Dear colleagues,
I sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of International Marketing Day!
International Marketing Day, celebrated annually on May 27, was initiated by the European Marketing Confederation (EMC). It is a day that highlights the important role of marketing in building connections between businesses and consumers, as well as in driving positive societal change.
The date of May 27 was not chosen by chance – on this day in 1931, Philip Kotler was born in Chicago. He is a world-renowned professor, marketing theorist and practitioner, and the author of more than 80 books, whose immense contribution has shaped the development of marketing across the globe.
Philip Kotler was born into a family of Ukrainian immigrants who were forced to flee the city of Nizhyn in the 1920s to escape Soviet rule. He is often referred to as the “father of modern marketing,” as his innovative ideas profoundly transformed the field.
In an interview with the journal Marketing in Ukraine in 2003, Philip Kotler said: “I could have been Ukrainian.” He visited Ukraine twice, gave lectures to Ukrainian marketers, and spoke with members of the Ukrainian Marketing Association. At the beginning of one of his presentations, Kotler shared his joy at finally being in the country where his parents were born. He warmly remarked that if they had not emigrated to Chicago in 1920, he might be speaking to us in Ukrainian today.
At a meeting with marketers, Kotler advised Ukrainian entrepreneurs who aim to enter the American market to start with Chicago, where a large Ukrainian diaspora resides.
It is especially gratifying that Kotler granted a Ukrainian team – the only one across the former Soviet Union – the right not only to translate but also to adapt his renowned textbook Marketing Management. This project was led by academician Anatoliy Pavlenko, the first president of the Ukrainian Marketing Association. Later, experts from the Association also translated into Ukrainian other well-known works Strategic Marketing for Non-Profit Organizations (Alan Andreasen, Philip Kotler) and Strategic Marketing for Educational Institutions (Philip Kotler, Karen Fox).
By introducing International Marketing Day, the European Marketing Confederation aimed to emphasize the transformative power of marketing in today’s digital era. Marketers not only foster the growth of new organizations but also breathe new life into companies with centuries-long histories.
I sincerely congratulate all Ukrainian marketers on their professional holiday!
Iryna Lylyk, President of the Ukrainian Marketing Association