design

What are the secrets of creating a distinct "sense of place" — and inspiring the desire to visit? Russell Banks, creative director with the Brand Design Group of Gensler, the world's largest design firm, has presided over the brand development for dozens of destinations ranging from buildings and office complexes to mixed-use developments and entire urban neighborhoods. Discover the most common tools for communicating a sense of place? Explore how commercial and private development can inform community and civic initiatives? And see how new places are created and communicated — as well as how existing destinations are given new life. Then make new connections of your own.

Building a Brand By the Numbers: Using Research to Build Smart Marketing Strategy

Michael Hinshaw, President and Founder, MCorp

With clear marketing goals comes the need for accurate insight: How effective is your program? How well are you going at managing perceptions? How well do you understand your audience priorities in the first place? Michael Hinshaw, president and founder of the nationally recognized strategic brand marketing and research firm MCorp, talks about the latest, cost effective ways you can develop your own data to drive more informed marketing decisions.