Augmented Intelligence, Brand Transparency, Collaboration: BW Festival of Marketing Revisits Marketing ABC
The BW Festival of Marketing, an initiative by BW Marketing World in association with BW Businessworld, saw industry leaders discuss marketing in a new world order, where technology continues to disrupt and generative AI brings more than just existential challenges. The forum brought together top marketing professionals, thought leaders, and experts for a two-day extravaganza that also featured an exhibition area showcasing a diverse array of products and services from various businesses.
The festival, held at The Imperial in New Delhi on the 18th and 19th of August 2023, witnessed an overwhelming response, attracting a diverse audience of marketers, entrepreneurs, and industry enthusiasts. The theme of this year, “An Industry In Transition”, came along with a compelling lineup of speakers, interactive sessions, and keynote speeches and lived up to its promise of exploring the latest trends, strategies, and innovations in the dynamic landscape of marketing.
Keynotes Shaping Festival
Key highlights from the festival included thought-provoking keynote addresses from renowned industry leaders such as Jayen Mehta, Managing Director, Amul (GCMMF); Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Network India; Pradeep Kumar, also known as Prady, CEO, Neil Patel Digital India; Sunil Raina, President and Business Head, Lava International; and K.J Jawa, Chairman & MD, Daikin India & Member of the Board, DIL, Japan.
Mehta shared insights into the brand's remarkable journey and the principles that have fuelled its success. Making consumer Amul's foremost priority, Mehta stated, "We keep the finger on the consumer's pulse, modifying the strategy as per the challenges". He also shared the 8 rules of marketing that constituted the success of Amul at the festival.
Joshi addressed the importance of meaningful brands in today's marketing landscape in his spotlight session. Shedding light on the survey by Havas, he said "One in four people report personal challenges and claim to be affected by at least one crisis on an everyday level. This makes them brand-conscious and so the majority of people believe in brand transparency."
Simultaneously, as the evolving marketing landscape took center stage, the festival also cast its gaze toward the horizon of marketing's future.
"Omnichannel marketing is multichannel marketing where all channels are interlinked”, Kumar said at his spotlight session. “The collective experience we provide to the customers through all the marketing channels will make the customer stick to your brand through the personalised experience we provide them across these channels.”, he added.
Drawing parallels to the mobile industry a decade ago, Raina emphasised that the smartwatches segment offers ample market potential with minimal foreign competition, primarily from Indian players. He stated, "Today, marketing is not just about promotions and advertisements, it's intrinsically linked with the business itself."
During Jawa's keynote speech, he emphasises that effective marketing resides at the core of any business, serving as the fundamental pillar for achieving lasting growth. He asserted, "In dynamic and competitive markets like India, over-investing time in building intricate marketing strategies might sometimes prove counterproductive.” He underscored the significance of elements like pricing influence, brand robustness, recurring transactions, cost-effectiveness, profitability, and customer contentment.
Diverse Marketing Tracks
More than 100 marketers spoke at the two-day event encompassing diverse marketing tracks, including the 'Marketing Outlook Track,' which delved into the overarching trends that marketers should keep an eye on. The 'Tech Track' explored technology's role in enhancing modern marketing for business growth. The 'Innovation Track' tackled strategies for harnessing untapped growth areas and fostering innovation. Equally vital was the 'Future Marketer Track,' which discussed how marketers can seize opportunities for maximum impact. The 'Change Makers Track' spotlighted a new breed of marketing leaders reshaping the competitive consumer landscape. The 'Brand Mavericks Track' explored the art of creating brands that deeply resonate with people and enterprises. Lastly, the 'Future Ready Track' examined how forward-thinking marketing leaders are envisioning the future of marketing in India.
The Grand Celebration of Marketers
Furthermore, the inaugural day of the festival concluded with the 'Top 100 Marketers' awards, celebrating the achievements of the foremost marketing leaders in the nation's marketing arena. Similarly, the second day's proceedings came to an end with the second edition of the ‘BW 40Under40’ awards, acknowledging the exceptional contributions of the top 40 emerging marketers who are shaping the industry's trajectory for the future.
As the curtains draw on this year's edition, the BW Festival of Marketing leaves a legacy of excellence, inspiring marketers to push boundaries, embrace change, and stay at the forefront of the rapidly evolving marketing landscape.
