Dr. Chetan Srivastava, associate professor of the school of management studies at the University of Hyderabad gave a keynote address at a virtual international conference on ‘Reimagining Business- Focus on Customer’ in Boston, USA on 31st October 2020 organized by the Indo-Gulf Marketing Association (IGMA).
Dr. William Koehler, Dean of Marshall M Sloane School of Business, USA, Dr. Jacob Chacko, Dean of College of Business at Clayton State University, USA, Dr.Kurt Schimmel, former Dean College of Business at Slippery Rock University, USA and Dr.Jitendra Das, director of Fore School of Management were the other keynote speakers.
Prof. Mohan Agarwal, President of the Indo-Gulf Marketing Association, former professor of marketing at IIM Lucknow, XLRI, and California State University, USA chaired the conference.
Dr.Chetan spoke on how businesses should re-imagine their purpose, strategy, and operations in light of changed customer behaviour, how one has to be customer-obsessed, starting from Mahatma Gandhi’s opinion on a customer, which is valid- then, now and forever. He also mentioned the contributions made by local businesses and special contributions by all the corona warriors.
Dr.Chetan also touched upon the impact, issues, and challenges in reimagining customer-focused businesses. He spoke about the shift in the mindsets and behaviour of the customers and how businesses should re-imagine ways to navigate in these turbulent times and markets. He spoke on how purpose should take over the profits and the need for empathy towards customers and employees so that these hard times can be survived.
He proposed the 7Cs for achieving this goal which includes customer obsession, connecting with the customers, having compassion towards customers, working on cutting down the cost, to make the products and services affordable, involving customers in co-value creation, creating newer products and services relevant in these times, and focus on the customer first rather than profits.
Delegates and presenters across the globe participated in the conference. The conference that was held via Google Meet started at 10.00 a.m. IST on 31st October 2020 and went on till 08.00 p.m. IST to accommodate multiple time zones across the globe.
Contributed by S. Nimisha , Department of Communication