Diageo has teamed up with marketing and advertising conference MAD//Fest London to launch a search for start-ups who can deliver innovative experiences across its portfolio of drinks brands at MAD//Fest London on 13-14 Nov.
‘PITCH//IT’ will see start-ups pitch for a £20k+ pilot with Diageo at MAD//Fest London. Diageo, whose brands include Guinness, Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff, is looking for innovations that can boost the engagement and experience of its brands, especially in areas such as personalisation, loyalty, smart packaging and AR.
Following an initial call out, 15 start-ups will be selected to pitch at MAD//Fest on 13 Nov. Three heat winners and one wild card will be selected by the judges to participate in the PITCH//IT live final on 14 Nov. The final also includes a keynote from Mumsnet Founder Justine Roberts CBE.
The winner of PITCH//IT will receive a Diageo pilot valued at £20k+ (subject to Diageo regulatory approval) and free exhibition space at MAD//Fest London in 2020.
The pitch is being led by Diageo Head of Emerging Technology + Innovation Benni Lickfett, who leads Diageo’s Futures team. The free-to-enter challenge is open to start-ups until 25 October.
“Innovation is at the heart of how we do business at Diageo – whether that’s product development in our six innovation labs around the world or investing in the most exciting founder-led drinks brands via Distil Ventures,” said Lickfett.
“We’re also focused on innovation outside of the bottle that can add a new dimension to the experience of our brands – so we’re excited to discover new innovations and lay the foundations for future collaborations by getting behind the PITCH//It start-up competition at MAD//Fest.”
Backed by Mediatel, 4,000+ industry leaders are expected to attend MAD//Fest London, which is the UK’s only invite-only marketing, advertising and disruptive tech festival. Speakers include leaders from Dishoom, Burger King, Extinction Rebellion, Lidl, Starling Bank, L’Oréal and Paddy Power, as well as former Manchester Utd striker + AxisStars co-founder Louis Saha, Mumsnet Founder Justine Roberts CBE and Broadcaster Denise Lewis OBE.
In addition to the Diageo competition, MAD//Fest also features £20k ‘tech solutions in low tech environments’ pitch brief from global beauty firm Avon.
Dan Brain, MAD//Fest London’s Co-founder + Content Director said: “MAD//Fest is all about enabling marketers to immerse themselves in the latest brand innovations, disruptive technologies and industry trends. Diageo has an ongoing track-record for championing innovation and we’re thrilled to support the development of start-ups through PITCH//IT.”
MAD//Fest London will take place on November 13-14 at The Old Truman Brewery – more information is available here.
