SLIM Brand Excellence 2010

Stage set to recognize brands that made the mark:

The Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) is all set to launch its flagship project Brand Excellence this year to reward outstanding brands and brand custodians.

Following the great success of last year, Brand Excellence project team is in the process of strategizing the ways of taking SLIM Brand Excellence to the next level.

The new project chairman of Brand excellence 2010 Upul Adikari Ceylinco Life Brand Manager said his team is ready to give a new experience to the brand custodians; “This year we are planning to introduce several value additions to the Brand Excellence project. In order to assist brand custodians in applying for this program, we are planning to hold a Brand Excellence workshop after the press conference and the usual participants brief.

The categories and the criterion will remain the same. But we are planning to include a section to the entry form requesting brand custodians to better explain the market they operate. This will give all participants a common ground irrespective of the size and provide additional information for judges in assessing brand performance.”

Adikari said that “Brand excellence is not merely an awards show which evaluates and recognizes brands within a given period. The criterion which we use to evaluate these brands is a well defined process which any brand custodian may follow in their brand planning process.

By evaluating a brand against this process, any brand manager will be able to understand where his/her brand stands and which areas to improve.

Postgraduate institute of Management PIM Director Dr. Uditha Liyanage has been the mentor and the advisor to the committee since 2007 and would continue this year too. Renowned marketeer Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC MD/CEO Kishu Gomes will be the head of the judging panel this year, with his team comprising of eminent personalities representing different marketing and business disciplines.

The Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing President Rohan Somawansa said; “Brand Excellence 2009 identified and introduced the creative and innovative element “BE” in to the whole process of Brand Excellence (BE).

BE 2009 recognized and encouraged brands that wanted to ‘BE’ in the market by being trend setters and did not fear competition since these brands create benchmarks.”

The new committee is planning to further enhance and build equity around the BE element via this year’s launch campaigns. Launch of the BE 2010, the new campaign and the opening of entries will take place at the press conference scheduled to be held on July 08, 2010 at Cinnammon Lakeside.

The SLIM Brand Excellence Project Committee comprises, Ceylinco Life, Brand Manager, Upul Adikari - Project Chairman, Etisalat (Pvt) Ltd. Marketing Manager, Gamika De Silva - Immediate Past Project Chairman, Fairway Condominiums (Pvt) Ltd, Director, Neluka De Alwis, E - W Information Systems Limited, Corporate Brand Management, Thilanka Abeywardena, Janashakthi Insurance PLC, General Sales Manager, Thimira Manamendra, Unilever Sri Lanka Ltd, Assistant Brand Manager. Janmesh Antony, Unilever Sri Lanka Ltd, Assistant Brand Manager, Mihira Kulatunga, Etisalat (Pvt) Ltd, Senior Brand Executive, Hiruni Mendis, Reckitts Benkieser, Senior Brand Manager, Ahamed Aroos, Pership Group, Assistant Sales Manager, Chalana M. Francis, NTB, Merchant Relationship. Assistant Manager Thiyangie De Mel, SLIM, Operations Manager, Jehan Sheriff, Etisalat (Pvt) Ltd, Brand Executive, Ruwan Gamage, LOWE LDB, Assistant Account Manager, Ahmed T. Hassan, SLIM Programs and Operations Co-ordinator, Hashini Atapattu and SLIM, Operations Executive, Sachini Sumanarathne.