Amplify Marketing Festival 2024: Championing 'Marketing for Good’

Pete Markey, CMO at Boots UK, who will deliver The Ogilvy Lecture at the Amplify Marketing Festival | Supplied

Set against the vibrant backdrop of the world’s biggest arts and cultural event, the Edinburgh International Festival, the day will gather industry leaders, innovators and thought leaders to discuss if modern marketing is evolving to become a global community of brands, agencies and consumers looking to work together for the greater good of the planet and society.

Kicking off the day is Pete Markey, Chief Marketing Officer at Boots UK, who will deliver a firm festival favourite – the Ogilvy Lecture. The lecture is a homage to David Ogilvy, a self-claimed Scot and one of the most famous names in advertising having opened his first agency in the 1940’s before going on the build the biggest network in the world. His books remain relevant today and is often quoted. He introduced the expression ‘the big idea’ when he famously wrote “advertising without a big idea passes like a ship in the night”.

Ahead of delivering the lecture, Pete reflected on the theme of the festival, saying: “Great marketing for me should reflect a view of the world that is truly inclusive and embraces the rich tapestry of diversity that we have in the UK today – this is so key for a company like Boots given the wide mix of customers we serve up and down the country every single day.”

Pete will be introduced by Laura Vipond, Chief Growth Officer at Ogilvy UK.

Adding to the speaker roster is Julian Boulding, Owner of thenetworkone, a global network of the world's leading independent agencies. Each year Julian produces a review for those who didn’t attend the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. This year, he’ll focus his talk on the purpose driven campaigns that have come out of Cannes 2024. He’ll be joined on stage by Barrington Reeves, Creative Director and Founder of Too Gallus.

One of the newer additions to the festival is Celebrating Craft, a session that highlights the creative brilliance required to craft effective marketing campaigns. This year world-renowned photographer, creative advisor and curator David Eustace will showcase some of his recent work with brands. David’s unconventional route to a career in the creative industries started as a prison officer at HM Prison Barlinnie in Glasgow, upon leaving he studied photography at Edinburgh Napier University before his career in the creative industry. He’s gone on to work with clients including Anthropologie, Coca Cola, Disney, Vogue, Paramount Pictures and Proctor & Gamble. A fantastic storyteller, his session promises to be a visual and intellectual treat, as he shares his experiences and thoughts on the intersection of creativity and authenticity when creating great craftsmanship.

Another returning favourite is the Clients vs Agencies Creative Challenge, chaired by event host Zara Janjua, multi-award-winning broadcaster. Now in its tenth year, Future Leader members of The Marketing Society battle it out, with each team pitching global award-winning campaigns to persuade the audience to vote for their idea.

The Amplify Debate recognises the importance of debating skills in marketing, with the motion this year ‘AI is the best marketing tool ever’. Arguing for the motion will be Pete Martin, Director at Always Be Content and Natalya Ratner, Marketing Director at Robotical against Chris Marsh, Managing Director at dentsu Edinburgh and Cara Chambers, Chief Marketing Officer at C&C Group - all Fellows of TheMarketing Society.

The day will conclude with the legendary Amplify After Party at Treehouse in George Square Gardens.

As the marketing landscape continues to evolve, both locally and globally, the Amplify Marketing Festival serves as a beacon, guiding the industry towards a future where marketing is not just a business function but a catalyst for driving positive change.

Headline sponsor is Carat; sponsors are Ogilvy and Dentsu Creative. Venues partners are Assembly and University of Edinburgh Business School.

If you work in marketing, advertising or the creative industries, there are a handful of tickets still available here