Madison + Vine + Valley

Advertising Age's third annual Madison + Vine event at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Wednesday, February 16, featured senior executives from some of the leading trend-setting brands like Starbucks, Pepsi and Electronic Arts, as well as the producers who help them navigate new frontiers.

The panel, "Beyond Product Placement: Content Creation Takes Center Stage," got off to a fast start. Speakers highlighted the importance of ideas and the use of multiple channels, not just television, to achieve branded entertainment goals.

Katie Lacey, Vice President of Colas and Media at Pepsi-Cola North America, said that advertisers are struggling with how to navigate the space. "There are numerous companies that can help us. We need all sides of the business collaborating and guiding us," said Lacey. "The more that they can help guide you through the process, the better. At Pepsi, we want our key partners involved in decision making. Otherwise, we get promised things that people can't deliver," said Lacey.

Lacey isn't afraid of making mistakes: "We will keep trying new things, and it's a learning process. We make strong connections with consumers through many channels, but the backbone of our spending will still involve mass media for at least the next year."

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