Organizers of the Golden Drum festival of Creativity are hard at work preparing the best edition of the festival so far.
“Creators, especially in the world of advertising, ceaselessly draw the inspiration from their everyday life. Anyone who works within the area of communications has to have their eyes wide open at all times, has to absorb the experience, images, thoughts, patterns, relationships, etc. They have to understand life in its fullness. Each experience is precious, whether it is a book, music, art, an inspiring lecture or a random look from a stranger on a city bus,” organizers say, adding that these are the reasons why the jubilee 25th Golden Drum Festival will host the most exceptional speakers who can share the most about the quest of inspiration and the sparks that inflame its emergence.
Among the speakers this year is Philip L. McKenzie, Cultural Anthropologist/Strategist from New York, USA. He advises on how best to thrive in an increasingly challenging and uncertain environment. Philip uses his quantitative background and Wall Street experience in concert with a qualitative understanding of social, economic and cultural movements to unmask complex opportunities and identify significant trends that impact our future.
He has manifested his creative vision as co-host/co-creator of 2 Dope Boys & a Podcast, a cultural trends and insights podcast. He is the Global Curator of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that exists at the intersection of values, creativity, culture, and commerce.
In 2017, digital advertising turned 21 years old. In the same year, it overtook TV as the biggest ad medium globally. However, the future of digital advertising is under serious threat. Advertising is the lifeblood of the internet. But the ad industry is increasingly seen to be behind everything that’s wrong with the internet. Regulatory and media scrutiny is at an all-time high. Consumer trust in digital advertising is at an all-time low.
Stephan Loerke has been the CEO of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) since November 2003 and at the Golden Drum Festival he will introduce The brand-owners agenda. Prior to joining WFA, Stephan worked for L’Oréal in Paris and Brussels. He studied business economics at the Saint Gall Business School in Switzerland, after which he worked at the United Nations in New York.
Emma Wilkie has been Donald Gunn’s collaborator and co-presenter of The Gunn Report since January 2003. Since 2016, the Gunn Report has been a part of WARC, the leading marketing intelligence service and global authority on advertising and media effectiveness. Apart from focusing on running the business, Emma is also the person who researches and creates the new Gunn 100 report, and oversees its production and publication as well as Gunn Media 100 and WARC 100.
