Steve Stoute is an author, entrepreneur, advertising executive and American record executive and artist manager.Stoute is the founder of Translation. With a diverse client roster that includes brands such as McDonald’s, State Farm, Hewlett-Packard, Target, Reebok, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co and Lady Gaga, Stoute has greatly influenced the way blue chip marketers and superstar artists connect with consumers. Whether he’s turning a jingle into a hit single for Wrigley’s, marrying the work of fashion icon Valentino with technology from Samsung, or making Gwen Stefani relevant to mothers with cameras, some of today’s most innovative marketing efforts are the brainchild of Stoute. His strategic insights were behind McDonald’s recent broad, long-term partnership with LeBron James, Samsung’s limited-edition Beyoncé-branded B’Phone, McDonald’s iconic “I’m Loving It” campaign featuring Justin Timberlake, and Tommy Hilfiger’s True Star fragrance for women with Beyoncé.

Translation is a full service transcultural advertising agency that focuses on delivering prescient ‘game changing’ strategies and inspiring clever creative to increase client value among target constituencies. In 2008, Stoute expanded Translation’s footprint by partnering with Shawn Carter (aka Jay-Z) to co-found Translation Advertising, which specializes in the multicultural market. Translation believes that its ability to manage ‘cultural’ nuances allows consumers to know the difference between marketing communications intended to relate to them versus those that intend to ‘sell to them.’Translation’s expertise in Branded Entertainment alliances helps to strengthen and codify this bond between brands and consumers through proximity, alignment, and partnerships to achieve rich and measurable engagement.

In 2009 the American Advertising Federation inducted Stoute into their Advertising Hall of Achievement, the industry’s premier award for outstanding advertising professionals age 40 and under.In 2010, Steve was recognized as “Innovator of the Year” at the ADCOLOR awards ceremony, an initiative launched by the ADCOLOR Industry Coalition, to promote increased diversity in the advertising, marketing and media industries.