Archives

by Prasanna Perera, Marketing and Management Consultant, Chartered Marketer

Based on my experience in marketing a wide range of products, I have observed certain characteristics amongst Sri Lankan consumers. These characteristics must be acknowledged since failure to do so could result in marketing ineffectiveness.

As a nation we have a rich cultural heritage, spanning several decades, these cultural straits have had a profound impact on the behaviourial pattern of Sri Lankans for obvious reasons. Habits once formed are difficult to change, brand loyalty is profound and in most instances single dimensional.

Family influence is very significant since this is a trait of Asian culture. Hence we can observe that Sri Lankan culture and sub-culture have a major impact on the purchase behaviour of Sri Lankan consumers.

Many organisations have learnt the hard way that test marketing exercises in Sri Lanka have to be viewed with caution. In most text exercises, respondents claim that they will purchase the product at given prices.

However when the product concerned is actually commercialised only a fraction of these respondents make purchases. Herein lies one characteristics of Sri Lanka consumers. i.e. saying one thing and doing another.

Sri Lankan culture is that we do not say "No" generally specially if something is offered on a complimentary basis. Therefore test marketing results should be interpreted with caution. Sri Lankan consumers are fiercely brand loyal in most instances. Loyalty is also a cultural trait.

Loyalty to ones family, friends etc. is extended to the commercial sphere in terms of products, brands and dealer loyalty.

Once a Sri Lankan consumer becomes familiar with a brand it is very difficult to encourage them to switch brands. Even if they switch for promotional reasons, it is most often temporary. The lesson to marketers is to strive to build brand loyalty and once built to work even harder to retain it.

This loyalty is also extended to retailers and supermarkets. Sri Lankan consumers have their own favourite retailers, that they patronise. They remain loyal to these retailers, sometime even when they are not treated as special. (Many for habitual reasons). Product quality is something Sri Lankans are aware of and pay attention when making purchases.

You cannot mislead the Sri Lankan consumer with poor quality products. Although poor, Sri Lankans can distinguish between a good and shoddy product offer.

Country of origin/manufacture is another important criteria that Sri Lankan consumers consider. In general observed for products made overseas specially from Western markets.

This is gradually changing and Asian brands are being considered on an equal footing. Marketers would do well to pay attention in building favourable images for their brands, in order to overcome negative country perceptions.

Based on the sub-cultural aspect of religion, certain products are purchased and some are not. Religion has a major impact on Sri Lankans since it is considered as important for a good life.

In the western world the impact of religion on purchase behaviour is much less significant. The best example is the "Halal" concept which is considered very important by Muslims.

Sri Lankan consumers seek references from their family and friends, in most purchase situations. Strong references from primary and secondary reference groups, influences the Sri Lankans. For example when purchasing a car a strong reference would be a brother/sister or friend.

This reference seeking can be observed for both serious as well as habitual purchases. In line with seeking references, "opinion leaders" are strong purchase influencers. Take the example of shampoo and how a recognised hair dresser can be a strong influence.

Trial levels of new products are quite high, amongst Sri Lankans. This is mostly driven by inquisitiveness and not by any other serious purchase consideration. The result is that repeat purchase levels fall way below the mark. Hence a fairly erratic sales curve can be observed, during the introductory phase. Marketers would do well not to get too overboard with initial rates but wait for demand patterns to stabilise. Going by initial trial rates can be very dangerous.

Price sensitivity is quite prominent amongst Sri Lankans for obvious reasons. However the cheapest priced product may not be the most successful. The product that succeeds, offers good value for money.

This is a key characteristic of the Sri Lankan consumer and marketers would do well to note the cheapest price is not all that important. Value is the currency of success.

Sri Lankans in general have short memories and need to be reminded through mass media on a regular basis. TV advertising is quite well received by Sri Lankans as can be observed with the success of brands that carry out aggressive TV advertising. With the Sri Lankan consumer you need to keep your brand in constant focus by reminding your target customer.

The Sri Lankan consumer also relates positively to catchy slogans and advertising pay off lines. These slogans help to position a brand and also build strong brand awareness and recall.

The lesson for Sri Lankan marketers is to develop memorable promotional slogans which are meaningful to your customer and brand. Slogans for the sake of humour should be avoided at all cost.

In this article I have attempted to share my experience on the Sri Lankan market and consumer. As in all markets there are certain special traits, as well as general traits. The bottom line is that marketers need to have a profound understanding of the market. This can only be achieved by visiting the market on a regular basis and interacting with target consumers. This knowledge can be augmented by well developed and implemented marketing research programmes.

www.ceylincoproperties.com

www.Pathmaconstruction.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries

Produced by Lake House
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager