'Work towards a common goal':

Marketeers made headway despite economic downturn

Charumini DE SILVA

Ceylinco Insurance PLC, Assistant General Manager - Marketing, Samitha Hemachandra said that we have talented and skilled marketeers. The local marketeers were able to continue the growth even during the global economic downturn.

Here are his down-to-earth views.

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

A: I started my career as an accounts clerk soon after I left school, but after some time I felt that accountancy was not the career which I should pursue. I then did a few marketing related courses and found marketing a very interesting subject.

Marketing is all about innovative ideas and it is very challenging. There is something new every day, which makes marketing interesting and to meet people often unlike in other fields such as accounting. It is not tedious like other professions.

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

A: It is important to balance sales and the customers' needs.

Marketeers should understand the consumer needs and work towards a common goal in the company.

As marketeers we need to help the staff too, since only a few employees are aware of the core concept of marketing in a company, but as employees of the company we have been given a certain goal to achieve.

Through marketing we not only convince the consumers, but also inculcate marketing values in the staff.

Ceylinco Life is one of the best life insurance companies in the country, but unfortunately only 10 percent of the total population has life insurance policies.

There is a huge potential for all life insurance companies to expand their business in the country when compared to the percentage of the total population in the country. To capture this niche market marketeers have to play a key role in creating awareness among the comunity and to advise the public about the benefits of having a life insurance policy.

Q: What is the impact of the current economic crisis on your organization?

A: Year 2008 was a good year for the insurance industry and also for the company. We performed well last year, but the global economic downturn had a direct impact on the insurance industry.

Compared to last year's growth performance it is now much better. With the economic meltdown the growth rate has dropped slightly compared to last year.

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

A: I beg to differ. This concept has changed over a period of time. At present many marketeers are represented in the boardrooms. In our company, the Deputy CEO is a senior marketeer. We hope that the representation of marketeers in the boardrooms will increase gradually.

Q: What are the advertising strategies that you employ in your organization?

A: I think advertising the strategies cover a vast area and advertising is a branch of it. There is a huge potential for life insurance and to capture this market we adopt market expansion strategies.

The beneficiaries are shown through interactive programs.

Q: What are the challenges you see when it comes to global branding?

A: When it comes to global branding, a company has to compete with the giants in the industry. With so many brands it is highly competitive. The company has to invest a huge sum of money over a period of time and we have to communicate this to the target audience at the correct time. Only a few brands compete globally.

Q: What do you think about local marketeers?

A: We have talented and skilled marketeers. Local marketeers were able to continue the growth even during the global economic downturn. There are many opportunities for marketeers if they chose marketing as a profession, as it provides various avenues to develop business in an innovative manner, which will help to increase and create new job opportunities for youth in the country. Local marketing institutions offer tremendous potential in promoting marketing in the country.