Q: Can you elaborate on the philosophy that lies behind Asia Pacific Institute of Digital Marketing (APIDM)?

A: In the present context, it is believed that 40 percent of organisations are not able to find adequate talent to handle their digital marketing workloads, which is attributed to the ‘digital skills gap’ in the market.

Keeping this in mind, eBusiness Academy was formed in 2009 by three pioneering e-marketing professionals. And later in 2017, eBusiness Academy was renamed as ‘Asia Pacific Institute of Digital Marketing.’

Our mission is simply to upskill marketing professionals for the digital age – by creating and disseminating the best quality knowledge and training in digital marketing and e-commerce to the business community. In past years, we have upskilled more than 2,000 marketing professionals in Sri Lanka, Cambodia and other parts of the world.


Q: Could you provide an overview of the programmes that are conducted by APIDM, which look to
upskill the Sri Lankan digital marketing community?

A: We have two flagship programmes in the curriculum and they are targeted at different audiences.

The Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing is our most in demand programme and it is specifically designed keeping in mind practising marketing professionals who would aim to gain new skills in digital marketing. We also offer a Certificate in Digital Marketing, which caters to school leavers and university undergraduates who are looking to launch their careers in the marketing field.

In addition to these two flagship programmes, we offer several specialised upskilling programmes, which are centred on various niches relating to digital marketing.

We also conduct a free event for the digital marketing community that is titled the ‘Sync Up Colombo Meet Up.’ This is a monthly gathering of members of the digital marketing community during which the latest trends pertaining to digital marketing are discussed.

Apart from these illustrious courses, we offer a free webinar series based on different topics relevant to digital marketing, as well as boot camps targeting specific audiences.

Q: In what ways does Asia Pacific Institute of Digital Marketing provide the upskilling tools required by marketing professionals so as to match the demands of the sector?

A: We conduct hands-on practical learning sessions by using simulation activities in classrooms. This involves the use of local case examples in our sessions along with practical activities and assignments based on assessments at the end of each programme.

Q: Do you believe that digitalisation has impacted the way organisations do business in the contemporary context?

A: Working with digital tools has impacted nearly all the strategic business units of organisations, ranging from the domains of manufacturing and supply chain, to human resource management, transportation and marketing.

As a result of digitalisation, even the simple act of how organisations interact with customers has also changed considerably. Furthermore, digitalisation has enabled entrepreneurs to launch
businesses online without the need for physical locations to set up their operations.

Q: Why should prospective students choose APIDM to improve their digital marketing skills?

A: Asia Pacific Institute of Digital Marketing works alongside an experienced resource panel from the digital marketing sector who handle many prominent brands locally and internationally. We insist on more of a practical and hands-on session rather than simple theoretical learning.

At APIDM, we ensure that the quality of knowledge that we deliver is updated periodically, which is achieved by revising and reviewing the content on a regular basis. APIDM makes sure that comprehensive content covering the major digital marketing platforms is imparted to all its students.

Q: Where has Asia Pacific Institute of Digital Marketing gained a footprint overseas?

A: APIDM has conducted digital marketing workshops in Cambodia over the past two years, as well as in the Maldives and Australia.

Q: Does APIDM offer programmes for school leavers and undergraduates who may aspire to learn about the fundamentals of digital marketing?

A: We provide the Certificate in Digital Marketing as a foundation course. It has been formulated for university students and school leavers alike, who are looking to develop their knowledge and further their careers in digital marketing.

Q: Can you elaborate on Asia Pacific Institute of Digital Marketing’s plans for the future – especially with regard to expansion, partnerships and programmes?

A: At present, we are planning our expansion in Cambodia and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. This is in the hope of introducing more upskilling programmes to bridge the ‘digital skills gap’ of professionals around these regions.

Moreover, we hope to offer support to the corporate sector to upskill its workforce by way of APIDM corporate training programmes.

Suranga Priyashantha
Founder
Telephone 7232277/7445266
Email info@apidm.lk
Website www.apidm.lk