GMA Speaker Series Gets off to a Dynamic Start with Anthony Pappas

The first Graduate Marketing Association (GMA) event of the semester kicked off on Feb. 13, 2008 in Van Munching Hall with a presentation from Anthony Pappas, president and creative director of the Pappas Group. Around 40 MBA students and faculty attended the presentation, entitled "The Business of Branding: How Creative Efforts Meet Corporate Goals."

Pappas' began his career in the film industry, and then worked for several years at various advertising agencies before opening the Pappas Group, an online marketing and branding agency dedicated to "business-centric" branding. The Pappas Group has 18 employees and is one of the Washington area's leading interactive brand consultancies. Current and past clients include the Discovery Channel, ExxonMobil, Nike, Visual Sciences, and Honest Tea. One of the Pappas Group's primary objectives is to build dynamic brands through creative execution across multiple communication channels.

Pappas said that although customers need to identify with a brand, it is just as critical that a given brand identifies with an audience. First and foremost, Pappas stressed the importance of building a brand online. "Research indicates that online marketing and advertising is 61 percent more likely to influence purchase decisions as opposed to other media," said Pappas.

Pappas described how his company helped the Discovery Channel show "Future Weapons" quickly generate both buzz and viewers. "It was amazing to hear how the Pappas Group was able to create a marketing campaign for "Future Weapons" that generated over 5 million Web site hits in just 40 days," said Matt Bardill, co-president of the GMA.

Pappas also discussed just how important a brand can be to a company's bottom line. He cited McDonald's as one such example; an estimated 70 percent of the company's stock market value is related to its brand image. In Pappas' estimation, for a brand to be truly successful, it must balance the delivery of intangible emotional benefits with tangible functional benefits.

Pappas fielded questions throughout his presentation and impressed many who attended with both his drive and insights into interactive branding. "Pappas' quote, ‘just hold true to what you believe in,' definitely guides his business philosophy and has paid off well. His presentation was phenomenal and as a budding entrepreneur, I was inspired to see what he has been able to build," said first-year MBA student Denise Gonsalves.

Peter Baird, MBA Candidate 2009, Smith Media Group