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Meeting Sonar
Last Updated: November 21, 2025
Hello! This is Watanabe from the uSonar Marketing Team.
In this report, we cover the special lecture titled "New Developments in B2B Marketing," held on October 1st, featuring Philip Kotler, the American marketing scholar known as the "Father of Modern Marketing."
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This seminar is the third installment of the "DX Forum Accelerated by Data" series, hosted by uSonar.
We invited approximately 200 sales and marketing professionals from uSonar's client companies. The event was held with a live online broadcast connecting the main venue at the Imperial Hotel's Peacock Room to Mr. Kotler's home in Chicago, USA.
Mr. Kotler is 94 years old this year. He is a renowned scholar whose name is likely familiar to anyone who has even a passing interest in the early days of marketing. Furthermore, it is extremely rare for Mr. Kotler to deliver a lecture on the theme of "B2B Marketing." Due to the time difference, the event started at 8:30 PM local time and 10:30 AM Japan time—an unconventional hour for a business seminar—yet the venue was immediately filled to capacity, enveloped in a quiet sense of anticipation as attendees gathered to hear Mr. Kotler's latest insights.
Mr. Kotler spoke about the latest marketing knowledge, incorporating current trends such as "digitalization and the introduction of AI," as well as "Human to Human (H2H) marketing."
Mr. Kotler began by explaining how the landscape of B2B marketing has changed significantly over the past few decades.
In the past, companies introduced new products or services even to uninterested prospects, and branding or advertising was rarely utilized.
Today, however, new tools and concepts are emerging one after another. Mr. Kotler observes that AI, in particular, is a groundbreaking technology that is driving major changes in marketing. Specifically, he highlighted technologies such as AI, generative AI, machine learning, the metaverse, IoT, robotics, drones, and blockchain.
Building on this, Mr. Kotler introduced the concept of "Transformative Marketing (TM)." He stated that it is essential to combine the new-age technologies mentioned earlier with human insight to revolutionize the interaction between companies and customers, thereby creating more personalized and immersive customer experiences.
He also introduced the ongoing shifts in marketing tools for realizing the customer journey, such as AI-driven targeting, ad creation, and content personalization. He explained the importance of adopting a perspective on how to integrate and utilize AI and various tools across each phase of the "5A (Aware, Appeal, Ask, Act, Advocate)" framework.
Based on these shifting trends, Mr. Kotler discussed the critical factors for today's companies to remain competitive and ensure long-term survival. Specifically, he highlighted the following points:
To achieve these goals, Kotler emphasizes that it is essential to "properly collect customer data and apply predictive analytics through machine learning and other technologies." To do this, companies must customize their offerings and services to provide more personalized proposals.
Furthermore, he stated that building a "Strategic Data Ecosystem" is critical, requiring the design of systems that collect and update customer data while utilizing AI for analysis.
Kotler noted that a major trend today is that business transactions are becoming increasingly transactional, meaning they are becoming mechanical and devoid of human interaction.
As corporate purchasing grows and interpersonal relationships decline, he emphasized the need to reintroduce empathy. By using H2H marketing, companies can combine advanced technology with personalized human interaction to strengthen customer relationships.
H2H marketing is based on the concept of "High-Tech and High-Touch," aiming to balance the use of digital technology with face-to-face human relationships. Through these practices, it becomes possible to foster empathy and emotional connection with customers, building deeper relationships.
Kotler emphasized that H2H marketing, which balances benefits for both marketers and customers, is essential and requires an ethical approach.
At the end of the seminar, time was set aside for participants to ask Mr. Kotler questions directly. Mr. Kotler responded positively to every question, saying things like, "That is an interesting question," and "That is an important perspective."
uSonar Co., Ltd. will continue to host events that provide useful insights for your business. We hope you will join us for any future events that interest you.
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About the Author
uSonar Editorial Department
MX Group, Editor-in-Chief
We are the uSonar Editorial Department.
We provide information on data utilization and digital technology to help companies, primarily those in the B2B sector, rethink their future business operations.
uSonar is utilized by a wide range of companies across various industries and business sectors.
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