Experts urge marketers to avoid transactional engagement at MICA conference

MICA, Ahmedabad, recently hosted the International Communication Management Conference (ICMC 2025) on 'Marketing in the Digital Age: Navigating Disruptions and Embracing Innovations'. At the conference, industry experts advised marketers to avoid transactional engagement, and challenge algorithms. The keynote addresses focused on ‘Innovations and Disruptions in Marketing,’ with leaders discussing how organisations can adapt to the evolving marketing landscape.

In his keynote on ‘Innovations in Marketing’, Sandeep Menon, MD of Workato India, discussed the impact of AI and outlined three strategies for success in the AI era. He stressed the need to move away from transactional engagement, advising against over-reliance on it. He said, “Take the case of quick delivery  platforms. While consumers are increasingly relying on them, they miss out on the relational,  community-building, and social aspects of traditional shopping methods, which not only ensure  product quality but also fostered community connections.” 

He urged marketers to focus on creating meaningful, value-driven content instead of catering to declining attention spans. To prepare for the future, Menon recommended incorporating technological literacy into education systems, advocating for subjects like prompt engineering, blockchain, and coding to be integrated into the core curriculum of management education.

On the contrary, the other keynote speaker Suraja Kishore, CEO, BBDO and TeamX, India,  offered a dynamic perspective on ‘Disruptions in Marketing’ by sharing his insights that challenge  conventional practices and foster creativity. He urged marketers to embrace mistakes and rely on instincts, saying, “Mistakes can be the  foundation of disruptive innovation, encouraging fresh perspectives and new approaches. And while  data reinforces predictable patterns, instincts often drive creative destruction and innovation, helping  to break free from the ordinary.”

Speaking on algorithms, he said, “Algorithms often lock brands into predefined patterns. By playing  against these patterns, marketers can discover innovative ways to outmaneuver them.” 

Both experts highlighted the need to combine creativity, strategic thinking, and technology to stay competitive in marketing and rethink traditional approaches.

He urged marketers to embrace mistakes and rely on instincts, saying, “Mistakes can be the  foundation of disruptive innovation, encouraging fresh perspectives and new approaches. And while  data reinforces predictable patterns, instincts often drive creative destruction and innovation, helping  to break free from the ordinary.”