Brand Purpose

Welcome and Introductions (11:00am - 11:10am)

Roundtable Discussion (11:10am - 11:25am)

Session I. (11:25am - 12:00pm)
Beyond Consumer Outrage: Rebuilding Trust and Realigning Purpose

We’re in a seminal moment. Rage, resistance, reckoning, and rejection are pervasive—driven by fractured trust and unmet promises. Yet, these signals aren’t necessarily a rejection of purpose as a strategic foundation for brands. What if, instead of seeing them as warnings, we viewed them as invitations—opportunities for purpose to evolve beyond misaligned campaigns, performative gestures, and virtue signaling? Backlash can serve as a catalyst for purpose to mature into a more disciplined framework for strengthening trust and coherence. It’s a call to lead with greater intentionality, align actions with values, and step forward more bravely. Anne Bahr Thompson, author of Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship and global brand strategist, will reveal how these symptoms of outrage can guide brands to rebuild trust, realign purpose, and foster meaningful connections in a polarized world.

Presented by…
Anne Bahr Thompson
Brand Strategist and Author of Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship

Session II. (12:00pm - 12:35pm)
Lifting Los Angeles: Recovery Through Tourism

Visit California’s mission to inspire travel to and within the golden state shapes our communication and marketing strategies in the face of crisis. In the wake of unprecedented wildfires in Los Angeles, Visit California has deployed a statewide, national and global response effort designed to bring visitors back to LA. The tourism economy is critical to supporting the impacted communities and businesses, to keep doors open and to support the many residents whose lives and livelihoods have been affected. Marketing and communications strategies are brought to life with phased messaging and a strong digital push across the program – with the primary goal to get the message out that LA is open for business and ready to welcome visitors.

Key Topics:

*Crisis Recovery Messaging and Audiences
*Global Media Strategy
*Partnerships and Content Initiatives Lifting Los Angeles

Presented by...
Erika DiProfio
AVP, Global Brand Advertising
Visit California

Closing Remarks (12:35pm - 12:45pm)

About Our Speakers

A CSR Top Thought Leader, Superbrands Branding Leader, and Trust Across America Top Thought Leader, Anne Bahr Thompson is the author of Do Good-Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit. Her pioneering Me-to-We continuum continues to influence how brands integrate purpose, trust and long-term value creation.

With over 20 years of executive experience, Anne has guided global brands through cultural transformation, brand evolution and purpose-driven growth—helping leaders move beyond statements to embody impact, cultivate trust and align strategy authentically. A former Executive Director at Interbrand, over the years she has worked with many of the world’s most valuable brands—including JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, adidas, Emerson, PepsiCo, Save the Children, Scandinavian Airlines and UNICEF among many others.

Anne’s insights have been featured in The Guardian, Bloomberg News and hbr.com, and she has spoken to LinkedIn’s Lead Clients, on Fox Business, at the United Nations and at conferences worldwide—from Europe to the Middle East to Asia. Through these platforms, she expands perspectives and challenges leaders to navigate purpose and transformation with clarity and conviction.

Erika DiProfio is the AVP of global brand advertising at Visit California and leads the organization’s global advertising strategy and execution, creation of brand assets deployed in the advertising channels, and oversees the agency of record. As a graduate of San Diego State University, she has had the pleasure of working with amazing brands and destinations such as The San Diego Museum of Art, Omni Hotels & Resorts, W Hotel, Slater's 50/50, Souplantation, SeaWorld and Sesame Place California.

Erika is married and has two daughters – with whom she spends time exploring California and attending dance performances. She also enjoys sipping a glass of wine usually outside in her backyard with friends and paired with a delicious charcuterie board prepared by her daughters.