IDEO’s Tom Kelley, Ogilvy UK’s Rory Sutherland to headline Digital Edge Live

Digital Edge Live, the annual digital marketing conference organised by Native VML, has lined up a couple of heavyweight headline speakers for its 2014 edition. Tom Kelley, Partner at world-renowned design agency IDEO and best-selling author of the Art of Innovation and 10 Faces of Innovation will join Rory Sutherland, Executive Creative Director and Vice Chairman of Ogilvy One London and Vice Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather UK at the event, which takes place in Johannesburg on 30 September.

Alongside a number of South African speakers, the two will discuss the themes of authenticity, purpose, values and doing good. More particularly, the show will look at how brands, marketers and agencies leverage the power of purpose driven communications and how this will inspire deeper relationships with consumers.

“A modern day brand is organic and therefore ever evolving, and the Nedbank Digital Edge Live will explore how the marketing landscape has shifted. Brands need to do far more than meet their customers immediate needs, they need to demonstrate how longevity is built up through shared value with themselves and the wider society as a whole,” says Ben Wagner, Chief Marketing Warrior of NATIVE VML.

Kelley agrees, saying that as global competition for both customers and talent heats up, enlightened companies are realising that being a good corporate citizen doesn’t just benefit the community and the world. “In the long run, it benefits the company itself because customers are drawn to companies that are authentically committed to social innovation. Employees are attracted to organisations with a strong sense of purpose.

“If you want to win the talent wars of the 21st century, it’s not enough to make a good profit. You have to have a visible purpose—and uphold that purpose with actions, not just words.“

Among the other speakers exploring the show’s themes are Andrew Human (Loeries), Pete Case (Gloo), Jon Ratcliffe (Google), Chris Gotz (Ogilvy), Arthur Goldstuck (World Wide Worx), Jason Xenopoulos (NATIVE VML) and Sydney Mbhele (Nedbank).