LEADING BRANDS PROFILE
Flora Tissue
Q: How would you describe your organisation’s brand journey?
A: Pee Bee Management Services was incorporated as a private liability company in the early 1980s. The vision of the board of directors was to manufacture all types of soft and hygienic disposable tissue products for Sri Lankan consumers.
The Brand name Flora was chosen after careful consideration as it is very well suited to convey the quality of launch products such as facial tissue boxes, paper serviettes and toilet tissues – viz. the softness, hygiene and absorbent aspects.
Indeed, the aspiration was to fulfil the need to enhance personal hygiene habits among Sri Lankan consumers and market quality products to the hospitality sector. Currently, Flora Tissue is well-positioned as the consumers’ preferred choice and number one disposable tissue brand in Sri Lanka with a high market share of over 62 percent.
Q: As for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on brands, what is your assessment?
A: The marketing of Flora Tissue was impacted adversely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – more so during the period from mid 2020 to around mid 2021; the hospitality trade, which includes hotels and restaurants, came to a standstill, offices were closed and employees were asked to work from home.
However, a large number of consumers now use various types of disposable tissue products in accordance with the health guidelines recommended by global and local healthcare authorities, in an attempt to mitigate COVID-19.
Our endeavours to educate the rural population on hygiene habits had positive impacts and Flora soft tissue products have gained popularity once again.
Q: What is the role of marketing in creating brand value, in your opinion?
A: We strongly believe in marketing strategies; advertising and promotions are of paramount importance in this regard.
Therefore, we have invested in outdoor advertising such as billboards and vehicle branding, to create and enhance the brand value of Flora Tissue.
Print advertising in local exclusive magazines and dedicated digital platforms has increased brand awareness, thereby engaging Sri Lankan consumers to the fullest.
In addition, consumer promotions in all supermarket chains in the modern trade distribution channels have played a significant role in this regard.
Q: And what is the role of senior management and staff in brand building awareness?
A: While the number of managers and the organisational hierarchy can vary substantially, most successful businesses have many of their key personnel working towards a common goal to drive a brand forward – individually and as a team.
Starting from the HR department – where all employees are recruited in different departments and trained – we all work towards the shared vision and mission of the company; and to uphold the reputation and brand image of our company, and the Flora brand too.
The procurement manager plays a major role in conforming to quality standards of raw materials and packaging in line with Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) product quality standards.
And the quality assurance manager is also responsible as it will be a challenge for a brand to compete and survive unless the quality of products manufactured are in line with SLSI or industry quality standards.
The marketing manager has the overall responsibility of engaging the brand manager and sales team, to create awareness, establish and promote company strategies, and enhance brand equity, by way of advertising campaigns and promotional strategies.
Q: How do you assess the importance of design and packaging?
A: We design our product packaging to instantly grab the attention of consumers. Brand prominence is as crucial in a design as highlighting quality certifications such as SLS achieved by the product.
Upgrading is a constant process. Developing and revising appropriate features of a successful and compelling design will create attractive packaging, which will augment the brand image to stand out from competitors in the long term.
Q:And what does the future hold for Flora Tissue, in terms of brand extension?
A: Our latest product extension is Kitchen Mate. The kitchen essentials range includes dry wipes made from reusable non-woven material, baking paper rolls, disposable gloves and zip lock storage bags, which are marketed under the Flora brand with immense success.
These products are now popular in the Horeca (HOtel, REstaurant, CAfé) sector and among households.
