Saturday Nov 30, 2024
Saturday Nov 30, 2024
Thursday, 27 June 2013 01:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Held at the Postgraduate Institute of Management, Prof. Zavier who was the keynote speaker at the public lecture titled ‘Discovering new trends in marketing’ emphasised that unlike in the past, today the traditional role of marketing has changed from ‘competition to complementor.’
He emphasised that for any business to succeed, one needs to love their job wholeheartedly and this makes a vast difference when it comes to achieving targets.
“Don’t compare yourself with others, when you compare, you will fail, but instead destroy your competition as he is very likely to be a traditional thinker,” he said.
Prof. Zavier emphasised that as businesses focus more on ensuring their customers kept returning it’s important to introduce a programme such as a loyalty card scheme, which is practiced across all sectors from salons to supermarkets to department stores.
“IPhone and Samsung sell more cameras because they focus on the customers’ needs, by providing them various complimentary facilities, which attracts many buyers,” he added.
“But the most important factor is to build a strong relationship between the buyer and seller, if a seller ignores his buyer’s needs, which includes after sales service, then chances are high that the buyer will not return,” Prof. Zavier warned, while also stressing that businesses should also adopt various proactive marketing strategies if they are to succeed.
His edifying presentation was followed by a panel discussion which included PIM Director Prof. Uditha Liyanage and Chairman of the Institute’s Board of Management and Eardley Perera, who currently serves as a Non-Executive Member on the boards of several public and private companies and is also a Member of the Board of Study at PIM.
Raising a point during the panel discussion, Prof. Liyanage noted that, “marketing is a management strategy where once you get a customer, you keep him and build on your relationship with him which in turn will help your business grow,” he said.
Prof. Liyanage emphasised that technology is changing and the marketing methods also therefore need to change. “Had a marketer done a survey on the requirement of transport before Henry Ford introduced the car “Model T Ford”, people would have said they needed a faster horse instead of a car,” he explained.
Speaking on the pioneering venture by one of the country’s leading e-commerce companies, Kapruka, Perera noted that Kapruka identified a gap in the market and is today a successful venture.
“Not only companies, but even consumers need to have analytical skills,” he noted.
Delivering the welcome address, PIM Alumni President S. G. G. Rajkumar emphasised that the PIM Alumni was formed with the vision of transforming its members to a community of thought leaders that will shape the nation’s socio economic fabric.
“PIM Alumni strives to achieve this by bringing together and developing PIM Alumni through CPD Programmes to forge links with the country’s business and public sector communities through unique public interest programmes,” he said.
The public lecture on new marketing trends was the first event embarked upon, since Rajkumar assumed office recently as the President of PIMA. During his welcome address he also assured the participants of similar programmes in the future targeting their professional development.
“This is the first public lecture for the newly elected PIMA Executive Committee. This is also the first in a series of similar public lectures,” he promised.
