FESTIVAL OF MARKETING 2021

The title for Helen’s 2021 talk was ‘The curse of convergence’ – the tendency for contemporary brands to cluster around sector points of parity. And it is a curse, blighting growth, depressing innovation and robbing the category – and the consumer – of meaningful distinction. There are economic, structural and marketing specific reasons why it happens, so it’s a trend that’s set to continue. But, for the determined and the brave, there are ways to fight back and ‘unconverge’. In an inspiring, example-rich session, Helen showed how it is done.