Increasing digitisation of media has changed the end-consumers perception and consumption of news forever, especially in the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic. Organisations, therefore, need to be in touch with their users needs more than ever before, said leaders of top media organisations in the region, at a riveting panel discussion on Digitisation of Media: Challenges and Opportunities at the 17th edition of the ABLF Talks.

Held at the Dubai Cares Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai, under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Economy and Dubai Cares, a UAE-based global philanthropic organization, this months edition of the Talks focused on the massive impact of technology on the strategies adopted by companies to overcome the pandemic-related challenges.

The conclave began with Saad Toma, General Manager, MEA, IBM throwing light on the tech-giants role in the creation and adoption of cutting-edge technology like quantum computing, hybrid cloud and AI in the digital transformation journey of companies and communities. A lot of data today is surprisingly underutilised which offers an opportunity waiting to be explored, said Toma elaborating on how AI will aid this process to become more efficient. However, this needs to be done ethically which is the focus of IBMs initiatives in key markets, he said.

With the pandemic spotlighting sustainability, organisations like PepisCo have been quick to embrace practises that leave a positive impact on their consumers as well as the community at large. Aamer Sheikh, CEO, Middle East Business Unit, PepsiCo, listed some of these measures that included moving away from usage of virgin plastic in favour of infinitely recyclable material like aluminium and glass as well as initiating the Greenhouse Accelerator Program, to name just two of them. We have tried to be more people-centric, consumer-centric and customer-centric, said Aamer emphasising the importance of agility in decision-making as the key to cope with unprecedented circumstances. Earlier, we had five, three and one-year plans but during a once-in-a-century crisis like this, we must be prepared to reinvent the business model and plan on a weekly basis, he said.