Marketeers should adopt various strategies

'Constant interaction with people vital':

Lumbini EDIRISINGHE

To survive in the competitive business environment marketeers have to adopt various strategies to outsmart competitors in this scenario, said the Marketing Manager of Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd, Roshan Kaluarachchi.

"I think interaction is the key to understanding the needs and perceptions of marketing. Marketing requires constant interaction with people from both within and outside the company and from diverse backgrounds. I enjoy the experience of exchanging different viewpoints and understanding human behaviour", he said.

"I also find great satisfaction in finding solutions that best fits the people's needs. I guess all marketeers are satisfied when the customer is pleased", he said.

Q: What inspired you to select Marketing as your career?

A: I started my career as an executive trainee at a blue-chip company in 1993 and was under training for two years. I had a good training on human resources, logistics, sales, distribution, room operations finance, marketing and customer care.

I was given a sound knowledge of marketing and the business field. It was excellent exposure to the entire business area. This solid foundation gave me the correct routine and that's how I selected marketing.

I have had the fortune of cross-industry experience as I've worked in industries spanning Consumer Durables, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Telecom both fixed and mobile and also I'm a chartered marketer. Those gave me immeasurable experience to tackle any issue I come across.

A career in Marketing can be very challenging, but at the same time very satisfying. Each day we are faced with a new situation or development demanding a calculated response from a multitude of options.

I personally enjoy challenges because it drives me, keeps me engaged, and forces me to deliver under pressure.

Q: Being a frontliner in the company, what are the challenges you face in the field of marketing?

A: Marketing is very dynamic in nature and it is for the fulfillment of people's needs.

Changes in business environment and consumer tastes require that I stay tuned and able to quickly interpret market signals and anticipate changes. The major challenge I face is to identify specific customer needs and trends and that means keeping an eye all the time.

Another challenge is with overall product fulfillment'. This involves the process of end-to-end product implementation, as well as satisfying customer experiences at all consumer Touch Points, both internal and external.

Q: In many companies we often see that marketeers are not represented at boardroom meetings. What is your view?

A: I cannot quite agree to that as in the case of Mobitel, it is to the contrary. Marketing is the bloodline of any company and is a core function that is usually not outsourced due to competitive reasons.

The success or failure of a company is often determined by the marketing function and therefore it is imperative that the marketing viewpoint is considered at boardroom discussions. I would say, more often than not, companies involve marketeers at a strategic level.

The presence of marketing in the boardroom also to a large extent depends on the organisation's philosophy and the type of goods and services the company markets.

In an organisation that is consumer and brands oriented, more often than not, marketing is actively considered at board level.

Q: What are the advertising strategies you adopt in the company?

A: The Telecom Industry is very dynamic and therefore requires frequent adaptation of strategies to suit the changing conditions. My focus is on customer centricity through value innovation.

Mobitel is guided by the business philosophy, 'We Care Always', a principle that is core to our advertising strategies and in all that we do as a company.

I am always mindful of and respect the fact that it is our satisfied customers who at the end of the day pay my salary.

Q: How do you see competition in the local market industry?

A: I believe competition is a good and healthy thing that keeps us on our toes and induces us to improve our efficiency and productivity in all aspects of our business, and strive for superior service excellence in the market.

Competition in the telecom industry usually leads to lower prices where the customer stands to gain, and that requires us to stay lean, healthy and effective in all aspects of our operation.

At times, competition becomes irrelevant because we constantly explore 'blue oceans' or unchartered market spaces. We have an 'innovation culture' in the company, by which we seek to create value by selectively identifying and pursuing new market opportunities and initiatives.

It is simply a matter of 'facing the battle and finding new fields.

Q: What do you think about local marketeers?

A: Sri Lankan marketeers have come a long way compared to what they were ten years ago.

Marketeers should focus more on team work and practise empathy to be successful. Whether this could be found in local marketeers is difficult to answer.

As regards primary research and understanding the market, I think marketeers would do better if they spend quality time interacting with customers and visiting-the-market.

Such time spent in the market and with the customer could make a huge difference and prove critical for the success of a professional marketeer.

My diversity in experience has led me to believe that marketeers should have the flexibility to think 'out-of-the-box'.

My experience with different industries lends me the competency to effectively bring on board best business practices from other industries and positively contribute towards the overall value creating process of the company.