Direct Solutions in new venture

MARKETING: Almost four years since its soft launch, Direct Solutions, Sri Lanka’s pioneer full service direct marketing agency is ready to develop the promising One to One marketing industry further.

“We were keen to test the concept and the practicality of its operation in Sri Lanka before launching out fully, its CEO Priyanga Hapugalle said. His data and direct mail service company PBN Direct initiated this industry a decade and a half ago, before launching Direct Solutions with Co-Founder and Director of Strategy, Ian Ramsden.

“Bringing in the best practices of the West in Direct Marketing has been a challenge to us,” Ramsden said.

“In the West almost every serious Business has a strategic direct marketing plan that complements its brand marketing plans. They each have a dedicated direct marketing agency assigned to manage their programme. This is a reality even in some Asian markets too”.

“However, the few local companies who have embraced the concept are now enjoying the rewards of this marketing strategy.

We have clients like Singer Sri Lanka who have successfully tested the strategy in one of its channels and then based on its learnings and success have applied it to their mainstream business channel.

‘In general, we feel that the basic infrastructure is available in most companies to conduct a customer loyalty or CRM programme although some specific areas of technology would have to be introduced.

However, “it is in the process and people factor that we have been challenged at the execution of a programme,” Hapugalle said.

“The short term focus in marketing and even customer care is one area we have had to address very much. Because, it is a paradigm shift in many ways to some companies”

Following our initial experiences we had to review and adapt ourselves to be able to pace and lead the market in a somewhat practical manner.

We had to do take time out to do some soul searching and come up with newer ways to break the old obstacles that came up as a result of traditional practices in the market and set realistic milestones to achieve our vision.