Omar Johnson

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Omar Johnson's Biography

About Keynote Speaker Omar Johnson With a world-wide reputation for creating deep consumer connections while driving explosive revenue growth, Omar Johnson was voted one of the most innovative CMOs in America by Business Insider and a “Brand Genius” by Adweek. Johnson is best-known for his ground-breaking work as Beats’ first CMO and employee #3, where he leveraged the power of B2H (Business to Human) marketing to drive sales from $20 million to $2 billion becoming the #1 headphones brand in the world before being acquired by Apple for $3 billion. A strong proponent of majority-female teams, Omar brings an empowering take on diversity, seeing it not as Black and white, but about one color: green. “The best brands start with the best people,” he says. “The larger the pool of ideas and experiences, the more money you’ll make.” A popular speaker with Fortune 500 companies, including AT&T, Salesforce, and ServiceNow, Omar shares a playbook for success that any organization can leverage. More About Omar Johnson A former pre-med student and self-professed science nerd who discovered a talent and passion for marketing, Omar Johnson began his career amplifying international brands at Coca-Cola’s headquarters in Atlanta. His experience led to stints at Kraft Foods (Chips Ahoy) and Campbell’s Soup (Pace Salsa) before being recruited to work at Nike. There, he rose from a junior role to producing some of Nike’s most memorable TV commercials, including “Rise,” starring LeBron James; “All Together Now,” featuring Kobe Bryant; and “The Most Valuable Puppets.” In 2010, Johnson became employee #3 at Beats by Dr. Dre, taking the helm as CMO. He played a pivotal role in transforming Beats from a company struggling to make a name for itself into a cultural icon and a market leader in the headphones industry. Leveraging the power of B2H (Business to Human) marketing he drove sales from $20 million to $2 billion, becoming the #1 headphones brand in the world before being acquired by Apple for $3 billion. Highlights of his tenure include an athlete hangout at the London Olympics in which each attendee left with a parting gift of Beats customized with their country’s flag. The Olympics experience went viral around the world, increasing international sales by 600%. Johnson was also tapped to promote Dr. Dre’s 2015 biopic, Straight Outta Compton, resulting in the “Straight Outta Somewhere” meme generator that allowed people to customize with their hometown. Within 24 hours, “Straight Outta Somewhere” became the #1 trending topic on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, something that no other brand has achieved. It remains one of the most successful social media phenomena of all time. After Beats was acquired, Johnson moved to Apple as Vice President of Marketing before founding his own Beverly Hills-based brand management firm, ØPUS United. At ØPUS, Johnson, one of the top 100 Black Thought Leaders (Blacklist 100), leads a multi-disciplined collective of award-winning executives, athletes, strategists, data scientists, and musicians who understand how to power world-class brands and generate world-class revenue. The company is built on a time-tested methodology called “Culture-Centric Design,” which gleans insights from those who drive consumer behavior in popular culture. These big ideas only get bigger when the ØPUS team adds their diverse backgrounds, languages, lifestyles, and POVs. Through his work with ØPUS United, Johnson has helped develop initiatives, such as “We the People” and “We Got Next,” encouraging conversations around racial equity and the empowerment of younger generations to take action.

SPEAKING VIDEOS
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Omar Johnson | Keynote Speaker

[Growth strategies] Beats by Dre’s Omar Johnson on building a brand and standing out

Omar Johnson, Beats by Dre: Bringing the brand to life through sport

Omar Johnson on the No Noise Beats by Dre

Omar Johnson Interview

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Omar Johnson Speech Titles

BUILDING TECH COMPANIES FROM THE GROUP UP AND HARNESSING AI

FROM BEATS TO AI: DISRUPTING TECH AND SaaS WITH VISION AND LEADERSHIP

Omar Johnson, the visionary marketing leader who transformed Beats by Dre into a cultural phenomenon, takes the stage to ignite your imagination about founding and growing tech companies. Now a successful tech entrepreneur and AI expert at Opus Intelligence, Omar will share his unique insights on harnessing the power of technology to disrupt industries and create groundbreaking experiences. His most recent success is Opus Intelligence, a tech company that is revolutionizing marketing, brands and the use of AI in the marketplace.

In this thought-provoking keynote, you’ll discover:

Marketing secrets: Uncover the unconventional strategies Omar used to propel Beats to global success, and learn how they can be applied to your own brand.
The AI revolution: Explore the cutting-edge world of artificial intelligence and its potential to reshape industries from marketing to product development.
Building the future: Gain actionable insights on how to leverage technology to innovate, connect with customers on a deeper level, and stay ahead of the curve.
From passion to purpose: Omar’s inspiring journey, from Brooklyn prodigy to industry leader, will leave you empowered to pursue your own vision and make a lasting impact.

Omar Johnson is not just a speaker, he’s a catalyst. He will challenge your perspectives, ignite your creativity, and equip you with the tools to thrive in the ever-evolving landscape of technology and marketing.

This keynote is ideal for:

Businesses looking to innovate and embrace new technologies
Marketing professionals seeking inspiration and fresh perspectives
Leaders navigating the changing landscape of the digital age
Anyone who wants to be inspired by a visionary thinker and doer

Capitalize on this opportunity to gain insights from a true game-changer.

B2H: BUSINESS TO HUMAN MARKETING AND MARKETING 3.0 - WHAT’S NEXT?

As the marketing mastermind behind Beats by Dre, Omar Johnson raised the bar on what it meant to go viral, elevated influencer marketing to a previously unimagined level, and turned Beats from a phenomenon into a movement. How? He believes that all marketing is B2H (Business to Human)–a human-centric approach to marketing that combines people, product, and storytelling to create amazing experiences and an authentic sense of purpose for your brand. Drawing from his experiences at Nike, Beats, Apple and several tech startups, Omar shares his inside tips and methods for delivering incredible experiences to customers and employees.

As CEO of brand management firm ØPUS United and ØPUS Intelligence Lab, a software company that is revolutionizing marketing tech through the use of Artificial Intelligence and other tools, Omar is once again at the forefront of “what’s next,” leading strategists, creatives, and technologists developing the next generation of marketing breakthroughs and technologies.

In this timely talk, Adweek “Brand Genius” proves that whether you call them consumers, clients, or customers, people are human beings first—and marketers must look beyond data and numbers for insights that activate them at this universal level. He also looks at the world of modern marketing and media, where the rules of customer engagement have changed, customer experience has lost its meaning, permission marketing rules, and customers themselves have become creators and social media influencers. Whether you’re a CEO, marketer, creative, or in the media, this enlightening talk will reveal what’s next—and give you actionable insights on preparing for a rapidly-changing future.

LEADERSHIP: MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE

The idea of the majority workplace culture is changing. Instead of expecting everyone to fall in line, employees are encouraged to bring their individuality to work, such as their culture, gender, or sexual orientation. While celebrating and encouraging individual differences is good for breaking groupthink and innovating, it is also hard to manage as a leader. In this engaging and thought-provoking talk, Omar Johnson discusses the challenges and benefits of meeting people where they are. Audiences will come away with an understanding of employee differences, which can provide for a better work environment that enriches the company culture and the bottom line.

THE BEATS STORY: BUILDING A WINNING COMPANY CULTURE AND INTERNATIONAL BRAND

When Omar Johnson left marketing giant Nike to become employee #3 at a small, niche headphones company, no one could have imagined the phenomenal success story that was about to take place. Within four short years, Beats by Dre rose from $20 million to $2 billion in sales, beating out Bose to become #1 in the category worldwide before being acquired by Apple for $3 billion. Along the way, Omar expanded the headphone market way beyond male audiophiles on airplanes to women, athletes, musicians, fashionistas, and celebrities. What’s more, he created his unconventional, breakthrough marketing on a comparatively shoestring budget. He also built a winning company culture that personified diversity, leading a flat organizational structure where ideas, creativity and innovation flourished. In this entertaining and illuminating talk, Omar tells the inside story behind the Beats worldwide phenomenon—sharing lessons and insights for any organization aspiring to reinvigorate their culture, reinvent their industry, and activate their employees to reach for the stars.

Omar Johnson's Biography

About Keynote Speaker Omar Johnson

With a world-wide reputation for creating deep consumer connections while driving explosive revenue growth, Omar Johnson was voted one of the most innovative CMOs in America by Business Insider and a “Brand Genius” by Adweek. Johnson is best-known for his ground-breaking work as Beats’ first CMO and employee #3, where he leveraged the power of B2H (Business to Human) marketing to drive sales from $20 million to $2 billion becoming the #1 headphones brand in the world before being acquired by Apple for $3 billion.

A strong proponent of majority-female teams, Omar brings an empowering take on diversity, seeing it not as Black and white, but about one color: green. “The best brands start with the best people,” he says. “The larger the pool of ideas and experiences, the more money you’ll make.” A popular speaker with Fortune 500 companies, including AT&T, Salesforce, and ServiceNow, Omar shares a playbook for success that any organization can leverage.

More About Omar Johnson

A former pre-med student and self-professed science nerd who discovered a talent and passion for marketing, Omar Johnson began his career amplifying international brands at Coca-Cola’s headquarters in Atlanta. His experience led to stints at Kraft Foods (Chips Ahoy) and Campbell’s Soup (Pace Salsa) before being recruited to work at Nike. There, he rose from a junior role to producing some of Nike’s most memorable TV commercials, including “Rise,” starring LeBron James; “All Together Now,” featuring Kobe Bryant; and “The Most Valuable Puppets.”

In 2010, Johnson became employee #3 at Beats by Dr. Dre, taking the helm as CMO. He played a pivotal role in transforming Beats from a company struggling to make a name for itself into a cultural icon and a market leader in the headphones industry. Leveraging the power of B2H (Business to Human) marketing he drove sales from $20 million to $2 billion, becoming the #1 headphones brand in the world before being acquired by Apple for $3 billion.

Highlights of his tenure include an athlete hangout at the London Olympics in which each attendee left with a parting gift of Beats customized with their country’s flag. The Olympics experience went viral around the world, increasing international sales by 600%. Johnson was also tapped to promote Dr. Dre’s 2015 biopic, Straight Outta Compton, resulting in the “Straight Outta Somewhere” meme generator that allowed people to customize with their hometown. Within 24 hours, “Straight Outta Somewhere” became the #1 trending topic on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, something that no other brand has achieved. It remains one of the most successful social media phenomena of all time.

After Beats was acquired, Johnson moved to Apple as Vice President of Marketing before founding his own Beverly Hills-based brand management firm, ØPUS United. At ØPUS, Johnson, one of the top 100 Black Thought Leaders (Blacklist 100), leads a multi-disciplined collective of award-winning executives, athletes, strategists, data scientists, and musicians who understand how to power world-class brands and generate world-class revenue. The company is built on a time-tested methodology called “Culture-Centric Design,” which gleans insights from those who drive consumer behavior in popular culture. These big ideas only get bigger when the ØPUS team adds their diverse backgrounds, languages, lifestyles, and POVs.

Through his work with ØPUS United, Johnson has helped develop initiatives, such as “We the People” and “We Got Next,” encouraging conversations around racial equity and the empowerment of younger generations to take action.