“This year’s SLIM Brand Excellence marks key milestone in brand excellence history”

With the SLIM Brand Excellence Awards in full swing, the event’s Project Chairman, an engineer-turned-marketer, Lakshitha Wijesinghe was delighted to share his views and the outcome of the program thus far. Following are excerpts:

Q: What kind of response have you received from the industry for Brand Excellence this year?

A: The purpose of this program is to recognise and reward the excellence of the brand custodians in the marketing fraternity. This was well acknowledged by the fraternity this year too. 

Moreover, this year we received the highest number of entry applications in Brand Excellence history. This marks the intense interest shared by the marketing industry, towards the award, and the trust they have placed in the process of the program. Over the past 15 years, the program has built enormous credibility with regard to its process. 

The inquiries and feedback that we receive from the panel of judges and key personnel in the industry suggests the anticipation with which they all await this award. 

Q: How has the progress been so far?

A: We have had a very smooth and successful journey so far. Recently, we completed the second round of judging as well. The final award ceremony, which is the pinnacle of our journey, is to take place on 8 November at BMICH from 6 p.m. onwards. 

Q: What was the purpose behind the selection of this year’s theme ‘Excellence is an Obsession’?

A: We wanted to convey that this award is not for those who are just good at branding. This is for the best of the best. This is for those who excel.

I believe that one should be obsessed with excellence in their brand to achieve the status of a ‘Brand Excellence Award Winner’. The purpose of this award is to recognise and reward the obsession of those brand custodians who have accomplished this feat. Their consequent obsession with winning a Brand Excellence Award will prove to be inevitable. 

Thus, the theme for this year: ‘Excellence is an obsession’.

Q: As project chairman what is your course of action in order to make this year’s event different from those of the previous years?

A: This year is the 15th year of Brand Excellence, a key milestone for the award. The fruitfulness of the award is evident in the years during which it has stood the test of time. The key difference that we achieved this year was to make the award our central focus, and to make it the hero of our campaign, a sentiment we will carry through to the award ceremony as well. 

Q: What post-event results do you hope to see in the aftermath following SLIM Brand Excellence? 

A: Irrespective of whether one wins or not, all participants go through a well-structured evaluation process in applying for this award. This provides a great learning platform for all the participants. I’m sure that they will apply what they learn in their respective areas of work in order to improve their brands further and contribute to the national economy. 

With a highly qualified judging panel and a sound selection process, it is guaranteed that no endeavours but the best will be awarded. The winners should not stop there, but should try to improve their brands further, in order to maintain the position that they have achieved. Maintaining your excellence is the most difficult part. 

For those who couldn’t apply this year, I want them to be encouraged to test their obsession for their excellence by participating in this process next year.