Second edition of Star Flow – The Change Festival concludes in Delhi

Star Flow – The Change Festival, a marketing festival and a marquee initiative by The Times of India, had an impressive line-up of speakers and thought leaders over the course of two days in Delhi.

The one-stop destination for all things marketing, the conclave-cum-festival gave an opportunity to CXOs, CMOs, brand managers, marketing professionals, media/creative/advertising/research experts and marketers to interact, learn and share ideas and network with brands, international experts and industry leaders of the country.

The event brought forward latest and cutting-edge theories, practices, trends and technologies to marketing leaders and practitioners alike.

Taking the centre stage on the inaugural day of the festival, Nir Eyal, author of ‘Hooked’, delivered the keynote address on the topic ‘How to manufacture desire’. Talking about how some of the biggest companies like Facebook, Twitter and Slack keep people 'hooked' to their devices, he shared how Trigger --> Action --> Reward --> Investment are the four key steps of the Hook canvas.

Moderated by Chandrasekar Radhakrishnan, Vice-President, Strategy and Insights, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia, the panel discussion on ‘Brand building vs Performance Marketing’ witnessed immersive conversations on the topic by Rajeev Karwal, Chairman, Milagrow Robots, Shripad Nadkarni, Founder Chairman, Maverix Platforms, Tapan Singhel, MD and CEO, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and Hitesh Oberoi, Co-Promoter MD and CEO at Info Edge India Ltd.

Benjamin Mathew, Partner, Business Strategy, Mart conducted a workshop on ‘Paradigm Shift of Rural Market’ that focused upon the macro-economic analysis of the rural Indian market along with the opportunities and challenges at hand. The day also engaged the audiences with sessions and conversations by thought leaders such as Patrick Renvoise, Co-Founder and Chief Persuasion Officer, SalesBrain, Ajay Aggarwal, Practice Lead, Design Thinking, KPMG India, Tamanna Sharma, Founder, Earthling First, Nitesh Yadav, Founder and CEO, Exam Mitra and Texicon among others.

Day 2 of Star Flow, The Change Festival kick-started with Marty Neumeier, author and leading expert on brand innovation, speaking about how power has shifted from companies to customers during his session on the topic ‘The new brand model — are you creating brands or consumers?’ Patrick Renvoise, Co-Founder and Chief Persuasion Officer, SalesBrain discussed about persuasion in marketing by focusing on the decision-making part of the brain.

A dialogue on the topic ‘What will it take to succeed in a difficult economic scenario?’ featured industry stakeholders Girish Agarwal, Promoter Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group, Subodh Bhargava, Independent Director Chairman, Tata Communications Ltd and Wartsila India Ltd, Rohit Saran, Managing Editor, The Times of India, and Hemant Malik, ITC Foods. These luminaries discussed and debated issues pertaining to how the new taxes, new slabs, new policies are causing a lot of uncertainty in the market to how each enterprise needs to think differently to succeed in this economic slowdown. Sharing his perspective, Girish Agarwaal said, “Slowdown is not going to get over with a couple of orders” while Subodh Bhargava, encouraging a positive outlook towards the slowdown, said, “Anticipate change. Be prepared for change. Celebrate change.” He added, “True innovation changes consumer behaviour and can protect you in an economic crisis.”

An interesting exchange of ideas between Charles Leadbeater, author and leading authority on innovation and creativity, Sonam Wangchuk, innovator, education reformist and inspiration for the film 3 idiots, Dr. Erich Joachimsthaler, strategy, innovation and branding expert, gave audiences an opportunity to equip themselves for the next big change in marketing. The conclave-cum-festival also had Anoop Khanna, social activist and Founder, Dadi Ki Rasoi and Alakshi Tomar, Co-Founder, TruCup and others sharing their inspiring journey and stories on the path of becoming true marketers.

Sanjeev Bhargava, Director, The Times of India, TIMS and Mirror Brands and Co-Curator of Flow, said, "Witnessing the exuberance of those in attendance over the past two days, Star Flow - The Change Festival took a giant leap forward towards becoming a cult property in the marketing sector. We presented a galaxy of eminent speakers not only from India, but the world who offered something to every member of the marketing fraternity. We are committed to our objective of being a medium for learning that brings together the finest minds in business and the marketing industry and look forward to leaving behind a legacy in future editions."

Santosh Desai, MD & CEO FutureBrands India and Co-Curator of Flow said, "By exposing one and all to a global outlook of the marketing world, along with enthralling marketers with new ideas and inspiration, the second edition of Star Flow - The Change Festival was a colossal success. We understood the ever-changing needs of marketers and the dynamic environment that they operate in and tailor-made our sessions and seminars in our bid to cater to all industries and sectors. Featuring not just an extensive line-up of experts but a host of engaging seminars for participants, we ensured a seamless exchange of ideas and insight for the marketing fraternity of the country. With the who's who of the industry being here in our midst, we are on the right track towards making it a cult property in the marketing industry."

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