USC Marshall School of Business

Winning in the ever-evolving business world is not just about innovating, it is also about adapting. At the 2011 USC Marshall "Business on Demand" conference, senior executives from industry-leading firms such as Google, Lionsgate and Groupon offered firsthand accounts of how getting comfortable with constant change is essential in order to succeed "In a Social, Mobile and Real-time World."

The 2011 Business on Demand event was held Saturday March 26, at the USC Radisson Los Angeles, attracting more than 250 alumni, students and working professionals. It included several panels and keynote addresses, as well as a luncheon and networking reception. The day-long forum was organized through a partnership between the Los Angeles Chapter of the USC Marshall Alumni Association and the Institute for Communication Technology Management (CTM). Speakers for the event came from top companies including YouTube, 20th Century Fox Television, IMDB, Golin Harris and Zenga with panel topics including "Monetizing the Social Network" and "Success Stories in Digital and Social Media."

Andrew Kleinman, serial entrepreneur and general manager of Zenga Latin America, attributed the breakaway success of Farmville, a Zenga subsidiary, to active listening and swift implementation. "Making a game is really a small part of it. It’s a living thing. You may have users who like it but they could leave and find something else." Alumni keynote speaker Travis Boatman, senior vice-president of Electronic Arts Mobile, emphasized just how quickly gamers can walk away. "Unless you can engage them in that first moment, you are going to lose them."

While there was a focus on what is new and forever changed, some panelists focused on what remains the same. Gordon Paddison, CEO of public relations firm Straddella Road, is a pioneer in his field, working directly with filmmaker Peter Jackson to creatively promote his blockbuster films, including the upcoming "Hobbit." Paddison said that his success has been in using new tools, like twitter, blogs and Facebook, to go back to basics and simply tell a story. "It’s about being authentic to the core about what that brand is."

At the event, Lucy Hood, executive director for the Institute for Communication Technology Management (CTM) and assistant professor of clinical management and organization at Marshall, was honored with the USC Marshall 2011 Outstanding Achievement Award for her contributions to the school. As executive director of CTM, Hood has been a key architect of many of Marshall’s most innovative programs, helping to foster new ideas at the school and new relationships with the business community.