Page 11 - MYM 2016

investment agreements raise the bar for environmen- tal protection and employee rights worldwide.
Just as steam and coal powered the rst indus- trial revolution, it is communications technology that is fueling today’s transformation. Given this fact, digitalization and technology are not just issues for technocrats; they should be on everyone’s agenda. Companies and public sector organizations need to think about new partnerships to drive this transformation forward.
Continuing the legacy, the 4th World Marketing Summit - WMS 2015 happened in Tokyo, Japan from Oct 13 - 14, 2015. The theme of the Summit: “Winning Global Markets and Operating Respon- sibly in a Digitally Connected World.” The event was orchestrated by a team including 33 recognized speakers, and was witnessed by the audience of over 2,500 managers each day. Over 87% of the audience rated high satisfaction with the agenda and stated their intention to attend next year.
5th World Marketing Summit - WMS 2016
will happen in Tokyo too, on Oct 11-12, 2016. The reason that we are repeating Tokyo is to help Japa- nese companies regain momentum after a 20+ year period of economic stagnation. Along with Prime Minister Abe, these companies have the ability and the will to re-energize their economy, realizing that the marketing paradigm has changed and there is a need to do something about it. It is only by pursu- ing a responsible and forward–looking approach to
At left, some of the esteemed speakers from last year’s highly successful WMS summit. On the opposite page, some moments from WMS 2015.
businesses, that we can achieve a lasting win.
At WMS, a consensus is already emerging among partici- pants since many years. The time for action is now. Technology and social change is happening so quickly that today’s mecha- nism for governance and growth is already looking outdated; people are not taking advantage fast enough of the opportunities available through innovation and
marketing. We need to look, from the marketing angle, at what we can do today, and accelerate what we are doing, if we are to successfully transform our businesses, cities, countries and entire society towards a better world.
Marketing means to connect the unconnected. Marketing powers our lives. It is an extension of who we are. Marketing is connectivity; marketing is identity; marketing is commerce. There is no clearer way to say it. Everything is marketing, but more importantly, marketing is everything.
We at WMS are focused on improving the present and building the future through marketing. We are very concentrated on implementing change and investing in the future through marketing while staying at the front of the sustainability curve. Our commitment to marketing sustainability supports our long-term ambitions to involve policymakers at state level. We are here to provide the platform for the next generations to show us how to think differently. Our new scorecard for social value creation enables us to demonstrate our contribution to community. We are in a “sweet spot” in time when the decisions we make in the next ten years will determine the direction for next 10,000, as we live marketing!
Sadia Kibria is the Chief Financial O cer of the World Marketing Summit Group and Kotler Impact, Inc.
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