Etisalat bags Silver for ‘Best New Entrant’

Displaying exemplary performance at the recently concluded SLIM Brand Excellence Awards 2012, Etisalat bagged silver for the ‘Best New Entrant’ award through its hallmark product, ‘Really, Really Fast Internet’. Etisalat was also the only telecom operator to win an award at this year’s event.

The category for ‘Best New Entrant’ is awarded to innovative and high-performing brands that have been in the market for less than three years. Within a year of launching 3G, Etisalat has not only achieved status as the fastest network, but is also the fastest growing amongst competition in the broadband category.

Etisalat mobile broadband has depicted remarkable results within a short period of time by acquiring a higher share of the market by June 2012 and further being established to having the highest monthly new customer acquisition share.

Etisalat mobile broadband was identified as a strong business case, having assessed the needs of the market for local language content and secure internet space. Overcoming many barriers in the growth of the mobile broadband market in Sri Lanka, today Etisalat has ventured into all areas and segments of broadband servicing. Well recalled by consumers, ‘Really, Really fast internet’ continues to thrive on innovation, a key factor for both smart phones and big screen segments.

Commenting on the occasion Senior Manager Marketing of Etisalat Lanka, Gamika De Silva said: “We are humbled yet honored that we have achieved yet another milestone in broadband. With our fast-safe-meaningful brand strategy, we have penetrated untapped markets whilst successfully capturing existing internet users with dual carrier HSPA+ internet service offerings as a first in the South Asian region. Initiatives such as web-patashala, Book-Hub, NetNanny and symantec bear testament to our commitment and continuous efforts to lead Sri Lanka towards a nation that will explore the limitless possibilities of the internet.”

Criteria for the selection of ‘Best New Entrant’ were based on factors such as brand intent, brand content, identification of market opportunities, objectives and the strategy in the marketplace. Other imperative criteria include the performance of the organization in terms of value, volume, consumer indexes, retail indexes and awareness. The category for best new entrant also reveals brands that reflect excellent growth and strong brand propositions.

The SLIM Brand Excellence Awards benchmarks best practices in brand marketing and helps to distinguish business organisations making significant contribution towards the corporate arena, through exemplary business practices. A team of best professionals have premeditated on the criteria for the marking scheme, judging and other details critical to the excellence of the event.

The awards ceremony celebrates brand excellence at a national level and annually recognises and rewards the motivation, dedication, and hard work of great marketers in crafting successful brands. Since its docile beginnings the awards have grown to recognise Sri Lanka’s top class businesses in Sri Lanka.