Financial Times

Superbrands forms Sri Lanka Brand Council
Superbrands, the independent authority which promotes the discipline of branding and pays tribute to exceptional brands, recently formed its Sri Lanka Brand Council to commence the evaluation of approximately 650 short listed brands.

The Superbrands programme is being implemented by Superbrands Lanka which was established in October this year as the 51st country to be recognized for Superbrands listing. The programme which began in the UK in 1994 is now being implemented in 55 countries

Head of the Superbrands Sri Lanka Council Eardley Perera, a pioneer in marketing education and a well respected strategic marketing consultant says “a Superbrands rating will offer consumers significant emotional and/or physical advantages over its competitors which (consciously or sub-consciously) consumers want and recognize and are willing to pay a price premium for.”

“We have selected our panel based on the expertise each member has in working with brands in the Sri Lanka market. They are all highly respected individuals coming from business and marketing related backgrounds. Each Council member truly is an unquestionable leader who has a significant standing within the industry and is highly rated by his/her peers.

They are all senior people who have the experience and whose opinions are valued,” he said in a statement issued by the company.
Corporate business heads included in the panel are Singer CEO Hemaka Amarasuriya and Dialog’s Dr Hans Wijesuriya, and those who have established highly successful business enterprises such as, Mahesh Amalean of MAS, Hussain Eusufally of Hemas and Ashroff Omar of Brandix Apparel.

“It was essential that we have brand entrepreneurs as well, who have been involved in building successful brands into a highly successful business. Otara Gunewardene of Odel and Malik Fernando of Dilmah fall into this category of council members,” Perera said. Those representing senior positions in marketing include Unilever’s Amal Cabraal and MAS’s Ravi Fernando.

The specialist disciplines within the industry are covered through Lowe Lintas Chairman, Lilamani Dias Benson and Chairman of Phoenix O&M Irvin Weerackody. The market research representatives include CEO of LMRB Tissa De Alwis and consultant Dr. Harsha De Silva. The highly respected academic/consultant Dr. Uditha Liyanage and a representative from The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Sri Lanka Region make up the rest of the panel.

Perera said they hoped to finalise the entire judging process from which the Superbrands will be invited to join the programme by end January. Superbrands Lanka is a subsidiary company of STING Consultants, Sri Lanka’s leading strategic marketing consulting firm.

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