Getting to Why: Great Brands Create Great Experiences

#sxsw #Get2Why

Are you a mobile company, or a software company? An advertising company, or an analytics company? In today’s world, it just doesn’t matter. We don’t ask great brands what they are because we already believe in why they are.
Every technology company -- large or small -- is looking to create a lasting brand. The question is how? The key is understanding what makes you relevant, what delights your users, and why they should come back. Then you’re not just creating a product, but an experience that can be replicated many times over.

Presenters

Kathy Savitt

CMO

Yahoo

Kathy Savitt is Chief Marketing Officer, where she is responsible for Yahoo's branding and marketing worldwide.

Before joining Yahoo, Kathy was CEO of Lockerz, a company she founded in 2009 with the mission of revolutionizing the way Generation Z discovers and consumes content and products. She has focused heavily on youth culture, particularly on Gen Z (born between 1992-2010), which she believes is the most disruptive group in modern history. Kathy discovered the tremendous opportunity in creating a company geared precisely for their specific behaviors and consumptive patterns.

Prior to Lockerz, Kathy was Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at American Eagle Outfitters, Inc., where she led both the global marketing efforts of the company’s portfolio of brands and the digital and e-commerce channels. She was also Vice President of Strategic Communications, Content and Entertainment Initiatives for Amazon.com.

Kathy’s entrepreneurial spirit was evident early in her career. She founded her first company, an integrated marketing communications firm called MWW/Savitt, before she turned 30. During her 10 years at MWW/Savitt, she represented some of the world's most influential Fortune 500 brands and helped launch more than 100 start-ups.

Kathy currently serves as Chairman of the Lockerz Board of Directors and is a member of the Board of Directors of Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. (NYSE: VSI). She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and government.