M3: Marketing Minds Meet, 2012

The M3 Marketing Minds Meet Conference was held in Oklahoma City on Thursday May 3rd at the The Restaurant Space at Myriad Botanical Gardens.The conference is designed to assemble a powerful group of marketing professionals to address collaboration and best practices in marketing.At M3, top executives and entrepreneurs in attendance learned, from the event's many presentations, how to marshal resources and thrive with an effective plan.ShapardResearch's very own Bill Shapard gave a presentation titled “Seven Ways to Navigate the Most Common Market Research Pitfalls.” He talked about why market research is a necessary tool in any business plan in today’s economy and illuminated the mistakes that many business executives make when using market research.There were six other presentations throughout the day which focused on other important areas of a marketing strategy.Sarah Mason Sears of s design inc. spoke about how to balance creativity and discipline. Sarah talked about the processes and considerations that support the refinement and growth of a good brand which she said should be resilient and fresh but also consistent.Brian Ferrell, owner of factor 110, gave an engaging talk about event planning and the little factors that can “make, mold, or mutilate” your event.Julianna Deligans of Hall Estill delivered a very informative presentation on Intellectual Property, Trademarks and Servicemarks.Susan Hardy Brooks of Schnake Turnbo and Frank PR highlighted the importance of having an integrated PR strategy. Aligning all of the elements of research, design, branding and messaging into a strategic marketing communications is crucial to having an effective campaign.Mike Koehler, the president and chief strategist at Smirk New Media, talked about social media how to you assure that you are sharing the right content on the right platform for the right audience.Caleb Germany, co-owner and founder of Created by Agent, gave great tips on how to get the most out of your production budget without getting ripped off.This was the first M3 conference, but it won't be the last. The event's organizers plan to hold the event Bi-annually with a conference held in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa each year.Don't miss your next chance to learn and discuss the evolution of marketing and how the best minds in the business are collaborating in today's business environment. Details are still being determined, but check back for more information about how you can be a part of the next M3 Conference in Tulsa this Fall.