ID Media CEO Lynn Fantom to Speak at the Network of Executive Women's NEW CPG Retail Diversity Forum 2012 in Dallas

NEW YORK, March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Lynn Fantom, CEO of ID Media, an Interpublic Group media agency, will share insights on how companies can leverage marketing—as well as a diverse workforce—to tap into today's fast-growing, multicultural consumer base at the Network of Executive Women's NEW CPG Retail Diversity Forum.

Formerly known as the Multicultural Workforce Conference, this year's event takes place March 6-8 in Dallas, and brings together companies in the consumer products and retail industries. Speakers, including executives from Johnson & Johnson, Valassis, Frito-Lay, General Mills and Wal-Mart, will discuss strategies for engaging multicultural consumers, as well as best practices for cultivating—and harnessing—organizations' diverse and inclusive workforce talent.

Fantom will offer insights on how companies can build integrated marketing programs to connect with today's multicultural consumer. Drawing on experience from Fortune 500 brands, Fantom will detail how marketers can successfully deploy "media's edge," while driving "costs down, engagement up" across channels such as television, digital and promotional print.

The approach, she says, is important, as multiculturalism is becoming more mainstream, and yet, companies face organizational challenges—such as budget constraints—when attempting to tap into this segment. An accountable media approach—designed to track and drive the ROI behind multicultural marketing spending—is one such solution, Fantom says.

Companies, Fantom adds, can further kick it up a notch by recognizing—and valuing—the multicultural insights and cultural richness of their employees.

As Singleton Beato, SVP, Diversity and Inclusion and Talent Development at ad industry trade association the 4A's put it: "It's very important that when we as marketers are developing new product ideas or campaigns, we have a full understanding of whom we're talking to. And the best way to do that is to make sure that the influences from those cultures are present in our everyday thinking."

ID Media has been widely recognized for its diversity successes.  A three-time winner of IPG awards for championing diversity and inclusive career development, the agency's workforce is comprised of two-thirds women and 40 percent people of color. IPG also named Fantom its 2009 "Agency CEO to Watch" for her commitments to weaving diversity and inclusion into ID Media's fiber. 

Says Fantom, "ID Media is not an ethnic marketing agency per se.  Yet companies are increasingly turning to us as they see how the diversity and accountability of our people drive better business results in multicultural marketing. As the U.S. races towards a multicultural majority, we believe this perspective is uniquely beneficial to CMOs who must demonstrate quantifiable returns as they introduce new multicultural marketing programs."

Adds NEW CEO and President Joan Toth: "Multicultural markets present one of the largest, fastest-growing opportunities for the CPG/retail industry and Lynn Fantom has helped best-in-class companies build relationships with these consumers. Her presence at the NEW Diversity Forum underscores the importance of having leaders from every business function incorporating diversity and inclusion into their business plans."

For more details and an updated agenda, visit www.newonline.org.

About ID Media

ID Media is an Interpublic Group media agency known for identifying and delivering accountable media solutions that create better business outcomes for marketers. Backed by a culture that's deeply committed to results, our people drive costs down, engagement up across television, digital and promotional print channels. Companies including American Express, Nationwide, Verizon, Johnson & Johnson, Intuit, Match.com and Nikon turn to ID Media for its no-silos, real-time, tech-oriented approach. ID Media is also a four-time winner of IPG awards for diversity and inclusion, and has been recognized by Crain's as one of its "Best Places to Work in NYC" in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. For more information, visit www.idmediaww.com.

About The Network of Executive Women

The Network of Executive Women is the consumer products and retail industry's largest diversity organization, with more than 5,000 members representing 400 industry companies. The Network has more than 70 national sponsors and 17 regional groups in the United States and Canada. It hosts dozens of local events and three national conferences each year. For more information visit www.newonline.org.

SOURCE ID Media