SLIM adds SMEs for 10th Brand Excellence Awards

By Devin Jayasundera

The SLIM Brand Excellence Awards launched by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM), the pioneering marketing body of Sri Lanka, is to be held for the 10th time at the Waters Edge on 18 October 2011. The deadline for the entries for this awards programme is Monday 5 September 2011. Online entries close on 2nd September.

Innovative Brand of the Year, Turnaround Brand of the Year, New entrant of the Year, Export Brand of the Year, International Brand of the Year and CSR Brand of the year will also be awarded at the ceremony. There will be additional criteria in respect to each of these awards. Prof. Uditha Liyanage outlining an example of the additional criteria said that for CSR brand of the year the judges will have keen interest on strategic CSR not just corporate philanthropy. It should answer on how the CSR project benefits the brand and how it relates to the company’s brand process.

This year’s SLIM Brand Excellence awards will include awards for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME). The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will collaborate with SLIM in encouraging and promoting the participation of SME in the event.

Advisor to the Brand Excellence Project Committee Prof. Uditha Liyanage speaking at the event highlighted the national significance and the Global attitude towards branding. “The division between the first world and the second and third worlds is now a question of brands. The first world increasingly owns and designs brands. Second and third worlds source and manufacture brands.



If you want to progress as a nation it is extremely important that we develop our own brands, said the Professor.”

Prof. Liyanage who has been involved in the design and development criteria for the last 6 years commenting on this year’s awards programme said that corporates should not intend to “bolt on branding”.  Bolt on Branding is when companies produce products and they would depend on advertising agencies and PR agencies saying that here is a product now develop a brand for it. This process is flawed. He stressed the need for companies to adopt the process of built-in branding.

In the awards criteria consists of 100 marks and this is divided to two broad categories. Brand Performance, which is what brands have achieved; and Brand Process, what brands have done. In respect of Brand Process, judges will look into three areas, which are brand intent, brand content and brand process. Liyanage also highlighted the question “What would your consumers miss if your brand did not exist?” in the sub category of Brand intent where companies should be able to respond in the selection process. This question compels companies to look at the real value that would be offered to the consumer stated Liyanage. In Brand content there are areas of brand value, brand reflection and brand personality, which relate to the question of what constitutes a brand. Brand-process on the other hand as an example should address the question of how companies manage the marketing mix to the brand.

Liyange advised companies that when applying for the awards they should try to establish a connection of what companies did and as a result and what companies achieved. He noted that this connection is something that Judges will look at in particular.

Highlighting the importance of companies to participate in the SLIM Brand Excellence awards Chairman of the project Karthik Elangovan stated the awards have grown and proved the ideal platform for marketers to shine for all the efforts put in and strategies thought through.

“SLIM Brand Excellence recognises the work of Brand builders to build brands. This recognition gives Brand builders the motivation of acknowledgment and the process of applying for brand excellence awards itself sharpens the thinking of Brand builders which would enhance them with a new dimension for the future said Marketing Director for Home Care and Foods, Unilever Sri Lanka, and Chairman of the panel of judges Asanga Ranasinghe.

The participants’ briefing session will be held on Friday 10 August from 5.30 p.m. at Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel.