World Social Marketing Conference - Leading Experts In Toronto April 21-23

Ogilvy Public Relations Sponsors Chinese Environmentalist Ma Jun Scheduled to Appear as Keynote Speaker; Conference Focuses on Global Issues, Behavior Change

TORONTO, April 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time ever, the World Social Marketing Conference (WSMC) will be held in North America, as more than 500 marketers, communications experts and researchers from across the world will discuss how the practice of social marketing can help address critical global issues and public health concerns. The third biennial conference will be held in Toronto, Canada from April 21-23, 2013 and features Ma Jun, who was named one of TIME's Most 100 Influential People.  

The three-day conference will boast a lineup of leading world experts and practitioners in social marketing, a growing field that addresses social issues with research-driven strategies to increase awareness and achieve specific personal behavioral goals for social good. New learnings in the fields of health, environment, criminal justice, transport and finance will be presented with particular focus on sustainability, intra-disciplinary working and the relevance and application of behavior change practice and science.

"We are thrilled to bring the foremost experts on social innovation and change to North America through the World Social Marketing Conference," said Jeff French, chairman, WSMC. "This year, WSMC will feature additional breakout sessions so attendees are able to hone in on specific subjects, learning from the best and brightest in the field. We aim to educate and engage attendees and presenters by sparking debate and dialogue about critical global and public health issues."

Ma, a leading Chinese environmentalist, journalist, writer, and consultant, is scheduled to be the Conference's keynote speaker and will discuss his efforts to clean up a highly polluted country through informing and motivating the public. Jun continues to serve as the Founder of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs and was recently named Most Influential Person in Business by Fast Company.

"Ma Jun has literally taken on one of the world's largest environmental challenges, showcasing that to improve global issues and embrace society's needs, there must be collaboration between commercial, corporate, academia, and the general public," said Tom Beall, managing director, Ogilvy PR's Global Social Marketing Practice. "It is our hope that Ma and all of the Conference's speakers and presenters can spark dialogue and action, prompting social change. As a recurring Title Sponsor, Ogilvy PR is once again honored to support the WSMC in convening the most ingenious minds and ground-breaking campaigns in social marketing."

The Conference will feature a series of additional speakers, panel presentations and debates. Notable speakers include: Nancy Lee, international economist, author, and president of Social Marketing Services, Inc.; Brian Wansink, professor at Cornell University and author of "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think," and Phillip Kotler, founder of Social Marketing professor, author, and founder of Kotler Marketing Group, Inc.

In addition to Ogilvy PR as Title Sponsor, Presenting Sponsors are Stephen Thomas, Rescue Social Change and the International Social Marketing Association.

For more information visit http://www.wsmconference.com or to attend the Conference, visit http://wsmconference.com/programme. 

About Ogilvy Public Relations
Ogilvy Public Relations (Ogilvy PR) is a global, multi-disciplinary communications leader operating in more than 85 offices across six continents. In 2012, Ogilvy was named Cannes Lions Network of the Year and Most Effective Agency Network by the Effie Global Effectiveness Index, named Public Affairs Consultancy of the Year by the Holmes Report, won Consumer Consultancy of the Year in Asia Pacific (Holmes Report), and won the WPP global, top award (WPPed Cream, Crème de la Crème) for the fifth time in six years. Ogilvy PR integrates deeply with all Ogilvy & Mather disciplines (advertising, direct marketing, activation, promotional, digital and entertainment) through the proprietary Ogilvy Fusion™ approach to delivering comprehensive, business solutions through content creation, community building, and communications with measurable results. Ogilvy PR is a unit of Ogilvy & Mather, a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY), and one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world.  For more information, visit our website at www.ogilvypr.com or follow us on Twitter at @ogilvypr.

SOURCE Ogilvy Public Relations