NEW YORK, NY (December 12, 2023) — Today, the Ad Council, America’s leading nonprofit leveraging the power of communications to inspire action and accelerate change around the most pressing issues in America, proudly unveiled the formation of its Emerging Media & Technology (EMT) Committee. The committee is comprised of industry leaders at the forefront of media innovation and technology and is poised to help the Ad Council continue to activate within the new frontiers of media and marketing – leveraging technologies like Generative AI, Web3/Blockchain, Immersive 3D Spaces, Spatial Computing and more – to reach audiences in new ways.
Founding companies and members of the Ad Council’s EMT Committee include:
- Avery Akkineni, President, Vayner3
- Jonathan Dozier-Ezell, Senior Director, Brand and Digital Marketing, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- Christine Greeley, VP, Brand and Content Marketing, Feeding America
- Miguel Head, Director, Augmented Reality, Meta
- Reena Jana, Head of Content & Partnership Enablement, Responsible Innovation, Google
- Greg Kahn, CEO, GK Digital Ventures & Emerging Tech Exchange
- Brandon Kaplan, CIO, Journey
- Nathalie Krup, Head of Agencies, North America, Microsoft Advertising
- Stephanie Latham, VP, Global Brand Partnerships, Roblox
- Chris Neff, Global Head of Emerging Experience & Technology, Anomaly
- Isabel Perry, VP, Emerging Tech, DEPT
- Keith Soljacich, Head of Innovation, Publicis
- Stephen Vallera, Senior Manager, Creative Strategy, North America, Reddit
- Beth Woodruff, Senior Director, Brand Strategy, Ally Financial
“The Ad Council has a long history of uniting innovation and social impact. Today's new Emerging Media & Technology Committee represents a collective commitment to harness the power of emerging media and technology for the greater good,” said DJ Perera, Chief Media Officer at the Ad Council. “By bringing together these industry leaders, we aim to inspire action, demystify emerging tech, build ethically and foster collaboration that will reach audiences in new ways and drive positive change across communities.”
The committee's overarching goal is to bring together leaders across the industry who are passionate about inspiring action and driving social impact through emerging media and technology, putting their expertise to work by shaping the Ad Council’s purpose-driven marketing efforts. Together, the committee will:
- Learn Together: Cross-pollinate expertise and insights through virtual and in-person meetings, fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
- Inspire Action: Co-host, sponsor and participate in educational events on EMT trends to guide nonprofits, government agencies and partners in the Ad Council's network and social impact community at large.
- Build Responsibly: Discuss responsible development and ethical considerations to ensure accessibility, inclusivity and user mental wellbeing and privacy in the evolving landscape of emerging media and technology.
- Advise the Ad Council: Provide guidance and expertise to shape the Ad Council's EMT Strategy, ensuring intentional and best practices are applied, offering feedback on partnerships and exploring collaboration opportunities.
Over the years, the Ad Council has experimented with and leveraged the power of new media and technologies to initiate positive change on behalf of the nonprofit's public service campaigns. Recent creative and innovative partnerships include partnering with Nickelytics and utilizing hyperlocal autonomous delivery robots to feature campaign messaging for Smokey Bear and Supporting Pets in Your Community in Los Angeles and Washington, DC. The Ad Council has also connected people to causes through immersive experiences, underscoring a commitment to meeting audiences where they are - whether in a physical or virtual world. This past June, the nonprofit activated two Pride activations for Love Has No Labels in iHeartLand on Roblox and Decentraland. They worked with Polygonal Mind, a prominent Web3 developer, to build a custom immersive and gamified experience in Decentraland’s Pride Metaverse event. Earlier this year, the Ad Council partnered with Meta to produce “The Escape Plan” which used WebXR and virtual reality to bring FEMA’s fire safety awareness message to audiences in new and immersive ways.
To help kick off the new EMT Committee, the Ad Council is partnering with Emerging Tech Exchange and Extreme Reach for a special panel discussion and “Tech for Good” luncheon during CES on January 10, 2023, at 12pm. Attendees will gain insights into collaborative impact, ethical tech development and a glimpse into the future of technology's role in mental health and wellbeing. More information on the event and opportunity to express interest in attending is available here.
The Ad Council's EMT Committee aims to be a catalyst for positive change, embodying the spirit of innovation, responsibility and collaboration as the nonprofit leverages the dynamic landscape of emerging media and technology for the betterment of society. More information on the committee is available here.
ABOUT THE AD COUNCIL
The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change around the most pressing issues in America. Since the non-profit’s founding, the organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country’s most iconic social impact campaigns – Smokey Bear, A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste, Love Has No Labels, Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more. With a current focus on mental health, gun safety, the opioid epidemic, skill-based hiring and other critical issues, the Ad Council’s national campaigns encompass advertising and media content, ground game and community efforts, trusted messenger and influencer engagement and employer programs, among other innovative strategies to move the needle on the most important issues of the day.
To learn more or get involved, visit AdCouncil.org, join the Ad Council's communities on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and view campaign creative on YouTube.
MEDIA CONTACT
Ben Dorf
The Ad Council
bdorf@adcouncil.org