Kevin Chesters has held senior strategy roles at British Telecom, Saatchi & Saatchi, Wieden +Kennedy, dentsumcgarrybowen and was most recently the CSO at Ogilvy. He is now the Co-owner & Strategy Partner at Harbour (harbour.london) - an independent communications collective based in London. He is a regular contributor to industry titles The Drum & Campaign. He is a visiting lecturer at the University of Creative Arts and Edinburgh Napier University. This year, Kev co-wrote The Creative Nudge with his business partner, Mick Mahoney - a copy of which will be in the goody bags for all Summit guests to take home.
Why are you taking part in the Walpole Summit?
I always enjoy talking to the widest range of individuals from different sectors. But this year, if I'm honest, I'm most looking forward to talking to real people in a real place. Us humans are connecting and connected creatures. I think despite the fact we've all 'coped' with Zooms in the last year there is nothing better than connecting in real life. Staring into the whites of the eyes. That'll be ace.
Can you give us a couple of the key insights you will share during the event?
I'll be talking about the fact that we are all creative, and that creativity (as Edward de Bono said) is the key to making life more fun and more interesting. Creativity is about doing things in new and interesting and different ways. But humans are limited by biology and sociology from doing new things in new ways. I'm going to be teaching people how to break that programming using spoons, Lady GaGa and the 16th century papacy.
What do you see as the most important opportunities ahead for both your brand and the luxury sector?
The most important opportunity for the luxury sector is that humans buy with their hearts and not their heads. Humans make decisions emotion first, logic second. I'm still astounded by how many luxury brands seem to forget this. Make people feel something and they'll buy a lot. That's the opportunity.
What do you see as the greatest challenges ahead for both your brand and the luxury sector?
Apart from the obvious ones associated with the greatest economic and public health tsunami to hit the planet in over a century, the biggest challenge to overcome is to stop brands doing the same things in the same ways that they've always done. The luxury sector should be swimming in creativity, and it isn't. Time to break that programming!
Why are these events so important to you, your business and the sector as a whole?
The sharing of ideas. The connections between people. The new and interesting ways we can share of doing things in new and interesting ways.
