Any marketing strategy is only as strong as the brand behind it.

To prepare marketers with the expertise and skills they need to build and execute on an exceptional brand strategy, the organizers of #SMSsummit are putting together The Brand Strategy Conference, coming to Chicago, October 11-13.

It’s the only case-study driven conference dedicated to brand strategy development, management and growth – featuring speakers from GE Digital, Starbucks, Walmart, Esurance, 3M, AT&T and more.

Brands now face increasingly demanding standards: to provide exceptional experiences (both on and offline), and to balance and protect their brand reputation – when so many of the conversations happening about their brand are out of their control. All while being agile enough to easily evolve and adapt to new technologies.

At the Brand Strategy Conference, we’ve brought in case studies showcasing some of the massive transformations large brands have undergone to stay competitive.

Here are just a few of the case studies you’ll learn about:

How About.com became Dotdash: Executing a successful re-brand across the organization

How do you take an Internet 1.0 giant, who most thought had seen its best days, and turn it into a thriving modern publisher? Meredith Worsham, VP of Communications at Dotdash, shares this story at the conference.

Back in 2014, About.com overhauled its content library and redesigned the site… but soon realized that wasn’t enough. Cue the organization’s decision to create 6 vertical-specific standalone brands – now the fastest growing large publisher online.

Meredith will share how Dotdash approached this rebrand from the inside out.

How Esurance partnered with the Scott Brothers to engage with customers where it matters most

Esurance faces a challenge many marketers can relate to: working on a budget a fraction that of their competitors. How can a small brand stand out and still maximize every dollar spent?

Michele Jacobs, Esurance’s Director of Integrated Marketing, will share how Esurance, mainly known for affordable car insurance, successfully expanded into Homeowners Insurance.

Esurance partnered with the Scott Brothers and leveraged their deeply loyal audiences to gain traction for their “DIY Ditties”, featuring hacks for viewers’ home and car. You’ll learn how influencer engagement can provide an effective bridge to additional brand content.

How Walmart is rethinking branded content: The “eternal” lifecycle

Walmart is seriously investing in their content strategy. Their focus: creating compelling and relevant brand content to reach audiences where they are by branching out through a variety of connected channels.

Tracy Harlow, Walmart’s Vice President, Digital Strategy & Brand Engagement, will give an inside look into their strategic initiatives, including news and brand reputation narratives, how she’s working to apply lifecycle approach to branded content, and the results she’s seen from her team’s efforts.

To see the full speaker line-up and case study details, check out the agenda here.

Here’s what else you can expect from the conference:

BrandStrat Conf is a single track of killer case studies followed by dedicated Q&A. We put everyone in the same room for a reason: we’re crafting a collaborative experience where meaningful discussions happen that you just won’t experience anywhere else.

Meet every single attendee and speaker. Our intimate conference means it’s possible to meet and forge connections with everyone in the room – over lunch, networking, Q&A sessions, or our industry roundtable sessions.

Our speakers are not the only attendees bringing the knowledge. This conference is just as much about peer-to-peer inspiration and insights as it is learning from the speakers on stage. You’ll connect with in-house brand practitioners facing the same challenges as you, and get both practical tips and tricks and fresh ideas.

Visit www.brandstrategyconference.com to view the agenda, speakers and register.