The speakers will start off the conference preceding the Epica Awards, the only international industry prize that’s awarded by journalists, which has been brought back to Amsterdam by organizer Kyra Roest.
The conference – with the theme ‘Will Responsibility Kill Creativity?’ – is all about the social responsibility of brands this year. To what extent are they responsible? How does it influence their communication? Considering this, when have you completely lost the plot as a brand, or when is it a direct hit?
The first keynote speaker is Dr Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, a consumer psychologist at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. Her research focuses predominantly on touch, multisensory perception and sustainable consumption. She has written two books about consumer psychology and has previously worked with organizations such as Unilever, Cambridgeshire county council, Skanska, Pepsi, and SSL. The synopsis of her talk: In a world where political correctness is a must it is essential to get creative to ensure that marketing messages are effective. It may be tempting to create something that seems ‘edgy’ as it can capture consumers’ attention. However, if a marketing message is perceived negatively then that is what the consumer will remember and associate with a brand. This talk will focus on other ways to be creative in marketing based on psychological underpinnings such as the use of different sensory input and group identity.
Anthony Hehir – the second speaker – is the Director of DSM’s Nutrition Improvement Program, whose mission it is to positively impact public health by developing and implementing effective nutrition solutions and leveraging their expertise and partnerships to reach the 4 billion people at the base of the pyramid. Prior to DSM, Hehir worked as a clinical and public health dietitian in rural South Africa, rolling out an integrated nutrition program for at-risk groups, and overseeing the nutritional support of patients on the national HIV care program. During his talk, Anthony Hehir will highlight the challenges for a corporate organization of credibly and creatively balancing the triangle people, planet and profit.
The third and final speaker, Guido van Staveren van Dijk from Moyee Coffee, set up tradingcars.com (where he managed to collect millions in financing) when he was 29. Later, new companies followed, with varying success. After a business setback, a fire in his 5000m2 window production factory in Eastern Europe, he came to his senses. He decided to unleash a revolution in the coffee sector and set up the world’s first ‘FairChain Coffee Company’: Moyee Coffee.
Coincidentally I came across a website with figures about the coffee industry. I was astonished: how is it possible that the price of coffee has risen 200% in the past ten years, while the price that farmers receive is falling? Where is all that money? If Nestlé and George Clooney get to make money with coffee, my Ethiopian partners and I can do that as well.
The rest of that day features roundtable sessions concerning the theme: Will Responsibility Kill Creativity? Twenty tables occupied by CMOs, creatives, journalists, agency directors, opinion leaders, creators and scientists, all discussing the nature of our industry’s shared responsibility. The findings of these sessions will be collected as a manifest and shared with the worldwide (industry)press.
