Advisory: SXSW Interactive Panel Discussion, March 11, 2011: “Marketing Budgets Have Gone Social – Is It Working?”

New York, NY — March 2, 2011

WHAT: Join The Council of Public Relations Firms on March 11th for its panel discussion at SXSW Interactive: “Marketing Budgets have gone Social: Is it Working?” featuring marketing leaders from Pepsico, Samsung and The Hershey Company.

Wisdom has it that the smart money is going into social media. To add impact to their communications programs, brands are moving dollars into socially-focused campaigns. But is it working? Have we reached a saturation point? Our panelists, representing some of the world’s leading brands, will assess the impact at their organizations by this shift in priorities – and budget.

Panelists will cover several topics, including:

* Is social media part of your brand’s DNA?
* Is there a social media “Holy Grail”
* Budget allocation for the new marketing mix
* Measurement best practices

WHEN: March 11, 2011 @ 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Hyatt; Hill Country AB, 208 Barton Springs Road

WHO: Leading marketers and communicators from the world’s top brands, including:

* Julie Hamp, Chief Communications Officer, PepsiCo
* Kris Narayanan, Vice President, Digital Marketing, Samsung
* David Witt, Director, Global Brand Public Relations and Consumer Engagement, The Hershey Company
* Moderator: Kathy Baughman, Principal, ComBlu

Hashtag: #cprfsxsw