James Armstrong

(he/him)

James Armstrong

Social Firefly

Co-founder & Creative Director

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

James Armstrong is Co-founder and Creative Director of Social Firefly, a specialist social media agency based in Brighton. With more than 15 years’ experience in digital marketing, he helps organisations get better results from social media through strategy, content, paid campaigns, training and consultancy. James works with charities, membership bodies, businesses and public sector organisations, with a focus on clear, practical advice and content that connects with real audiences. Before launching Social Firefly, he led digital communications at Sussex Police, where he transformed social media activity and supported major incident communications, including award-winning crisis communications work.

Sessions

Gavin Willis

James Armstrong

Hannah Dempster

Mary Kemp

Flo Powell

Brand in the Age of AI: Trust, Responsibility and the Fight for Attention

As AI lowers the barrier to building products, services, campaigns and even entire platforms, the question is no longer just what you can create, but why anyone should trust it. This panel explores the growing importance of brand in a world where technology is increasingly powerful, accessible and easy to replicate. If AI can accelerate execution, personalise experiences and generate content at scale, where does real value sit? And how do organisations use these tools in ways that are not only effective, but responsible, credible and genuinely useful? The conversation will look at how AI is reshaping marketing, search, customer engagement and product experience, while also asking a bigger question: how can businesses use AI as a force for good? From improving accessibility and customer understanding to reducing friction, supporting better decisions and creating more meaningful engagement, the panel will explore where AI is adding real value beyond novelty or efficiency. At the same time, the session will examine the risks of losing trust. As synthetic content, automation and machine-led discovery become more common, brands will need to work harder to show authenticity, judgement and purpose. The middle layer, trust, reputation and credibility, is becoming more important than ever. Bringing together perspectives from agency, product, marketing and brand leadership, the panel will explore how organisations are balancing innovation with responsibility, what is actually working in practice, and how to cut through the noise without losing credibility. In a world where anything can be built, generated or replicated, what makes something believable, useful and worth trusting?

Gavin Willis

James Armstrong

Hannah Dempster

Mary Kemp

Flo Powell

Brand in the Age of AI: Trust, Responsibility and the Fight for Attention

As AI lowers the barrier to building products, services, campaigns and even entire platforms, the question is no longer just what you can create, but why anyone should trust it. This panel explores the growing importance of brand in a world where technology is increasingly powerful, accessible and easy to replicate. If AI can accelerate execution, personalise experiences and generate content at scale, where does real value sit? And how do organisations use these tools in ways that are not only effective, but responsible, credible and genuinely useful? The conversation will look at how AI is reshaping marketing, search, customer engagement and product experience, while also asking a bigger question: how can businesses use AI as a force for good? From improving accessibility and customer understanding to reducing friction, supporting better decisions and creating more meaningful engagement, the panel will explore where AI is adding real value beyond novelty or efficiency. At the same time, the session will examine the risks of losing trust. As synthetic content, automation and machine-led discovery become more common, brands will need to work harder to show authenticity, judgement and purpose. The middle layer, trust, reputation and credibility, is becoming more important than ever. Bringing together perspectives from agency, product, marketing and brand leadership, the panel will explore how organisations are balancing innovation with responsibility, what is actually working in practice, and how to cut through the noise without losing credibility. In a world where anything can be built, generated or replicated, what makes something believable, useful and worth trusting?