Feb. 2024 Event: Branding in the Age of AI

DATE: Thursday, February 22 from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.

SPEAKERS: Alexandra Watkins, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Eat My Words; Mike Matamala, Creative Director at Enlyte; and Bobby Buchanan, President and Creative Director of Buchanan Brand + Design

MODERATOR: Tom McFadden, President, Jacob Tyler

LOCATION: Downtown Works, San Diego Downtown Office @ 550 W B St 4th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101 — Map »

COST: Members: $30 | Non-Members: $40
Light appetizers and drinks provided. Parking not included.

Description:

Embark on an enlightening journey into the future of marketing with the American Marketing Association’s exclusive panel discussion on “Branding in the Age of AI,” featuring a stellar lineup of industry luminaries: Alexandra Watkins, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Eat My Words; Mike Matamala, Creative Director at Enlyte; and Bobby Buchanan, President and Creative Director of Buchanan Brand + Design.

The panel will dissect the intriguing intersection of artificial intelligence and branding. Get ready for a deep dive into unraveling the secrets that will keep you at the forefront of relevance in today’s ever-evolving marketing landscape.

Your Panelists:

Alexandra Watkins
Chief Executive Boss Lady
Eat My Words

Alexandra Watkins is a leading and outspoken authority on brand names with buzz. If you have ever eaten a Wendy’s Baconator, you have literally eaten the words. For nearly 20 years, she and her naming firm, Eat My Words, have created love-at-first sight brand names for countless companies including Amazon, Coca-Cola, Disney, Twitter, and Google. Her own “Name Hall of Fame” includes frozen yogurt franchise Spoon Me, the robotic vacuum Neato, Burger King’s Mac n’ Cheetos, and Spanish language school Gringo Lingo. The vertical farming company she named Plenty was recently named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Companies by Time Magazine.

Alexandra is a former Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center Author in Residence. Her breakthrough creativity book, Hello, My Name is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick, was named a Top 10 Marketing Book by Inc. Magazine and Branding Journal. She lives in Point Loma in her Barbie Dream House.

Mike Matamala
Creative Director
Enlyte and AstroBrand Media

Mike Matamala skillfully fuses stunning design with insightful marketing strategies. His work is a testament to his creativity, sprinkled with a hint of AI fascination, and deeply inspired by the storytelling magic of comic books and Star Wars. Get ready for an enlightening session where Mike will share his insights on harnessing the ‘creative force’ in digital marketing. May the creativity be with you as Mike leads us on an adventure into the galaxy of imaginative and strategic thinking!

Bobby Buchanan
Founder and Creative Director
Buchanan Brand + Design

Since 1995, Bobby has dedicated his professional career to provide engaging, creative, and effective brand communication solutions. He cares deeply about design and the clients he is privileged to work beside. Bobby has worked with local, national, and international clients across multiple industries, including healthcare, hospitality, biotech, legal, fitness, telecommunications, service and nonprofit. Bobby believes in social responsibility and giving back to the community. He created Orange Tree Project and through this model has supported hundreds of nonprofits throughout his career. He is a past president of AIGA San Diego, the oldest and largest professional organization for design. 

Your Moderator:

Tom McFadden
President
Jacob Tyler

With more than 20 years of marketing experience, Tom has worked in a variety of roles, including copywriter, creative director and a consultant. Tom is currently the President of Jacob Tyler—a brand and marketing agency based in San Diego—and a member of the board for the San Diego AMA.

Thank you to our Venue Sponsor

At Downtown Works, you’ll connect with a vibrant community of motivated change-makers open to sharing resources and encouraging one another. Our full-service support staff, productivity-boosting amenities & industry-expert workshops keep members motivated; while diverse networking events foster collaboration. And while we are a hub for focused, driven professionals, you’ll hear plenty of laughter around our bean-to-cup coffee machine and witness members enjoying craft beer by the keg during our weekly hosted happy hour.