AMA Brand Summit 2024 concludes in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad: As the Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA)’s Brand Summit 2024 concluded on Saturday, experts and panellists highlighted three key takeaways for building a successful brand: clarity in purpose, constantly evolving and upgrading and keeping customers at the centre all the time. The annual event organised in association with Zydus Cadila Healthcare and AMA Centre for Marketing Management, saw participation from branding, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals, students, academicians, and other enthusiasts.

The theme of this year’s summit will be ‘Managing Brands – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’, which is aptly placed considering the rapidly changing times, rising digital penetration, increasing demand for digital interventions in branding and marketing exercises, along with the constantly evolving consumer behaviour and consumer preferences of learning about a brand and consuming products and services. The Summit has been conceptualised by Mr Sanjay Chakraborty, who is the Chairman of the PR Committee at Ahmedabad Management Association.

The summit opened with a session on ‘Brands – What Next’ by Professor & author Alan D’Souza. Speaking about the technology-driven nature of brands, Professor D’Souza said, “One cannot ignore the significant impact of Gen Z’s extensive 7-8 hours daily engagement with social media. These are the customers and consumers of brands of the future and therefore, brands need to adapt, upgrade and evolve from time to time. At the same time, branding must also amalgamate several technology tools including data analytics as it plays a crucial role in today’s landscape.”

“Amidst fast changing customer requirements, there is a fundamental importance that customization holds across diverse segments of late.Every brand must have a purpose, a fundamental principle in navigating the dynamic realm of modern marketing,” he further added.

Professor D’Souza’s session was followed up by a refreshing session on ‘Brands – Selling and Restarting’ by Mr Ankit Chona, founder and managing director, Hocco.

Sharing the story of Havmor from his grandfather’s humble beginnings in Karachi to a thriving empire now, Mr Chona the importance of respecting and appreciating consumers, along with backing his employees, recognizing their crucial role in the brand’s journey.

The AMA Brand Summit is an annual affair that aims to bring together industry leaders, professionals, and experts to explore and discuss the most recent trends and innovations in the area of branding and advertising.

The event featured a diverse range of speakers and panel discussions, providing a platform for networking and knowledge exchange among industry professionals.

Ms Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General, The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), emphasised on the importance of constantly adapting and evolving for a brand during a session on ‘Advertising Standards – The Evolution Over the Years’.

“To keep up with the evolving world, one needs to be a lifelong student. The world of advertising has undergone a dramatic progress and change over the past few years and therefore, brand building will take a different approach a decade ago and now,” Ms Kapoor explained.

Post lunch, Mr Manish Bhatt, Founder Director, Scarecrow M & C Saatchi traced the past and present of advertising during his session ‘Advertising – Then and Now’. He spoke about the history of the world of advertising and how it evolved over the past three decades. “We have seen many things undergo a major change. However, certain core aspects will remain constant in advertising,” Mr Bhatt said.

RJ Devaki, Radio Jockey, Actor and Public Speaker, Ms Khushbu Solanki Sharma, Founder, Zero Gravity Communication and Mr Chirag Dagli, Founder and Director, Communication Crafts, were also among the speakers during the sessions ‘Managing a Personal Brand – Then and Now’ and ‘Digital Media Advertising – What Was & What Next?’.