Ad Age Business of Brands, Chicago

Day 1:

Came to the Ad Age Business of Brands in Chicago with a little charm my aunt gave me 🥹, and it actually worked! Read until the end to see how it brought us luck ✨. Thanks Anna Sekula and Jeanine Poggi for having us CROING l Creative Agency.

One of my favorite parts of Day 1 was chatting with incredible marketing leaders about how brands adapt and thrive. Katherine Sodeika shared how ALDI USA, the discount supermarket chain, now focuses on small, meaningful touches in the consumer experience. Their approach isn’t about following trends; it’s about doing what truly resonates with their audience and staying true to what they feel confident in, which really resonated with me, especially since I used to shop at Aldi when I lived in Germany.

Jesse Johnson from Chili's highlighted the Chili’s x Tecovas Booth Boots campaign, showing how combining strong creative talent with real consumer insights can spark impactful activations — I LOVED IT ❤️

Tom Perlozzo, from GEICO, said that a brand is shaped by the experiences people have with it, and I think he’s absolutely right. At CROING l Creative Agency, our approach is putting people at the center, creating experiences and connections that feel genuine and make a brand truly relevant.

Side note ✨: the charm my aunt gave me actually brought luck during a key meeting I had in the middle of the event, which I would say is one of the most important meetings in CROING’s history. The last photo shows my sister Anggie Salazar’s reaction, our VP of Marketing, and part of my family celebrating it!

It was wonderful to reconnect with some and meet others while hearing all of your insights Jennifer Healan, Ben Whitla, Marisa Zimmerman, Jennifer Woods, Amina Pasha, Elizabeth Primm, Andy Sauer, Valerie Vass, Erika Torres.

Day 2:

Arrived at Day 2 of Business of Brands by Ad Age, with my suitcase in hand to discuss a lot of my fav topics: entertainment, personalization, brand partnerships, and AI, before heading to The Bean. Thanks CROING l Creative Agency, Ad Age, and Chicago ❤️

The main reason I came to Chicago: to be at Ad Age with Dana Paolucci ✨ The Dove x Crumbl collab is forever one of CROING l Creative Agency’s favorite campaigns, Dove’s first US partnership, inspired by fan requests for scents and so in tune with the Crumbl subculture. Bravo 👏🏾

Kenneth sharing about how Levi’s is all about history and a brand that has forever made an impact across every corner of entertainment. A brand that has been part of iconic moments with Beyoncé or the first time Whitney Houston signed an agreement, and also serving as the uniform for so many workers in every type of job.

I also loved learning about Mike's Hot Honey’s and all their collabs with brands like Bush's Beans Foodservice, Utz Brands, Inc., and KFC. Also, the AI panel with John Chleborad and Christina O'Rourke was fantastic, especially John’s perspective on how agencies now own innovation and bring fresh ideas with a positive attitude, the kind of approach we have at CROING l Creative Agency.

And, of course, I got to meet Benny the Bull, mascot of the Chicago Bulls who is also an influencer. I loved seeing how the team has built such deep engagement with him, fans even buy tickets hoping for the interactive moment of Benny pouring popcorn to the crowd.

Last but not least, it was wonderful meeting Kimberly Willis Boyd from Hasbro and learning about Peppa Pig, now pregnant with a baby pig! This news connected with families and sparked conversation. What I love most is that they continue telling the characters’ stories over the years, I’m excited for what’s coming next.

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I’m Alejandra Salazar, Founder & CEO of CROING l Creative Agency where we work with brands that want to get closer to their audience. Here, I share audience insights, creative industry events, culturally relevant campaigns, and spotlight women in the industry. Follow me and join the conversation.