The PULL Forum with Keith Chamber is a must for marketers

By Shanuka Tissera

25 July is a date to pencil into your diaries. The official announcement of the PULL Forum took place on 18 July at the Galadari Hotel, where the event is scheduled to take place. Sri Lanka is already recognised as a top tourist destination and investment hub, but how can companies do better to gain global recognition?

Thanks to the initiative by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing and after a six-month lengthy interview and screening process, SLIM has decided that Keith Chambers is the man for the job.

“Every problem has a solution, especially in marketing,” says the world renowned expert in marketing. The premier visit of Chambers to Sri Lanka will certainly benefit the marketing fraternity in the country through the PULL Forum.

“Free enterprise is basically war,” another mantra of Chambers, founder and President of The Chambers Group and author of Pull – Marketing Secrets for the Fortune 100. The book gives a detailed insight into tricks of the trade and is proved by his consultations for brands such as Coca Cola, 3M, Del Monte and Hormel to name a few. “If you are among those who don’t believe this, you are likely to become one of its casualties.”

The revolutionary high level marketing consultant says that his best inspiration is the fear of failures. The day seminar will explore how relationships with consumers have changed from developing campaigns and measuring consumer response, to consulting consumers first to define their needs ensuring that they are met in new marketing strategies.

PULL Forum Chairman Charitha Jayasinghe explained the objectives of the forum: “Every problem has a solution, we must uplift the face of professional marketing in Sri Lanka and learn how to add value.” The convention will focus on the ultimate marketing resource, the secrets to success, power of marketing, finding and empowering your brand and reinventing your selling proposition. The panel at the PULL Forum will include Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Chairman Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, Management Development Consultant Deepal Sooriyaarachchi and Maliban Biscuit Sales and Marketing CEO Ravi Jayawardena.

The secrets will be shared with attendees, MCG Global Director Special Project Gehan Atapattu announced. “I call upon the business sector to take part in this forum to help implement better success within your company. We are expecting a turnout of over 400 marketers, this is the right time, right moment. It is relevant to us now as people have been suffering for three decades long and within that time we have been left behind.” There will also be two sessions with two corporate on 26 July for specialist breakdown analysis. Marketing is a global technology by definition and it is time we upgrade the people’s software and minds.

Commentong on whether the Sri Lankan people are ready to accept changes, Atapattu said: “There is change to resistance everywhere; people must accept changes and realign themselves accordingly. These are just some of the tools needed for sustainable growth and if we are learning from what some of the biggest brands in the world have understood, then companies can do very well.”

The Platinum sponsor for the PULL Forum is SLT, which  is assisting SLIM in building up the skills of the marketing fraternity. Together with Chambers, the exemplary persona who has assisted a number of goods and service providers in formulating their marketing approach and other panellists, they are now ready to share their secrets of success.  A Chambers lesson: “When you go to a supermarket to buy a product, it does not have the benefits of it all over the packaging. In sales, don’t talk about the characteristics of your product, you need to give the benefits. This forum will be appropriate for anyone selling anything.”