O2 Client engagement program explores how to overcome the challenges facing the future of marketing

Dubai
April 27th, 2008

Former Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Marketing
delivers keynote address at O2 Client Engagement Program

As the world of marketing embraces the dawn of a new era, O2MC, the UAE’s fastest growing marketing network, hosted the International Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Paul Gostick, Business Development Director of IPSOS, Tarek Sheikh –Shabab, clients, partners and members of both O2MC Dubai and Bahrain at a lavish dinner held at the Dusit Dubai on April 22nd. This dinner marked the first of O2’s 2008 client engagement program series.

The event was attended by over 60 guests and featured keynote presentations that later created an ideal platform for an open dialogue focusing on the future of Marketing. The event commenced with a brief introduction about O2 Marketing Communications (O2MC), O2interactive (O2i), and O2 Public Relations (O2PR) followed by a short overview of O2’s mission by the Managing Director of O2MC, Mohammed Johmani. The floor was then handed over to Mr. Gostick, who spoke in-depth about the future of marketing. Emerging trends and issues were examined as well as the challenges that marketing professionals in the GCC are likely to face within the next 5 years.

Using the example of the Lion and the Gazelle, Mr. Gostick began his presentation by talking about the importance of knowing where you are going and having a clear direction. Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up; it knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up; it knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. The moral: It doesn’t matter if you are a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you’d better be running!

Besides having a clear marketing vision, other key points made my Mr. Gostick included the importance of innovation, and how to develop and strengthen relationships with current and existing customers.  Mr. Gostick also emphasised that mass marketing is dead and that success in the marketplace today depends on one-on-one marketing. Sustainability was also discussed, as well as the importance of branding and the need to differentiate oneself from competitors.  Using vivid scenarios, Mr. Gostick’s presentation was informative and compelling.

Engaging the audience in an open dialogue, an exciting exchange transpired when members of the audience posed questions to the panel comprising Mr. Gostick, Mr. Al Shebab and Mr. Johmani, who addressed the questions from their respective fields of expertise being: global, media research, and O2, respectively.