ad:techLondon / ‘Why the marketing industry needs to embrace innovation culture to connect with consumers’ – Ex-Burberry and Topshop marketer Justin Cooke

Ex-Burberry and Topshop marketer Justin Cooke is a late addition to the ad:tech London programme (starts tomorrow Wednesday) and will reveal his plans for new start-up agency Innovate7 in the show’s dedicated Multichannel Summit.

Cooke, who left Arcadia-owned Topshop last week, will present the case for why the marketing industry needs to embrace innovation culture to connect with consumers across a converged media landscape.

Innovate7 has received a 19.9% investment stake from a leading media group and VC funding. Click here to register for ad;tech London.

Mr. Cooke has teamed up with Nicola Peters, a former colleague and engagement marketing manager at Burberry who helped steer programs like “Art of the Trench,” as well as undisclosed former staffers from Apple, Facebook, Red Bull and Nike.

The company is built on two propositions. First, it aims to help brands innovate their businesses. Innovate7 plans to fill gaps in companies’ processes and thinking that prevent them from become modern-thinking ventures

“Disruptive innovation is my passion – I believe this is the most exciting time of our lives and the stage is set for brands and dreamers who are able to capitalise on this moment using progressive technology, experiences and above all emotional intelligence, the currency of tomorrow,” said Cooke.

“I’m looking forward to sharing some of my ideas on what marketers can do to stand out in the increasingly complex consumer environment at ad:tech London.”

Cooke joins an impressive programme which also features a debate on the future of global media spend and agency consolidation following this year’s flurry of M&A activity.

Havas Media Global CEO Alfonso Rodes, Group M EMEA CEO Dominic Grainger, Starcom MediaVest MD Steve Parker, Google EMEA Agencies MD Mark Howe, UBS Lead Analyst for Advertising Tamsin Garrity will join Media Week Editor Arif Durrani in the closing panel debate on 12 September.

Other speaker highlights include Unilever SVP Global Media Luis Di Como, AKQA Co-Founder James Hilton, new Facebook EMEA Director James Quarles, WPP Digital CEO Mark Read, British Gas Commercial & Marketing Director Will Orr, Heineken Global Head of Digital Paul Smailes, Bacardi Global Brand Director Heide Cohu, SpotifyMD Adam Williams and Blue State Digital Political Director Matthew McGregor, Obama’s “digital attack dog” in the 2012 US Presidential Election and the man hired by the Labour Party to deliver digital communications in the 2015 UK General Election.

Other firms represented on the programme of more than 100 speakers include Lego, Danone, McDonald’s, Twitter, Microsoft, Unicef, Tottenham Hotspur, ASOS, gmg, dmg, sky, Channel 4 and ITV.

“Justin is another fine addition to a stellar speaker line-up and will add creative thinking to solving the challenges marketers face today,” said James Drake-Brockman, ad:tech’s Head of EMEA.

“Attendees can expect some fantastic free content delivered by the world’s biggest agencies, media owners and brands plus the UK’s largest digital marketing exhibition – the perfect strategic resource to get ahead in 2014.”

Click here to register.