Strategy: ‘Marketers need to cover all aspects of digital media’

Marcon 2012 brings corporate giants under one roof.


Our Correspondent March 21, 2012

KARACHI: Marketers need to change the behaviour patterns through the digital world and channelise all available avenues on digital media, which influences people lives, according to Tarek Miknas CEO Middle East and Africa Promoseven Group.

Miknas – who heads an ad agency in the Middle East and has done work for corporate giants like HP and Nescafe – while speaking at marketing conference Marcon 2012 stressed that social media is conducive for small- and medium-sized enterprises which can carry out marketing within controlled budget, according to a press statement.

The Marcon 2012 conference titled ‘new trends & insights in creating & sustaining competitive advantage’ was held on Wednesday.

Development in the world is so fast that marketers need to catch up and keep up with advanced tools, integrated strategy and proper planning to increase sales of their products, Miknas added.

During the conference, Unilever Pakistan Chairman and CEO Ehsan A Malik mentioned consumer goods giants Nestle, Colgate Palmolive, Engro Foods and Unilever as prime examples of growth. “It is clear that these businesses have not only recorded strong growth but most have also improved profitability year-on-year,” Malik said.

“Some businesses I mentioned have a shorter history and some operate in emerging categories but the common factor for success of the consumer products industry is the power of branding. The ability to differentiate, provide consistent quality and good consumer value, earn a reasonable margin and reinvest in growth,” said Malik.

Habib Bank Head of Marketing & Brand Management Ali Mustansar moderated a roundtable discussion on ‘aligning marketing with corporate business strategy’ which was participated by Engro Foods CEO Afnan Ahsan, Tarek Miknas and Cupola Pakistan CEO Rafiq Rangoonwala. A panel discussion on ‘Adopting to the Evolving Relationship between Client, Media and Agencies’ was moderated by Amer Pasha, Country Manager Pakistan & Afghanistan, Visa International which was attended by heads of corporate giants.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22nd, 2012.

COMMENTS (2)

Saqib Khan | 12 years ago | Reply It was a great conference and your concise coverage does not do justice to the plethora of marketing insights that were revealed by the Who’s Who of the marketing world. Of course it had its share of shortcomings as well, most notably the cramped seating arrangement which may do for a few hours event but is debilitating for a full-day event.
Interconnect Partners | 12 years ago | Reply

A good show from Singaporean Terrabiz. Marketing/advertising need credibility. It was not stated anywhere about code of conduct in our marketing/advertising industry. Statements, are PR, marketing people who does not understand the consumer, finance. Any company, individual can advertise anything on the media. Whether it be tea whitener of Nestle, or Tarang of Engro all giant food establishments. Is there any mention about warning label that the tea whitener is non dairy formulation, with no nutrition at all. Glamour is all advertising is. The consumer groups organizing brand award ceremonies at starred venues, with prior contributions for being the brand award. We have not forgotten the prepaid phone card listed at the Karachi Stock Exchange, trade the stock boomed of the company with leading audit company. The company ran away with millions of poor Pakistanis abroad, in jails with the prepaid card to call their families. The shareholdes are still sitting with the paper. What did the regulators do? What happened to the poor naive share holders, and the poor family buying card for cheap calls. Who will re-imburse the poor people of the "CallMate". The technological innovation of cheap prepaid cards, in a country which is proud of regulation. We need a code of conduct to advertising claims. The falsification of claims, the glamorisation, and the acceptance of billions of prepaid cards sold for pre-paid phones issued today, Is there any authority who will accept responsibility to this.

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