Eminent Jury Panel evaluates Effie entries

The round one and two judging of entries for Effie Awards 2016 has been completed by members of the Jury Panel led by Imal Fonseka, the iconic marketer who is Head of the Jury.  This year, the number of entries received was much higher than in the previous years, making the task harder for the judges. 

The panel entrusted with the daunting task of elimination in first round are; Ahmad Irfan, CEO, Innovation Quotient Ltd., who is also the Head of the panel for round 1; Ravi De Coonghe, Group Head of Marketing and Head of Sales, Prima Ceylon Ltd.; Asanga Jayasuriya, CEO, Asset Radio Broadcasting Ltd.; Chamara Lokupothagamage, Director Marketing, International Cosmetics Ltd.; Crystal Nathan, Strategic Curator, Peppercube Consultants Ltd.; Dhishna Bastiansz, Director, Strategic Planning, Bates Strategic Alliance; Dilshard Ahamed, Senior Creative Director, Phoenix O & M Ltd.; Dusty Alahakoon, Managing Director, Heineken Lanka Ltd.; Sumudu Thanthirigoda, General Manager – Sales and Marketing, ACL Cables Plc; Tharanga Gunasekara, Head of Marketing and Communication, HSBC; and Dr. Travis Perera, Senior Management Consultant and Board Member, Post Graduate Institute of Management. 

The Jury panel for the second and final round  includes Tharaka Ranwala, Senior Deputy General Manager – Consumer Banking, Sampath Bank PLC – the Head of the panel for round 2; David Blacker, Creative Planning Director, J. Walter Thompson Worldwide; Harsha Samaranayake, General Manager, Brand & Media – Group Market, Dialog Axiata PLC; Himalee Madurasinghe, Chief Executive Officer, Lanka Market Research Bureau; Jude Martino, Head of Marketing and Trade Marketing, Reckitt Benckiser (Lanka); Dr. Lakith Peiris, Managing Director, Hemas Hospital and Laboratory Chain; Makshoodh Meerasaibu, Marketing Director – Home Care, Foods, Refreshment and Pureit, Unilever Sri Lanka; Ramani Samarasundera, Marketing Director, Ceylon Pencil Company Ltd.; Dr. Ravi Dissanayake, Senior Lecturer, University of Kelaniya; and Thushara Perera, Group Director Sales and Marketing, Derana TV.  

Effie Awards are recognised by marketing professionals in the world as the global symbol of marketing communication effectiveness. Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) has the franchise to hold the award ceremony in Sri Lanka. This year’s event completes a decade, making it a proud milestone for SLIM.  This year there are over 30 categories with four new categories such as; healthcare services, healthcare OTC products, professional services and travel and tourism.  

Imal Fonseka, Head of the Jury Panel explained: “The jurors have independently evaluated the entries in round one based on the stated criteria. Scores are then tabulated and cutoff points are established.  Entries are shortlisted based on this score. This process is followed in round two as well. Each juror has the freedom to express important observations before scoring is completed.”

SLIM takes pride in raising the bar in the competition in order to ensure that the best marketing communication campaigns are recognised. Another important aspect of the awards is that Global Effie is keeping a close tab on Sri Lanka’s event.