AAI bags award for ‘Social Marketing’ at Global Awards for Brand Excellence

Asian Alliance Insurance PLC was adjudged a winner in the category of ‘Best Social Marketing Campaign 2011’ at the Global Awards for Brand Excellence, in recognition of its contribution towards the community through strategic CSR projects carried out by the company.

Asian Alliance AGM Marketing Nadi Dharmasiri (centre) accepting the award from Dr. Alok Bharadwaj, Chairman of World Brand Congress (Sr. Vice President – Canon India) and Rajita Chaudhuri, Dean (Centre for Graduate Studies), IIPM & Director, Planman Consulting

The Global Awards for Brand Excellence 2011 was held at Hotel Taj Lands End, Mumbai on 25 November 2011. Alpha One, Amritsar & Ahmedabad, Inorbit Malls (India) Pvt. Ltd., Expolanka Holdings PLC were the other companies awarded together with AAI under this category.

Asian Alliance Insurance believes that the responsibility of a corporate entity is to its stakeholders, defined as an entity influenced, either directly or indirectly, by the actions of the firm.  AAI’s CSR policy is built into the company’s business model, and ensures active compliance with the spirit of the law, ethical standards and international norms.  

AAI places a steadfast and abiding value in nurturing and developing the next generation in order to foster professionalism. Under their flagship CSR project themed ‘Contributing towards Moulding Future Professionals,’ the company has taken many steps to recognise and honour the talents of school children.

With the country’s free education system already burdened with numerous expenses for primary needs, AAI’s partnership with schools around the country provides those schools an encouragement to recognise excellence. AAI’s role is to assist the schools in presenting accolades to deserving, high achieving students, honouring their achievements.

Other initiatives under this theme included the project organised by the Sports Club of Asian Alliance Insurance and the staff members to uplift the standards of two underprivileged schools in Kalutara and Kurunegala Districts.

Palapitiyagoda Kusalagnana Kanishta Vidyalaya, Kalutara and Kuda Kowana Kanishta Vidyalaya, Kurunegala were selected for this project. Funds and provisions were collected from the employees of AAI by the AAI Sports Club. Students in both the schools were presented with stationery and books.

Further, AAI took the initiative to donate a computer to Palapitiyagoda Kusalagnana Kanishta Vidyalaya, Kalutara opening the path for the new technology for students. As a long-term initiative, AAI extended their contribution by developing the infrastructure facilities in the two schools such as renovating the main hall, providing provision for electricity and renovating the toilet facilities for the teachers and the students.

As an extension to the efforts of fostering the young professionals, AAI partnered the Young Entrepreneurs of Sri Lanka (YESL) which focused on grooming and educating children on business, economics and entrepreneurship. Musaeus College and Ananda College, Colombo was fostered by AAI.

Extending its wings towards improving the standards of National Health Care Sector, Asian Alliance Insurance tied up with the Colombo South Teaching Hospital (CSTH) in their efforts to uplift the service standards by merging modern management techniques with the already advanced capabilities of the medical profession.

The ‘Productivity and Quality Improvement Programme’ is scheduled for a period of two years and was launched in January 2010 with the Colombo South Teaching Hospital (CSTH), Kalubowila. The aim of this programme was to provide a facelift to the hospital focusing on the building blocks of the system; namely service delivery, human resources, infrastructure, medical technology, health financing and stewardship. The highly lauded 5-S system was introduced, as well as training and development of hospital staff in best practices and customer service.  

Under the company’s CSR umbrella which is spread across diverse aspects in the community AAI extended its support towards the Talking Point programme organised by The CIM Sri Lanka Region, Symphony Orchestra concert organised by the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka and the White Cane Day celebrations organised by the Welfare Society of Visually Handicapped, Seeduwa.

“We have already rolled out our plans for 2012, to continue our efforts towards the society as a responsible corporate citizen. In future the company intends to carry out CSR initiatives which will encapsulate the environment protection aspect as well. We firmly believe that all our CSR endeavours have sustainability ingrained as one of its key facets that will seamlessly continue in the years to come. Awards of this nature not only endorse our efforts but also motivates us to further improve our social marketing policy,” stated Nadi Dharmasiri, Assistant General Manager – Marketing of AAI.  

Commenting on the award Ramal Jasinghe, Director/CEO of Asian Alliance Insurance stated: “AAI is proud of this achievement and believe that the award is a result of the strategic approach to our CSR activities due to the bond we share with our stakeholders and the community at large.”

Asian Alliance Insurance PLC was acquired by the Softlogic Holdings recently which has further strengthened the stability of the company. Softlogic is one of the leading, dynamic organisations in Sri Lanka today, having expanded and diversified into the growth sectors of retail, healthcare, ICT, automobiles, travel & leisure and finance, holding authorised distributorships for some key global brand names.

Softlogic today employs over 5,000 people within its offices located in Sri Lanka, Singapore and Australia. AAI believes that this will enable the company to reap the benefits of the changes and demands of the local insurance market by creating synergies with the group companies.