Lankan marketeers more creative

Charumini DE SILVA

Sri Lankan marketeers are comparatively much better than the marketeers in the other countries.

I have experience in studying with foreign marketeers and compared to them Sri Lankan marketeers are very much creative and advanced. Their knowledge of marketing and the capability of understanding the consumers are high Russel's (Pvt) Limited Head of Marketing and Public Relations Executive, Tania Foenander said.

Excerpts of her interview the Daily News

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

A: I selected the field of marketing after sitting for the Ordinary Level Examination and I started my career as a marketing executive at Russel's. What inspired me most to select marketing was that it was very challenging and interesting everyday.

I went abroad for further studies as the Chairman of the company gave me immense support to pursue my studies and I re-joined the company as the Head of Marketing and Public Relations Officer. I am quite content for selecting marketing as my career and for what I am today.

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

A: One of the major challenges is that there are many responsibilities and when it comes to make a decision it has direct impact on the company.

When we do promotions or a product development it should be timely and the correct customer base should be addressed. Another challenge is that to sustain in the market.

To remain in the market is also not an easy task with the high competition. Maintaining the quality and the standards of the products and services is another huge challenge since it is vital to have the customer satisfactory for the offered products and services.

Q: What was the impact of the economic downturn on your organization?

A: The impact of the global economic meltdown was minimal since we did all our usual work. We conducted different programs in improving our catering service and we also diverted to another stream of business commencing a reception hall. So during this period we did many researches for new markets and products.

Although there was a slight impact on the tea business the company overcame the difficulty outstandingly and none of the employees lost their jobs.

The company also paid the regular standard additional benefits to the employees.

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

A: Still there is some truth in it. But in our company we have a close relationship with the board members and we have meetings in each department and in the end of the day there is a meeting with the Chairman and our ideas and plans are shared among the board members although we are not represented at boardroom meetings.

I think the representations of marketeers in the boardrooms are necessary since they have a closer exposure to the customers.

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

A: The company has many promotion campaigns such as street promotions and sample promotions.

We also distribute brochures to make the public aware about the products and services. We maintain fine combination of media as the medium when it comes to advertising as the target customers should be addressed.

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

A: I think the companies who wish to expand into the international market, should build a good reputation in the local market.

If a company has a better market share in the local market it is easy to approach the international market. Another challenge is that to enter into the global arena the company has to invest a huge sum of money and there is a definite risk of remaining in the global arena since you have to compete with the reputed industries in the world.

Q: What can you say about the local marketeers?

A: Sri Lankan marketeers are comparatively much better than the marketeers in the other countries. I have experience in studying with foreign marketeers and compared to them Sri Lankan marketeers are very much creative and advanced.

Their knowledge of marketing and the capability of understanding the consumers are high. I am proud of the local marketeers.