Rendezvous

Doing small things right wins fame

Shirajiv SIRIMANE

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We built it as a brand-building exercise and as a getaway excuse for me, now it has outgrown me. Now it’s about what the country can get out of this. Just when I thought I have done what I set out to do and as usual going quiet on yet another thing in my life, come the news about travel Oscars. I think it is my responsibility now to make sure KumbukRiver live up to its image. I think the Government needs to see how the country can benefit in building brand Sri Lanka.

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He first rose to fame as probably the world's youngest international war correspondent. He was named as Sri Lanka's Journalist of the Year in 1992 for groundbreaking reporting of the war as the Defence Correspondent for the Sunday Times but abruptly quit journalism, giving up lucrative stints as a correspondent for international publications like Asiaweek, Reader's Digest and Asiamoney.

Since then he is now running his own successful ad agency. His ad agency has been credited with some of the most successful IPO campaigns in recent times and continues to work with some leading brands, winning the respect of the industry as being among a handful of local ad agencies to compete with multinationals, even winning at the elusive Chilies and a travel Oscar - with KumbukRiver, his very first step into tourism. At just 38, Dinesh Watawana remains as one of the emerging top business personalities and here he speaks to Daily News Rendezvous.

Q: You are in the showbiz of business but on the one hand choosing to remain elusive. How do you explain all this?

My life seems a series of contrasts. Just when I made it good in international journalism and seemed set for bigger things, I changed careers. Forays in education, business management and military affairs all offered long-term career avenues but I have ended up running my own business as a brand strategist and a marketing communications consultant. Running away is a very tempting option yet again but family commitments have made it difficult this time.

Q: But you did runaway to the jungle?

Running an ad agency is one of the more frustrating jobs in my life and since commitments tied me down, I found an escape of a different kind. It was certainly a wild idea that first took me to Buttala, right in the heart of the poorest districts outside North East.

I was desperate to do two things. One to show how a brand could be built, given the freedom it requires to fly, and the second was a long-felt desire to go back to doing something meaningful for the country. A Big Idea would accommodate both. I chose eco-tourism. When I first ventured out, all I knew was that I needed a river-front location. If you'd like to believe it, the entire project was visualised and executed on the go. Every impasse, every failure offering a new twist to the story and it grew day by day.

Q: KumbukRiver is now officially the world's leading eco-lodge. How does it feel?

It may be a simple idea or it may be a gravity-defying idea, but as long as you are armed with a distinctively great idea, you give yourself an honest chance for it to grow big.

What took KumbukRiver to such dizzying heights is its unique architectural theme and of course the rest of it done with uncompromising style. Yes, we wanted to show how a brand could be built and we built one from nothing and yes, we wanted to put Sri Lanka on the international radar of tourism, but did we expect this? Well, only in our most wonderful dreams and we still haven't woken from it.

Q: To win one of the only two travel Oscars that went for Asia in the world's fastest-growing sphere of tourism is a great honour for the whole country. What does this mean to you?

It's Sri Lanka's victory and that's that. We built it as a brand-building exercise and as a getaway excuse for me, now it has outgrown me. Now it's about what the country can get out of this. Just when I thought I have done what I set out to do and as usual going quiet on yet another thing in my life, come the news about travel Oscars. I think it is my responsibility now to make sure KumbukRiver live up to its image. I think the Government needs to see how the country can benefit in building brand Sri Lanka.

Q: How exactly can the country benefit by this award?

Brand Sri Lanka has got fresh impetus without having to spend a cent. We have done small things right and planted the seeds in the right places through pure ingenuity and passion. While we need to hire international PR consultants, there's so much we can do to first improve the physical attributes of local tourism, and trust me, we need more ideas like KumbukRiver that sits up and demands attention; and secondly, simple things that money cannot buy when it comes to brand communications on the international scene. Sri Lanka Tourism's Earth Lung initiative is one of the best ideas by a long mile and KumbukRiver fits nicely right in there. Sri Lanka isn't just about beaches or cheap resorts.

Q: What plans do you have for the future?

All my goals and plans are made on the run and I make my way through with the limited resources I have. Remember, you must be able to manage your idea, giving yourself a realistic chance of making it good. It would be crazy to visualise a Burj Al Arab in Sri Lanka so I visualised my own landmark in KumbukRiver. Ideas must be within your means. Conceiving ideas and building brands is what I do best and I'd love to see bigger, more challenging assignments coming my way.

Q: How do you see the current situation of the country?

Let's stop arm-chair politics. The country gets a Government it deserves and I don't think politicians are any worse than the people. Only the status quo changes; if you become a politician, most people would do the same. The only hope we have is the hope that both people and politicians would try to build the country while building themselves. The war hopefully would be over but it cannot be blamed for all our woes. You have heard of what it means to build a 'war economy', why not talk about that? I think one of Sri Lanka's biggest threats is an undisciplined younger workforce. It's sad to see values thrown out of the window. When you invite 10 individuals for an interview, six don't turn up, two get late, one doesn't have what it takes and the one who's right for the job has got a rotten attitude. Maybe with a pinch of salt, but talk to employers and you'd know. Attitudes are the same even in villages off the beaten-track. It's not much different as you go higher up. Managers don't carry values to work; they compromise ethics and only worry about safeguarding their interests. Of course, you still come across real gems who still give you hope that all is not lost.

Q: What do you consider your biggest challenge?

Mounting hurdles in life often comes with monumental solutions and that's the way it should be. What weighs me down are the little ants along the way, not the real challenges. When petty issues beyond your power peg you, nothing is more frustrating. From red tape to apathy, dishonesty to unprofessionalism, tardiness and unfair play - you name it and many other small things can loom so large that you sometimes one wonder if it's worth it. It would be wonderful if the good is given a genuine chance and real ideas are allowed their rightful freedom, fostering talent irrespective of where it comes from. It's a shame where society is heading but some of us will stick it out in our own country because somebody's got to do it! Let's hope Sri Lanka would re-discover itself and give life a real chance.

Q: where would you like to spend your holiday?

Where else at, its at KumbukRiver.