Philip Kotler discusses AI in marketing with Bangladeshi professionals

More than 50,000 professionals and students registered for the ‘AI for Marketers Summit’, where Professor Philip Kotler, widely regarded as the "father of modern marketing", held a direct discussion with Bangladeshi marketing professionals on Thursday.

The special Facebook Live session was moderated by Mark Anupom Mollick, founder and executive consultant of iDEAN Consulting. Prof Dr Waldemar Pfoertsch, co-author of B2B Brand Management and professor of international business, also joined Kotler in the session. Online views crossed 100,000 during the live session, according to a press release.

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The highlight was Kotler’s presentation, titled “AI in Marketing”, alongside Pfoertsch’s masterclass, “AI in the Age of Branding”.

Both speakers noted that while AI can accelerate marketing, it cannot replace customer emotion, psychology and human trust. They said leveraging technology to reach customers more deeply and create meaningful value remains the core challenge for brands.

The session also featured an international announcement concerning the Bangladesh edition of B2B Brand Management, a publication series by Kotler and Pfoertsch. Anupam Mallik will join the authors as co-author, while the book will feature real-world B2B case studies from leading organisations in Bangladesh.

The authors announced that the book is set to launch in January, marking a milestone in showcasing Bangladesh’s branding and marketing practices on the global stage.

Immediately after Kotler’s segment, a panel discussion titled “AI in Marketing: Hype, Reality, and Bangladesh’s Potential” was held, moderated by Mahadi Faisal, director of marketing and growth at Shwapno.

The panelists were Dr Rezwanul Haque Khan, professor at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka; Nafis Anwar Chowdhury, head of brand marketing at Grameenphone; Md Azwaz Khan, general manager and head of marketing at Prothom Alo; Binay Das, director (marketing and sales) at Eskayef Pharmaceuticals Ltd; Md Tajdin Hasan, chief business officer at The Daily Star; and Shuvashish Bhowmik, managing director of Attech Global.

The panelists agreed that as AI technology is now accessible to everyone, and simply using AI tools will no longer offer a long-term advantage. Instead, effective use of local data, maintaining brand distinctiveness amid intense competition, results-driven marketing, and the appropriate application of AI in healthcare and corporate governance will be crucial for Bangladeshi brands in the coming days.

The successful execution of the event drew widespread praise in corporate circles for connecting Bangladeshi marketers with global-standard thinking and the international marketing community.