SLIM BRAND EXCELLENCE 2020

Beyond What Seems Possible

BY Amal Cabraal

Today, marketing is the business. It is not merely another corporate function. Everything in a business emanates from marketing… or should do. After all, it is predominantly marketing that influences how consumers spend their money.

Marketing is not limited to a new ad campaign or this month’s promotion… its job is not confined to the next brand relaunch or a tweak in brand image or company reputation. On the contrary, it is the heart and soul of a business.

Today, businesses operate in a very competitive setting, fighting each other to gain and retain customers. In such a fierce marketplace, it is marketing that will provide the competitive edge that’s so vital for success or at times even survival.

As marketing actions proliferate, and touch the lives of people and influence behaviours, they have a significant impact on society. With this comes the added responsibility to create and deliver products and services aimed at improving the quality of life and contributing to social development. Increasingly, the idea that businesses and brands must be anchored to a deeper purpose is gaining traction.

The rapid increase in population and growing levels of prosperity along with accelerated transformation in technology are exponentially changing consumer and competitive landscapes the world over.

Sri Lanka is not immune to these changes. The sooner we realise this, the quicker we’ll be able to shape our brands and businesses to ensure success. The alternative is the unthinkable – mediocrity or failure!

As our nation’s economy grows and people prosper, local market opportunities will continue to expand. However, with Sri Lanka being a relatively small market, corporates with greater ambitions must venture beyond our shores and enter global markets. Such strategic decisions are arguably the domain and responsibility of the board; but it’s up to marketers to take the initiative, craft entry plans and execute strategies to succeed.

These endeavours can be supported by brand building exercises undertaken by corporate Sri Lanka. To stay ahead of the game, businesses need to offer differentiated and value added propositions, be it to local or global consumers. The Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) provides the tools and direction needed to do so.

Along with this year’s SLIM Brand Excellence Awards, a new partnership will be formed between SLIM and LMD, which will advocate brand thinking, not merely to marketers but among all corporate executives. This partnership will promote value driven marketing, enabling businesses to better fulfil their role.

In conclusion, every marketer should use the SLIM Brand Excellence Awards as a platform that not only rewards outstanding efforts but also enables them to drive products, services and organisations to greater heights, by catapulting businesses and brands beyond what seems possible.

Amal Cabraal is the Non-Executive Chairman of Lion Brewery (Ceylon), and a Non-Executive Director of John Keells Holdings, Hatton National Bank (HNB) and Sunshine Holdings among others, and a former Chairman and CEO of Unilever Sri Lanka.