SLIM holds open day for Diploma in Brand Management

Friday, 20 June 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The open day of the Diploma in Brand Management (DBM), the first and only qualification in Sri Lanka for branding, was organised by Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) recently ahead of its fifth intake.

A large number of marketers and non-marketers with an interest in the field of branding attended the open day held at SLIM Business School in Colombo. The participants were given important information about DBM, the benefits of studying with SLIM and the importance of branding in the fast evolving world of Marketing by the academic staff of SLIM. Commenting on the occasion, SLIM President Kalana stated: “The power of global brands transcends geographical barriers. These brands are valued at billions of dollars and enjoy the unwavering loyalty of their consumers. I wish the students of DBM all success and hope that they will one day contribute towards the creation of such global brands in Sri Lanka.” Seylan Bank DGM and a Past President of SLIM Tilan Wijeyesekera attended as the Chief Guest of the event. Wijeyesekera is a dynamic professional with vast experience in leading local and multinational organisations in diverse industries such as FMCG, banking, insurance, education and financial consultancy. He has held key positions in the fields of strategic planning, business / brand management, CSR, value chain management, corporate affairs, project management and sales. In his lecture at the event he talked about Branding which is about harnessing, generating, influencing and controlling the associations and perceptions in people’s minds of a certain brand in order to help that brand perform better. Brands under his leadership have received several brand excellence, brand icons and business excellence awards over the years and he firmly believes that branding is going to assume even more prominence in the future on the world stage. Therefore he said it is heartening to see such an interest in this field locally. SLIM Vice President Ruwan Liyanagamage said: “The fact that a prestigious institution such as SLIM is offering a comprehensive diploma in Branding will certainly benefit the local marketing fraternity and the corporate world, which can utilize professional branding advice from marketers.” SLIM CEO/Executive Director Sanath Senanayake noted: “This is the only qualification in Sri Lanka for branding and the practicality and international quality of the course ensures that students are provided with the most relevant and up to date education. This is in addition to the recognition and acceptance associated with any diploma offered bythe national body for marketing.” SLIM Assistant Secretary Charitha Jayasinghe warmly welcomed the students explaining the importance of learning brand management while SLIM Senior Lecturer Leroy Ebert clarified the curriculum and the diploma structure and Manager Business Development Division Mihirinie Fonseka were also present at the event. The DBM is a unique program of study which offers prospective students and practitioners of branding an opportunity to learn and apply sound conceptual learning to their business situations. It is a 12 month part time program which will give students brand marketing competencies from multiple dimensions.