Jordan McKee of 451 Research Joins Us on #MillenniumLive

451 Research, global research and advisory firm and partner of the Millennium Alliance, joined us for another episode of #MilllenniumLive. This time, we caught up with Jordan McKee, Research Director of Customer Experience & Commerce. He talks all things contactless payments, fin-tech, how being curious is essential for members of the c suite, and predictions for 2020.

Video interview available here

Podcast episode available here

About Jordan McKee:

Jordan McKee is a Research Director for Customer Experience & Commerce, and also leads 451 Research’s coverage of the payments ecosystem. He focuses on digital transformation across the commerce value chain, with an emphasis on the major trends impacting payment networks, issuing and acquiring banks, payment processors and point-of-sale providers. His research helps vendors and enterprises assess the key implications of emerging technologies driving the digitization of the end-to-end shopping journey.

FSI Transformation

Digital transformation has set its sights on the financial services and insurance industries. CIOs from North America’s top institutions are working to leverage new technology such as Artificial Intelligence to deliver products and services that answering changing customer needs.

While financial services and insurance CIOs will deal with many challenges in the coming years, one particular technological challenge raises to the top – dealing with the complexity of data. The massive explosion in data is creating unprecedented manageability issues for firms around the world. As firms expand customer touch points through the use of digital platforms like social media, CIOs are dealing with an overwhelming volume of structured and unstructured data, resulting in an increased need for tighter security.

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Marketers Make the Best of Super Bowl LIV

Super Bowl LIV is still a few days away, but there is already buzz surrounding a number of the multimillion-dollar commercial slots. Advertising’s biggest day coinciding with the beginning of the year means that these ads often set the tone for brands’ year-long campaigns. In recent years, the hype surrounding Super Bowl ads has extended beyond the three hours of game time, with brands releasing teasers and trailers for their advertisements weeks ahead of the game. Much like the extension of Black Friday to the days before and after the holiday, marketers have found another opportunity to maximize the profits of a highly competitive advertising event. This is not surprising, as Fox is charging upwards of $5 million for a 30 second slot, $5.6 million to be exact, according to Bloomberg. By creating buzz surrounding a commercial prior to the game, marketers are able to extend their campaigns beyond the airtime they are given, and they are certainly succeeding so far.

Super Bowl ads generally use one of the four elements: humor, celebrity endorsement, nostalgia, and inspiration, or any combination of the four, although the occasional ad takes a more outside-the-box approach. The classic approach is to reach the audience through humor, creating buzz through pure entertainment. Celebrity endorsements are also effective in relating to an audience, although these can come at a steep price, not including the $5.6 million it costs to simply air the commercial. Some commercials play on memories of decades past by using old songs and characters or even referencing old ad campaigns. In recent years, appealing to the heart through inspirational messages and social advocacy, such as empowering women in sports, has also become popular. This year certainly did not disappoint in these categories. Here is a look at some of the best Super Bowl LIV campaigns so far:

The Prototypes

2020 Hyundai Sonata: Smaht Pahk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85iRQdjCzj0

Hyundai combines the classic humorous take on a Super Bowl ad and combines it with a (quadruple!) celebrity endorsement. Boston natives John Krasinski, Chris Evans, and Rachel Dratch, and former Boston Red Sox first baseman David “Big Papi” Ortiz demonstrated the convenience of the 2020 Hyundai Sonata’s Remote Smart Parking Assist, or as they call it, “smaht pahk” in absurdly exaggerated Boston accents. The commercial was both funny and effective in showcasing the car’s features.

Microsoft: Be the One

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xPn4DXIj5w

Microsoft pulled on the heartstrings with its ad featuring the Offensive Assistant Coach for the San Francisco 49ers, Katie Sowers. Sowers recounted her journey to becoming the NFL’s first female coach, adding “I’m not trying to be the best female coach. I’m trying to be the best coach”. While the ad has nothing to do with Microsoft itself, advocating for female empowerment and women in sports certainly has people talking about the brand and its campaign.

Budweiser: Whassup Again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eambO3giD_4

This year, Budweiser appealed to American nostalgia and sense of humor with a revival of Super Bowl classic, “Whassup”. In this ad, Bud teamed up with Uber in a hilarious commercial in which a man’s smart home devices yell “whassup” to each other in an empty house. The man comes home and grabs a pack of Budweiser before heading out to catch his Uber, promoting both brands while also reminding game watchers not to drink and drive.

Thinking Outside the Box

P&G: When We Come Together

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24vfhGsx4Qg

This year, Procter & Gamble will attempt an entirely new type of Super Bowl ad: an interactive, multi-brand one. The consumer goods giant released a teaser for their ad in which a bowl of chili hits a fan at Sofia Vergara’s Super Bowl Party, presumably creating a huge mess. According to Adweek, Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard is asking viewers to help create the ad by going to WhenWeComeTogether.com, where fans can help Sofia clean up the mess. The website allows viewers to choose the actions taken by Sofia and her guests, some of which are popular P&G brand mascots. P&G will then air the most popular scenario during the fourth quarter of the game. This is is a very unique approach, both in terms of combining brands and creating an interactive experience

Planters: #RIPeanut

While brands spend all year planning their campaigns before their official release, sometimes the environment calls for a last minute change. One of the most talked-about campaigns was Plantars’ “#RIPeanut”, in which the brand killed off its 104-year-old mascot in order to present a game-time “funeral”. This unconventional campaign approach created a lot of media buzz, and was expected to be a huge hit. However, Plantars did not plan for the untimely death of one of the world’s most beloved athletes, Kobe Bryant, and has since paused all campaign activity since the news broke. The brand thought that making light of a fictional character’s death, which would normally be a silly way to draw attention to the brand, was insensitive in the wake of nation-wide mourning for a very real person. Despite halting the campaign, Planters will still air its Super Bowl commercial as planned, Adweek reports.

How High Are the Stakes?

Super Bowl average costs of a 30-second TV advertisement from 2002 to 2019 (in million U.S. dollars)

Chart found here

With the cost of Super Bowl ad space increasing dramatically over the years, the stakes continue to rise for advertisers. In 2020, it’s not enough to simply air a commercial during the big game. Leading brands create buzz around their ads up to weeks prior to the game, collaborate with other brands, and take any action needed to stand out among tough competitors. This year, advertisers brought their A-game, continuing the tradition of creating a television event where the commercials are just as anticipated as the game.

Transformational CMO

The digital revolution has forever changed the balance of power between individual consumers and brands. This need to think “customer first” has made the marketing function more vital than ever before.

C-Level executives around the world are anticipating that digital technology will continue to drive business. We’ve put together a series of executive education roundtables, keynote presentations, collaborative think tanks, educational workshops, and networking sessions with our industry experts and advisory board.

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Join the Webinar: The World’s First Marketplace for Digital Employees

Automation. IT operations. Driven by conversational AI.

Our partner IPSoft is offering Millennium Members the opportunity to join their webinar on the future of work with digital employees. The utilization of digital employees offers a 93% reduction in average IT resolution time at a global investment bank & 70% of customer service interactions at a retail bank handled entirely by virtual labor. As the largest privately-owned AI company, IPsoft has two decades of experience building automation solutions that solve real business problems. The webinar takes place on Wednesday, February 5, 2020, and will offer exclusive insight into the world’s first-ever marketplace for digital employees, and how it operates.

Go here to sign-up!

About the Webinar

The Digital Workforce is here, and you can take advantage of it today! Register below to attend an exclusive webinar, “The World’s First Marketplace for Digital Employees™.”

You’ll be joining IPsoft’s President and CEO Chetan Dube and Vice President of Emerging Technologies Ergun Ekici to hear how you can use cloud-based Digital Employees to lower costs, increase efficiency and drive revenue. You’ll also see a demo of the marketplace, and review how to select and onboard Digital Employees from the cloud yourself. The webinar will conclude with a Q&A session with Chetan and Ergun.

We’re excited to share with you how Digital Employees can make business better.

#MillenniumLive with Aaron Sherrill of 451 Research

In this #MillenniumLive episode, our partner 451 Research joined us at our Transformational CISO Assembly this past November for a thoughtful discussion on cybersecurity. Aaron Sherrill, Senior Analyst of Information Security, talks “the Crisis of Trust” and how the concept of trust has changed over time, approaching security as a business enabler, and his advice for cybersecurity executives in 2020. In addition to sitting down for an interview, Aaron also wrote a recap of the Transformational CISO Assembly highlighting key takeaways from the event!

Video interview available here

Podcast episode available here

Check out 451 Research’s Event Recap here

About 451 Research:

451 Research is a preeminent information technology research and advisory company. With a core focus on technology innovation and market disruption, we provide essential insight for leaders of the digital economy. More than 100 analysts and consultants deliver that insight via syndicated research, advisory services, and live events to over 1,000 client organizations in North America, Europe and around the world. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in New York City, 451 Research is a division of The 451 Group.

Transformational CISO East

Due to the success of our National Transformational CISO Assembly, The Millennium Alliance in partnership with our Advisory Board has launched Transformation CISO East. This exclusive Assembly will bring industry experts and the best solution providers to our CISO Members based on the East Coast.

With the instances of cyber attacks increasing, businesses of all sizes are working tirelessly to secure their networks, devices, and data. Fortune 500 organizations are especially vulnerable as they have big data pools and thousands of people who need access. CISOs need to plan for worst-case scenarios, stay ahead of the latest IT Security transformation technology, and maintain their company’s information assets, all without losing sight of the corporate culture

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Are you a CISO interested in attending this event? Inquire here today to find out if you qualify for Millennium Membership >>

#MillenniumLive with Oracle’s Senior Data Strategist, Paul Sonderegger!

This week’s episode of #MillenniumLive features Oracle’s Senior Data Strategist, Paul Sonderegger! We had the unique opportunity to sit down with Paul at our Digital Enterprise CIO Assembly, where he shared his thoughts on what today’s IT executives could do differently, the hidden data economy & the importance of data liquidity. Paul also touches on the importance of the interchange of ideas with today’s leaders, and why executive education is so important for the C-Suite.

Video interview available here

Podcast episode available here

About Paul Sonderegger:

Paul Sonderegger is Senior Data Strategist at Oracle and leads the company’s work on data capital. Paul helps executives understand the effects of data capital on competitive strategy. He also works with Oracle’s data management product teams in setting future product direction. Paul speaks frequently on the rise of data capital, and is a contributing author at Forbes.com. Prior to joining Oracle, Paul was Chief Strategist at Endeca, a discovery analytics company. Before Endeca, Paul was a Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, specializing in search and user experience design. Paul has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wake Forest University.

Digital Enterprise CIO Transformation

The Millennium Alliance is thrilled that you’re interested in Digital Enterprise CIO Transformation West Assembly.

As more and more businesses look to digital technology and strategies to transform their business, CIOs know that data and information technology have never been more important. Understanding the convergence of mobile, social, and cloud is the first critical step for organizations looking to create opportunities and stay ahead of the competition.

Join us in Las Vegas for a series of executive education roundtables, keynote presentations, collaborative think tanks, educational workshops, and networking sessions will offer industry-specific topics and trends to ensure your company maintains its competitive advantage.

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eGrocery Sales Rise & Local Supermarkets Fall

eGrocery is here, and for the most part, the players that have dominated the industry over the last century are the ones falling by the wayside. In the last 5 years, a slew of big-name grocery chains have filed for bankruptcy, including A&P, Winn-Dixie, Bi-Lo and Marsh Supermarkets. What’s now calling for concern is the news of two local supermarket chains biting the bullet just a day apart in the new year.

New York’s beloved 87 year-old chain, Fairway, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy citing “market pressure” as the cause. They’ve agreed to sell 5 stores and a distribution center in a $70M deal with Village Super Market in an effort to unlade the $227M they currently hold in debt. The very next day, Lucky’s Market, also filed for chapter 11 with plans to sell stores to Aldi & Publix.

Is this a red herring of what’s to come for 2020?

What’s happening in grocery retail is more than a shakeout, and retailers can certainly expect to see further upheaval in the coming decade. In fact, more than 50% of the grocery sector’s economic profit vanished between 2012 and 2017, and the cause is evident: digital transformation.

eMarketer’s research found that US grocery eCommerce is the fastest-growing product category online. This coincides with their projection that “US food and beverage eCommerce sales will grow roughly 23% in 2019 to $22.63 billion”.

Buy online, pick up in-store (BOPUS) has been a major growth catalyst in recent years, with the number of retail locations offering the service nearly doubling in the last year alone.

Today’s leaders in grocery sales are the ones with the greatest stake in eCommerce. Brian Crain, Head of Global Business Development with PrecimaNow tells ProgressiveGrocer, “Winners in retail are absolutely embracing data, and it’s not just in marketing and merchandising, it’s everywhere throughout the organization.” Amazon being one of the pioneers of eGrocery saw a 12.5% increase in grocery sales ($8.2B) for 2019. The tech giant announced in October that their Amazon Fresh service will be included free for Amazon Prime members, prompting an 80% increase in Prime members trying grocery delivery for the first time.

Walmart also showed signs of significant growth with a 10.1% increase in sales ($2.8B) last year, which presumably came as a result of their expanded BOPUS & curbside pickup offerings in over 3,000 stores nationwide. Walmart’s success in the grocery category was an evidently strategic move following several years of brick and mortar closures with “financial performance” being the main cause, and in lieu of this, the retail giant has experimented with a cashier-less store in Florida in an effort to cut costs at the core of their business: the store.

The third largest digital retailer, Kroger, shouldn’t be ignored, as they saw their biggest year-over-year gain of 66% in 2019. The 137-year-old company has aptly leveraged digital transformation to revolutionize their business, so it’s especially notably that they’re now holding the ranks with Amazon & Walmart. Kroger has expanded its home delivery services with their Kroger Ship app, providing online grocery pickup to 91% of households in 1,581 of its 2,764 stores. They’ve also kick-started a trial program in Cincinnati for 30-minute Grocery deliveries, known as Kroger Rush. Investing in long-run gains, they’ve opened their robot-operated fulfillment center in Maryland, which is set to bring them close to 100% in order accuracy once the facility is fully functional in 2021. Kroger has also transformed their digital presence with new developments in their mobile app, the release of a Kroger podcast exploring food trends with cookbook author & TV personality, Danielle Kartes, and recruiting DDB as their “agency of record”. Kroger is a prime example of a legacy company gracefully adapting to a new era without getting caught up in the meandering trends that have futilely affected others in the industry.

The grocery category is thriving now more than ever, with recent projections estimating that sales will increase 17% ( $100B in the United States alone) by 2025. This lends more opportunity than there was before, but with an upturn in opportunity comes an even more drastic increase in competition. That being said, 2020 is the year that grocers must either seize the moment much like a Kroger, or cut their losses like a Fairway.

Transformational Retail Assembly

C-Level experts from across North America’s retail industry are coming together in Las Vegas in March to anticipate the highly complex digital retail environment that will develop over the next few years.

Through a cutting-edge program designed by the industry, for the industry, we will provide a fresh and up-to-date insight to help move your organization to the next level of digital leadership. A series of executive education roundtables, keynote presentations, collaborative think tanks, educational workshops, and networking sessions will offer industry-specific topics and trends to ensure your company sustains its competitive advantage.

Are you interested in becoming a sponsor for this event? Click here today to learn more >>

Are you interested in attending this event? Inquire here today to find out if you qualify for Millennium Membership >>

Announcing our Upcoming Keynote Speaker, Paul Connelly!

Our April Transformational CISO and CISO Healthcare Assembly in April is right around the corner, and we are excited to officially announce our Keynote Speaker, Paul Connelly, Chief Information Security Officer for HCA Healthcare! With 18 years of experience leading HCA’s program and years of Information Security experience at the White House, the National Security Agency, and PricewaterhouseCoopers under his belt, Paul is sure to deliver an unforgettable keynote.

About Paul Connelly:

Paul Connelly is Chief Information Security Officer for HCA Healthcare. He leads the teams and programs for Cyber Security, Privacy, Data Retention, and Physical Security that protect the company’s 184 hospitals, more than 1200 outpatient and Physician clinics, 275,000 employees, and 32 million patient encounters each year.
Paul oversees a team of more than 240 and $100M annual budget for the enterprise programs that protect HCA Healthcare’s patient and business data, network, clinical systems, and digital transformation and innovation agenda – including health data exchange, Cloud, and data analytics. He works directly with senior management and the company Board of Directors.
Paul started as an information security analyst at the National Security Agency in 1984, spent nine years as Information Security Officer at the White House, and six years as a partner leading an information security audit and consulting group at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has led HCA’s program since 2002.

Transformational CISO

The Millennium Alliance is thrilled to present our bi-annual Transformational CISO Assembly, taking place in Denver, CO.

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Welcome our Newest Keyntote Speaker, Diwakar Goel!

We’re thrilled to announce Diwakar Goel, Global Chief Data Officer at General Electic, as our Keynote Speaker for our next Digital Enterprise CEO & Data Transformation Assembly! With over 13 years of experience with one of the largest firms in the United States, Diwakar is a wealth of knowledge and has proven himself to be a true leader in digital transformation. This will be our first Digital Enterprise & Data assembly of the decade, so we’re especially looking forward to what Diwakar & our thought leaders have to share with our C-Suite executives.

About Diwakar Goel

Diwakar has been with GE for thirteen years, through eight different positions within the organization. Through all his varied roles at GE, he has experienced firsthand the power of data management in transforming his business to meet the challenges of the modern, information-driven technological era. As Global Chief Data Officer, Diwakar is responsible for driving Data & Analytics practice for all Industrial businesses and Global Ops (GE’s GBS serving finance and operational finance functions). He’s created an analytical and operational data platform with rich AI capabilities to drive $500MM+ of annual productivity by 2020, through a series of persona aware products that transform the existing operations of the 25k+ employees.

Digital Enterprise CIO Transformation

The Millennium Alliance is thrilled that you’re interested in Digital Enterprise CIO Transformation West Assembly.

Are you interested in becoming a sponsor for this event? Click here today to learn more >>

Are you interested in attending this event? Inquire here today to find out if you qualify for Millennium Membership >>

Team Spotlight: Interview with Gabie Polce!

With the opening of our brand new office in Austin, Texas rapidly approaching, we would like to put the spotlight on the woman who will be running the show in the Lone Star State. Gabie Polce, Head of Partnerships at The Millennium Alliance, is taking her talents to Texas to promote the growth of our company, expand our talent pool, and strengthen ties with our West Coast and Midwest partners. Check out her interview to learn more about Gabie, her experience with the Millennium Alliance, and what she’s looking forward to in Austin!

Q. What excites you most about your new role as the head of Millennium’s new Austin office?
A. I am most excited about tapping into the talent pool in Austin and getting some great new faces onto our team – But I’d be lying if I said I also wasn’t just as excited to eat some good BBQ too.

Q. Is there anything that has surprised you since you joined Millennium?
A. I think I’ve been most surprised by the rapid rate we’re growing. We’re never stagnant – and that’s an awesome environment to be in.

Q. What is your favorite part about working for Millennium?
A. I know everybody says this about Millennium but the best part about working here is the people and the culture. I’m around motivated, like-minded people all day/every day, and there’s something special about that.

Q. Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us.
A. I played basketball in college and used to sing the national anthem before my games.

Q. What is your favorite travel or vacation spot and why?
A. I have two favorites – One is Amalfi Coast in Italy and the other is San Diego, CA. Amalfi is truly the most beautiful place I have ever been and my family has some roots there – so I loved visiting there. San Diego just has the best vibes and nothing beats the beach – I try and get there once a year.

This Week’s #MillenniumLive with Steve Allen, MD!

This week’s podcast features Steve Allen, MD, former CEO of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and one of the newest members of the Millennium Alliance Advisory Board! After delivering a wonderful Keynote Address, Steve sat down for an interview on the changes he’s seen over the course of his 13 years at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, growth in the healthcare industry, leadership in the C-Suite, and more.

Podcast episode available here

Video interview available here

About Steve Allen:

Steve Allen, MD, MBA, is the recently retired CEO of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, a preeminent academic medical system in Columbus, Ohio. When he joined Nationwide Children’s in 2006, the hospital was known as an important regional health care center. By the time of his retirement in July of 2019, Nationwide Children’s had become one of the country’s most respected and innovative pediatric institutions with over $2.4 billion a year in revenue. It now consistently appears on U.S. News and World Report Honor Roll list of America’s top 10 children’s hospitals, and its Abigail Wexner Research Institute is one of the National Institutes of Health’s top funded freestanding pediatric research facilities. Dr. Allen oversaw a period of unprecedented growth and transformation in Nationwide Children’s size, scope and vision. Through his unique perspective, redefining the role of a modern healthcare organization, Dr. Allen built a team and culture that has been recognized as a role model for innovation and collaboration. In the process, he has become one of the most prominent voices in American pediatric health care strategy and policy. His advocacy in Washington D.C. and his opinion columns in The Hill, U.S. News and World Report and other publications provided a messaging template for other health care executives to follow. Outside of his executive leadership, Dr. Allen is board certified in Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, and is the author of nearly 150 medical journal articles, reviews and book chapters.

Healthcare Providers Transformation

Join leaders from North America’s leading Health Systems to discuss the latest technology, innovations, and strategies driving healthcare’s transformation. At our Healthcare Providers Transformation Assembly, we’ll be discussing the latest digital technology and business strategies driving healthcare’s digital transformation.

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