COM2 - A conference that inspired Action and Connection …
Creating an inspiring and meaningful event that drives action and fosters connection is no small feat – yet, COM2 not only met but exceeded expectations. Building on the success of COM1, the second Conference of Marketers (COM2) delivered an even more impactful experience, bringing together a diverse group of marketers, sustainability experts, and thought leaders to tackle real-world challenges.
While Gemma and I set the theme and agenda, it’s the collective effort of speakers, panelists, and attendees that truly bring the event to life. The honesty, passion, and generosity of all that participated created an atmosphere of collaboration and inspiration that resonated throughout the day.
In a world that often feels chaotic, asking people to dedicate their time and energy to such an event is no small ask. To everyone who participated – whether as a speaker, panelist, or attendee – a heartfelt thank you. Your contributions made COM2 a truly special day.
For those who missed it, a wealth of insights and reflections can be found on LinkedIn under #COM2. Below, we’ve distilled some key takeaways, highlights, and memorable moments from the day, accompanied by a gallery of photos to capture the essence of COM2.
There were some brilliant takeaways… here’s just five (but there’ll be more outlined in our formal COM2 Summary Report, coming soon).
Five Key Takeaways from COM2:
Marketing as a Force for Good: Overall, COM2 emphasises the role we Marketers play in driving meaningful change. Focusing on the intersections of marketing and sustainability, social impact, and internal transformation within businesses. The overarching mantra was clear: ‘marketing can and should be a catalyst for positive environmental and societal impact’. As Wim Vermeulen stated in the closing of his podcast with us, ‘Every Marketer should ask themselves every day… Am I part of the problem, or part of the solution?’
Closing the Intention-Action Gap: A recurring theme was the need to bridge the gap between good intentions and actionable outcomes. Ozlem Senturk highlighted the importance of circular marketing and embedding sustainability into everyday business practices. Denise Hicks, C-Space, in our ‘marketing therapy rant’ session, made a compelling argument that the action-intention gap exists everywhere, not just in sustainability, nor marketing. It’s a human condition – we say one thing, we do another. Acknowledge the gap exists, but that doesn’t create excuses for organisations and brands, and indeed Marketers, to not be striving for ‘better’.
Leadership and Activism in Business: Jon Miller’s session on "The Activist Leader" introduced new leadership archetypes (Campaigner, Path-Finder, Mobiliser, Fixer, Bridge-Builder) and stressed the importance of leaders driving change from within. The era of the 'activist leader' is here, and businesses must adapt. The afternoon workshop gave people the opportunity to consider their own archetype, and indeed, what that means for the next steps and actions each can take to drive more impact.
Gen Z’s Influence on Marketing: Kian Bakhtiari’s panel on Gen Z highlighted the expectations of younger generations for authenticity, values-driven leadership, and social change. Reverse mentoring and collaboration with young voices were seen as key to staying relevant.
Storytelling Over Facts: Several speakers, including Kevin Dunckley, emphasized the power of storytelling to inspire action. Facts alone don’t motivate change; emotional, relatable narratives do. This was reinforced in discussions about engaging employees and consumers with sustainability and behaviour change.
Of course, we like to think of COM2 as a ‘working party’ rather than a ‘conference’ – the intention is always that those attending get to contribute, work together, collaborate and support one another with creative problem solving / sharing. And so the day included:
Action-Oriented Discussions: Attendees appreciated the focus on practical outcomes and actionable solutions rather than just theoretical discussions.
Diverse Perspectives: The mix of speakers and panelists from various industries (Google, GiffGaff, Trainline, Vodafone, Pinwheel, Kantar, C Space, The People, HH Global, MPB, JCDecaux, Mindshare, Small99, Nature Squared, Brunswick Group, Open for Business etc.) provided a wide range of insights and experiences.
Interactive Format: The breakout workshop sessions and the "Sustainable Marketing Therapy" rant session allowed for active participation and collaboration. Thank you for all your questions and participation. We could have had a whole day focused on ‘rants and therapy’. ;)
Jon Miller’s Leadership Archetypes: Jon’s session and his book, The Activist Leader, (a copy for each delegate was shared so the learning can continue), was a perfect round off to the morning’s discussions, activating a fresh perspective on leadership in sustainability and inviting people to consider their style and the role they can play.
The diversity of perspectives. The Gen Z Panel led by Kian Bakhtiari offered so many valuable insights into the expectations of younger generations and how businesses can engage them. And the fact that we had not just senior, accomplished Marketers in the room, but also marketing students and academic leads, was a perfect blend.
Bringing the Agenda to Life…
9:30am: Opening Address by Gemma Butler and Michelle Carvill
Gemma and I set the scene of the topic, highlighting the importance of education and internal change and the role marketing can play. Showcasing our models and experience with the work we’ve been doing with clients around upskilling team members and successfully communicating and cascading sustainability agendas across teams to drive employee engagement.
9:45am-10:25am: Ozlem Senturk (Kantar)
Topic: How to Close Marketing’s Internal Intention-Action Gap
Key Quote: "Circular marketing can unlock new sources of value creation."
10:25am-11:05am: Gerald Breatnach (Google)
Gerald hosted a brilliant panel discussion on Sustainability CMO Research Findings and Learnings with:
Sophie Wheater (GiffGaff)
Sophie Collins (MPB)
Jo McClintock (Trainline)
There was so much wisdom and practical advice shared in these discussions – so valuable and inspiring for all of us. Sophie, Jo and Sophie are total pacesetters with the work they’re championing in the intersection of marketing and sustainability. Key Takeaway: Embed sustainability into BAU (Business As Usual) activities.
11:25am-12:15pm: Kian Bakhtiari (The People)
Kian’s panel on Marketing for Social Change - The Voice of Gen Z again, there was just so much to take away from this discussion – our note taking was extensive and more will be shared in our Summary report – some key quotes:
Dorothy Oduguwa (Vodafone): "Every change begins with shifting collective mindsets."
Ritesh Gohil (Mindshare): "Collaborate with internal influencers to create change."
Thanh Catachanas (JCDecaux): "We can learn from young people for staying true to their values."
Sonia Harrach (JCDecaux UK): "Reverse mentoring is valuable for young people and business leaders."
12:15pm-1pm: Kevin Dunckley (HH Global)
Kevin, CSO at HH Global shared a real-world Case Study : Driving Sustainability Internally - Leadership at Every Level, showcasing the detail of an entire end-to-end campaign focused around Earth Day, which engaged thousands of employees across several territories, successfully driving collective meaningful action, education and awareness around sustainability generally, as well as proving to be a highly successful employee engagement campaign, supporting behaviour change.
Key Lesson: "Stories move people and motivate action way above facts."
1:45pm-2:30pm: Sustainable Marketing Therapy (Rant!). Everyone enjoyed the ‘rants’ – indeed, we could have had a whole day based around the challenges Marketers face. The idea was relatively simple, three panelists raised challenge questions for delegates to discuss and provide ‘therapy’ – to soothe the rant.
Adam Bastock, Small99: Advocated moving sustainability from the margins to the mainstream.
Gavin Sheppard, Pinwheel: Stressed not losing our "marketing brains" when discussing sustainability.
Denise Hicks, C Space: Highlighted the need to move beyond the sustainability say/do gap.
Thank you to all our ‘therapists’ – you were great. There was a lot of great ideas, and again, these will be captured and reported in more detail in our COM2 Summary Report to follow.
2:30pm-3:15pm: Jon Miller (Author of The Activist Leader)
Jon really set the business landscape scene, and whilst we are most definitely navigating rather challenging times, his talk was filled with realism, a reminder of the role Marketers can play, inspiring all in the room with a deeply felt sense of courage and hope. Thank you Jon. We then dived into the workshop to consider our archetypes, where we are now, where we want to get to and what needs to be done to close the gap?
After a short wrap up and summary, it was time to enjoy some drinks and download, with much chatter, laughter and connection. The perfect end to a very enjoyable and thought-provoking day.
We made so many notes… but here are just a few of the key Quotes:
Dorothy Oduguwa: "Every change begins with shifting collective mindsets."
Ritesh Gohil: "We need to collaborate with 'internal' influencers to create change."
Kevin Dunckley: "Stories move people and motivate action way above facts."
Jon Miller: "Change happens exponentially."
Gavin Sheppard: "Marketing is the value creator in a business." (Hear, hear).
Conclusion
COM2 was a day of inspiration, collaboration, and actionable insights. Attendees left energised and equipped with new tools and perspectives to drive sustainability and social change through marketing. The event successfully blended thought leadership with practical solutions, and hopefully, leaving a lasting impact on all who participated.
Thank you to everyone who made COM2 possible – from the speakers and panelists to the attendees and the PwC Events Team. Together, we proved that marketing can indeed be a force for good.
Stay tuned for the COM2 Summary Report, where we’ll dive deeper into the day’s discussions and outcomes. Until then, let’s continue to drive meaningful change – one action at a time. 🚀
