From Fax to Facts: What the 1995 Marketing Congress still teaches us today

That year’s headliner was Richard D’Aveni, Professor at the Amos Tuck School of Business (Dartmouth College, USA), who shook the stage with his vision of hypercompetition. His message? The age of lasting competitive advantage was over. Companies needed to move fast, constantly build and dismantle advantages, and outmaneuver rivals at speed. Strategy was no longer a five-year plan, but a series of bold, short-term moves.

This bold view sparked debate. Riccardo Petrella, former Director of Social Studies at the European Commission and author of Limits to Competition, pushed back with a call for an economic model that includes social values, ethics, and collaboration. Herman Daems, Professor of International Strategy at KU Leuven and then Chief of Staff to the Flemish Minister of Economy, echoed that urgency and called for businesses not just to become faster, but also smarter and more human-centered.

Many of their messages still resonate today.

Consider the emphasis on customer-centricity, a major theme in 1995, driven by speakers like Tom Brannan, Vice Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK), and J. Frederik Danielson, Senior VP at Brierley & Partners (Dallas), experts in customer relationship management. Brannan introduced a concept that still matters today: customer delight. While customer satisfaction means doing what’s expected, delight means exceeding expectations and creating emotional impact. In 1995, that might’ve meant a handwritten thank-you note or a loyal customer event. Today, it shows up in brands like Coolblue or Bol.com, where fast service, clever communication and personalisation combine into experiences that customers talk about.

Another timeless takeaway came from Fons Trompenaars, founder of the Center for International Business Studies (CIBS) and author of Riding the Waves of Culture. He urged marketers to stop applying one-size-fits-all logic in a global world. He shared vivid examples: in Moscow, a McDonald's napkin is kept as a status symbol; in Amsterdam, the same brand is considered low-brow. His message: strategy must be culturally fluent, and international marketing should be shaped by diverse teams who challenge assumptions.

Finally, Herman Daems gave a sharp, localised counterpoint to D’Aveni’s theory. Belgium, he argued, could no longer compete on cost or scale, but it could lead through strategic reinvention. He cited sectors like textiles, media and chemicals, already under pressure, and called for dual strategies: maintaining current business while exploring entirely new models. As a positive example, he mentioned Barco, which had successfully reinvented itself through innovation. His memorable line? "Competitive advantages are temporary. Competitive skills are lasting."

So, what’s changed? The scale and speed of disruption have gone from linear to exponential. In 1995, digital was a novelty and an internet subscription was offered as a bonus gift for attendees. Today, digital is the foundation of every business model. Customer relationships have shifted from one-to-one to data-powered personalisation at scale. Strategy, talent, operations, and culture have all had to evolve.

The real revelation?
What seemed radical in 1995 is now the baseline.

As marketing continues to evolve, it’s worth remembering that relevance isn’t found in chasing trends but in understanding the patterns behind them.

Looking back doesn’t make us nostalgic.
It makes us better equipped to move forward.