KIIT School of Management (KSOM) organized its 5^th National Marketing Conclave on the theme “Youth Marketing” on 27^th September, 2014.

With the rise in young consumerism, social and cultural changes, access to technology, information through internet, increased spending power and the onset of social media tools, youth today has become a prime target group for marketers.

The event was inaugurated by Prof. Abraham Koshy, IIM Ahmedabad, Chairman of The Federal Bank Limited as the Chief Guest and Mr. Jagdish Mahapatra, MD-India and SAARC, McAfee in presence of Prof. P.P.Mathur, Vice Chancellor, KIIT University and Prof. Anil Bajpai, Director, KSOM.

The context of the conclave was set by Prof. Anil Bajpai. He spoke about how youth has become an important demography in context of the current marketing scenario.

Prof. Abraham Koshy in his address, stressed that youth as a segment is always different. Marginal adjustment in company strategies would not be sufficient for adapting to dynamic changes in youth preferences. Information consumption behavior in youth has to be analyzed differently, thereby making conventional research methods irrelevant. Process of value creation needs to be redefined by correct identification of value gaps and value communication.

Delivering his keynote address, Mr. Jagdish Mahapatra said that the 4 C’s – Connect, Content, Conduct and Character play an important role in making an individual flexible and globally adaptable. He emphasized on the importance of developing India in order to be recognized as a global player.

The first panel discussion was on ‘Youth Marketing – Impact on Rural to Urban Migration’. It revolved around how migration of population from rural to urban area is affecting marketing dynamics. The panelists unanimously agreed that more than marketing, it was economic activities and economic necessities which propelled youth to aspire for urban lifestyle. The focus was also on the shift from agriculture to service industries that India is witnessing. Prof. Anil Bajpai moderated the discussion that had Mr. Madan Mohan Mohapatra, Head-Customer Strategy, Future Group, Mr. A.L. Jagannath, Director- Marketing, India & SAARC, VMware, Mr. Sanjit Padhi, Director, Advent Sports and Mr. Gokul Venkataraman, Strategic Marketing Leader, Owens Corning as the panelists.

For the first time, a youth panel discussion was conducted as part of the conclave. The panel consisted of young entrepreneurs and students who brought out the youth’s perspective on marketing.

Later in the day, 15 workshops were conducted by industry luminaries on topics like Marketing to Digital Youth, Marketing Strategy of Youth Brands and several others. The conclave also had competitions for undergraduate and postgraduate students, which saw participation from all over India.

The Workshops conducted were as follows: