Brands & Branding for Good, South Africa’s first ever conference to include a major focus on brand relationships with increasingly socially and environmentally ‘aware’ consumers, has released the names of the majority of its keynote speakers.

Taking place in Gauteng in October this year, the conference is being billed as the ‘must attend’ event of 2009 for anyone involved in branding, image management, public relations, brand and corporate communications, external affairs, marketing communications, advertising and promotions, consumer insights and sustainability.

On the podium are:

• Seth Farbman
  – Senior Partner and Worldwide Managing Director, Ogilvy & Mather New York
• Leslie Pascaud
  – Director, Responsible Marketing Practice, Added Value, Paris
• Justine Hollis
  –  Senior Brand Communications Manager (EMEA) BlackBerry, Canada
• Andrew Welch
  – Executive Director Landor Associates, London
• Prakash Patel
  - Recently joined Draftfcb South Africa from London as Head of Digital & Interactive
• Gail Klintworth
  – Chairman Unilever SA
• Conservationist Dave Varty
  – Londolozi
• IP Attorney Owen Dean
  – FIFA’s advisor on trademark infringement issues
• Jeunesse Park
  – Founder and CEO Food & Trees for Africa
• Mike Schalit
  – Group Creative Officer BBDO SA
• Laurika du Bois
  – Head of Marketing & Communications, WWF South Africa
• Kay Nash
  - CEO, Yellowood Future Architects
• Derek Carstens
  - Marketing and Commercial Chief Officer, 2010 FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee

Three further speakers are to be confirmed.

According to organiser Ken Preston, the current global financial crisis has combined with social and environmental concerns, prompting a shift in consumer attitudes when it comes to sustainability, meaning that brands need to reassess how they will achieve leadership positions in the years ahead.

“The conference will define the opportunities and responsibilities for marketers and focus on how business can best respond to the demands of ‘sustainable branding’.  It will inspire and assist delegates to place greater emphasis on innovative initiatives and create business success through improved efficiencies, enhanced brand image and relationships with consumers and stakeholders as the country moves out of the recession and into the excitement of 2010.

“Brands & Branding for Good will not dwell on ‘green’ issues but rather tie in to the very real concept of sustainability. As OgilvyEarth discovered during its information gathering for the United Nations Climate Change Conference later this year, consumers are quick to point out that ‘green is a very different idea – about the environment, not people. They are more interested in the sustainable economy than the green economy’, and it is this concept that the conference will explore in detail,” he said.

Preston hastens to add that a range of other branding issues will be addressed by both the international and local speakers on both days thereby ensuring in-depth value for delegates.

Preston has published The Encyclopaedia of Brands & Branding in South Africa, the country’s leading brand knowledge publication for the past 15 years. This year’s edition has an underlying focus on brands and branding for good, and will be presented to all the conference speakers and delegates.

Co-sponsoring the conference are Pick n Pay, Added Value, BlackBerry and OgilvyEarth.

Bookings for the conference are via lynn@brandsandbranding.co.za and further information from www.brandsandbrandingconference.co.za.