Experts emphasised that genuine collaboration, mutual respect and shared responsibility are essential for strong client-agency partnerships, calling for fair pitch fees and balanced agreements to ensure equal value for both parties.

They made the remarks at the "Communication Summit 2025", organised by Bangladesh Brand Forum, held at Le Méridien Dhaka today, according to a press release.

Presented by SMC Enterprise Limited and powered by Walton Group, the event brought together leading professionals from marketing, advertising, branding, media, public relations and creative communication to explore the theme "Chaos, Culture & Creativity: Reimagining the Communication Canvas."

This year's summit focused on how creativity can thrive amid chaos and how culture can guide authentic storytelling in an era of fragmentation.

Discussions highlighted how communication professionals can transform disorder into opportunity, shaping narratives that connect deeply with audiences while redefining creative strategy for a complex digital landscape.

"The world of communication is evolving faster than ever before. Amidst the noise and uncertainty, creativity has become our most powerful compass," said Sajid Mahbub, group CEO and executive editor of Bangladesh Brand Forum.

"The Communication Summit stands as a platform to rethink how we can harness culture, empathy and creativity to shape meaningful brand stories and purposeful business outcomes," he added.

The summit featured three keynote sessions, four panel discussions and two case studies, each designed to decode the evolving communication landscape.

In his keynote paper, Tanzeen Alam, country head of Bangladesh and SEA at Emami Limited, said creativity becomes truly effective when it solves real business problems.

"Habits don't change unless people understand why they should," he said, urging brands to rethink traditional approaches with sharper, insight-driven thinking.

He highlighted the power of simplicity how a five-second spark, a witty twist or a strong cultural cue can stand out more than heavy production.

Tanzeen also said humour, nostalgia and relatable emotion can turn everyday challenges into engaging narratives, adding that meaningful ideas emerge from genuine consumer immersion and understanding real-life behaviour.

Awrup Irfan Sanyal, head and creative strategist at Mighty; Taufique Mahmud, executive creative director of Mediacom Limited; Afzal Mahboob, chief executive officer of Grey Group; Ajoy Kumar Kundu, chief executive officer of Mediacom Limited; Sarah Ali, managing director of FCB Bitopi; and Sharjeel Karim, managing director of Interspeed Advertising Limited, also spoke at the event.

Among others, Ishtiaque Shahriar, executive vice-president and head of digital assets and communications at bKash Limited; Drabir Alam, chief operating officer and director at X Solutions Limited; Tanvir Hossain, executive creative director of Sun Communications Limited; and Lutfi Chowdhury, co-founder and CEO of Adfinix Limited, were also present.