Decade of digital marketing excellence

230 Interactive CEO Sanjay Mendis says Sri Lanka can up the ante on digital engagement

By Darshana Abayasingha

Celebrating a decade of existence in sphere of digital strategy, design, business and marketing, 230 Interactive, looks at artificial intelligence and big data for the next spurt of growth and advancements. 

Speaking to The Daily FT on the occasion of its anniversary, 230 Interactive Co-Founder and CEO Sanjay Mendis said a properly planned Artificial Intelligence system can boost bottom lines of companies by much as 20%, adding that his company hopes to be at the forefront in the provision of such groundbreaking technologies alongside the major players, which could even prove a game-changer for low-end start-ups. 

Since its inception in 2007, 230 Interactive is now international serving clients in Australia, plus, a development centre in India. Through its association with clients such as Life Saving Victoria, 230 Interactive is exposed to a number of high-end projects and programs in Australia, where Virtual Reality is opening new vistas in the spheres of education and many more, and Mendis hopes some of these applications could be replicated here at home as Sri Lankans are ready for it. 

“I think the Sri Lankan public is tech very savvy. Look at revolution created by PickMe.., plus, smartphone usage is very high here, and its reach is represented by the Sinhala meme market which is huge! But we tend to think that digital is more upmarket, but it is not… With smartphones costing less than Rs. 10,000 now it is open to everyone. Also, for many people social media is just facebook, they haven’t thought of other applications such as Viber; where Sri Lankans are amongst the top five Viber users in the world. So, Sri Lankans are tech savvy, but are we catering to them and are we doing enough to engage them? For most companies in Sri Lanka, digital is less than 10% of its marketing budget they think it’s a cheap medium, but if you look at international companies these can run into millions of dollars. That is the mismatch I see. Most local brands have gotten into it, but not understood where it can go.” Mendis avers. 

Elaborating further, Mendis remarks that the Sri Lankan social media marketing scene is still “very fragmented”. He points at some companies who will simply place a banner advertisement on a site and term it social media marketing, and adds that the traditional brand strategies and KPIs of marketing need to be added in, as they do with television, press or radio advertising. The difference is that it’s instant, trackable and its very fast allowing direct engagement with customers. It is this interaction and engagement via online which is still lacking locally, he explains.

So, what’s stopping Sri Lankan companies from turning the digital corner? Mendis thinks it is largely due to the cost factor which amounts to thinking, and then the matter of scale. For instance, in India a segment is large as 15 million, whereas in Sri Lanka you are talking to a digital population of 5 million at most. Whilst penetration and accessibility is relatively high per capita, income levels coupled with mass poses a problem, which is one reason international payment gateways are still not here. 

“Tomorrow, you may have entire strategies change because of a new facebook app. This is what makes this digital marketing industry exciting. You can tag ad track everything. Companies can see who is using their product, and you can connect and respond to them through a well-thought-out strategy. Though we are a small community, we can and we have made things happen,” Mendis adds.

230 Interactive has come a long way since its founding by Mendis and Mugunthan Balakrishnan, the latter who now leads the Company’s Australian office. Despite humble beginnings, the company has a strong client base across banking and financial services, hotel, automotive, diversified conglomerates, insurance and real estate sectors, enjoying a retention rate of 95-plus per cent Mendis adds. He calls 230 Interactive a “boutique creative and digital agency” which offers a distinctive touch to everyone it serves. “The business plan must have worked,” he quips, as they have made it past a decade.

“I found an opportunity in the market. A lot of companies had a website, and every two to three years they used to go and repitch for the website because it was old. We said: come with us and we will take care of you for life. Last year we wanted to make our company international, and whilst I was in Australia I met the CEO of LSV who said: I have a very small budget, but would you be able to develop a website? I said yes, because you don’t get a chance like this all the time. One year down the line we are the official technology partner for LSV. All the tech that happens there is now developed here. We have close knit clients; we really give them everything, AI solutions, web, digital marketing, software and if we don’t have the expertise we go and get it from our partners. Our clients have stayed with us; I believe they understand what is needed to succeed in the digital realm. It’s not just about money, it’s about service, excellence and relationships, which is what we offer,” Mendis avers. He attributes the success of 230 Interactive to a young and dedicated team, which “stays young” with competition and the challenges and excitement posed by the digital industry. 

230 Interactive claims to be Sri Lanka’s comprehensive digital agency, existing in “the unique intersection” between technology and design. It is the first agency in the country to win the prestigious W3 award in 2010, 2011 and 2013, excelling in web communications solutions in addition to mobile application development, digital research, system analysis, 360 virtual tours and social media management. The company specializes in using digital mediums help brands unleash their full potential.