Meghalaya: iMarC IV at IIM Shillong explores future of marketing

The 4th edition of the International Marketing Conference (iMarC IV), held at IIM Shillong, brought together top academics and industry leaders to discuss the evolving marketing landscape. Under the theme "Bridging the Gap Between Marketing Theory and Practice: Infusion, Inclusion, and Integration," the four-day event addressed some of the most pressing challenges in the marketing world.

More than 150 participants from five countries, including the USA, Australia, and Nepal, took part in the conference, showcasing a diverse range of insights. Over 200 submissions were made, of which 154 papers were selected for presentation across multiple thematic tracks.

Professor Bidyut Jyoti Gogoi, Conference Chair, highlighted the importance of blending theoretical and practical perspectives during the opening session. "This conference aims to spark discussions that bridge the gap between marketing theory and real-world application," said Prof. Gogoi. Prof. Basav Roychowdhury, Dean of Research at IIM Shillong, provided an overview of the event’s themes, setting the tone for the sessions that followed.

A key highlight of iMarC IV was the announcement of the Best Paper Awards, recognizing exceptional research in the field. The winners were:
- 1st Place: Mayank Nagpal (IIM Bangalore) for "From Words to Metric: Measuring Digitalization from Corporate Reports."
- 2nd Place: Sidharth Ramsinghaney (Twilio, USA) for "Breaking the Scale Barrier: AI-Driven Customer Engagement Insights from Organizations Processing 12.1 Trillion Interactions."
- 3rd Place: Alokparna Das (IIM Indore) for "The Influence of Pricing over Product Classification: Exploring the Hedonic-Utilitarian Continuum."

The conference also featured engaging panel discussions on topics like customer-centric marketing, with industry experts like Shri Jagannath A.L. from Thoughtworks and Shri Himanshu Shekhar Mishra from NDTV offering valuable insights. Prof. Pratap Chandra Mandal moderated the session.

Global academics further enriched the event with keynote addresses. Prof. Gerard and Dr Christine Farias from Texas Tech University tackled the existential crises businesses face today, while Dr Subhadip Roy from IIM Ahmedabad delved into qualitative research design. Other prominent speakers included Prof Dipayan Biswas (University of Florida), Dr Sanjit Roy (Edith Cowan University), and Dr Bipul Kumar (IIM Indore), who explored topics like publishing in top-tier journals, AI in relationship marketing, and the societal impact of marketing.

In all, iMarC IV offered 25 technical sessions, stimulating panel discussions, and ample networking opportunities, all geared toward advancing the connection between marketing theory and practice.