Malcolm Gladwell and Emma Chiu join SM 2023 tenant-partners summit

To kick off the celebrations surrounding SM’s 65th anniversary, the 2023 SM Supermalls’ Tenant-Partners Summit had no less than noted best-selling author and New Yorker columnist, Malcolm Gladwell, as the keynote speaker.

Best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell (third from left) with (from left) SM Supermalls’ president Steven Tan, SM Investments Vice Chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson, Wunderman Thompson Intelligence Global Director Emma Chiu, SM Prime Holdings Inc. Chairman of the Executive Committee Hans Sy, and SMPHI president Jeffrey Lim 

Emma Chiu, global director of Wunderman Thompson Intelligence was the other speaker for this auspicious afternoon.

Gladwell continuously walked around the circular stage to ensure that guests in the SMX Halls F2-F4 — a crowd of business titans, noted entrepreneurs, and media heads — would feel he was talking to all of them, and not just to one side of the room.

SM Prime Holdings president Jeffrey Lim and Aristocrat Group Chairman and president Raymund Reyes 

Jollibee Chief Business Officer Joseph Tanbuntiong and Jollibee president Fernando Yu, Jr.

National Book Store president Adrian Ramos and Max’s Group president Robert Trota 

Authenticity, inclusivity, and spontaneity were the three keys to a successful campaign or branding exercise for today’s youthful market. Gladwell said the market isn’t governed by hierarchy as anyone over the age of 30 would understand. For those of a certain age, especially those born in the digital age, the ruling principle is no longer a hierarchy, but a network.

Meanwhile, Chiu spoke about retail trends and how post-pandemic, there was the need for retailers and brands to redefine their value proposition. This was in the interest of remaining relevant and being aware of how the market now thinks.

With a flurry of examples in her slide presentation, Chiu made a strong case for revisionist philosophy. She emphasized that failing to embrace this shift in consumer behavior could result in being left behind.

SM Supermalls’ president Steven Tan welcomed the guests to the summit and gave a bird’s eye view of the exciting journey SM Supermalls is about to undertake while SM Prime Holdings, Inc. president Jeffrey Lim gave a warm thank you to the partners who attended the summit and closed the festivities for the day.

Gladwell and Chiu’s participation were just the ‘icing on the cake,’ as the real cause for the celebration were the tenants and partners of SM Supermalls.