The Asian Marketing Effectiveness debate brings brands and agencies together

Chaired by Atifa Silk, editor-in-chief of Media, panel members included Shawn Warren, VP of marketing at Kraft Foods Asia-Pacific; Keith Smith, president international at TBWA Group; Barry Cupples, CEO of Omnicom Media Group Asia-Pacific; Susan Ho, head of group brand development at Standard Chartered Bank; and Tim Isaac, chairman Asia-Pacific at Ogilvy & Mather.

The panel looked at the opportunity the industry has to rethink and rebuild the marketing blueprints for the future as the region emerges from a difficult economic period.

Asked how the financial crisis had changed the media landscape, Smith said: "We are facing an explosion of media, and with these changes brands like McDonald's and Apple have shown that it's important to demonstrate what their brands stand for in consistent ways. Agencies need to reinvent themselves and look closely with clients at what brands stand for so they remain relevant to consumers."

Issac added the industry is in a vicious circle. "Many agencies are fighting the wrong fight, like cutting back on their procurement departments because they are costly. The fact is more people need to change and add value to the business – from gathering creative ideas, data tracking, business insights and project management," he said.

Asked about the standard of this years' entries and what they showed the judges about the state of marketing, Cupples said: "The entries were of a very high standard, they were backed up by very solid results, people understood the process from end to end."

Warren added: "There were a lot of very good ideas there, but the teams didn’t have enough courage to make it a phenomenal idea. Some entries got it, some entries missed it."

Asked whether the future would be dominated by digital, Warren said: "The question is how we find a way to engage with consumers who don’t have fast broadband, for example in Indonesia. We have to understand their media habits and the fact that they are a different type of consumer."

The AMEs is now in its eighth year and hailed as the region’s premier recognition of excellence in marketing effectiveness. A highly influential list of leading industry executives, brand pioneers and globally acclaimed marketing experts will take part in an unparalleled programme of challenging keynotes, dynamic panel discussions and informative breakout sessions. The AME Festival is Asia’s premier forum to discuss, debate and celebrate results driven marketing and innovation.