Greetings to Professor Kotler on 94th birthday from Sri Lankan marketers

Marketing Guru Professor Philip Kotler

Professor Philip Kotler’s Country Representative and Deyo Consultancy Managing Director Denzil Perera

Open University of Sri Lanka Vice Chancellor Senior Professor P.M.C. Thilakarathne

Open University of Sri Lanka Faculty of Management Studies Dean S.A.D. Senanayake

University of Sri Jayewardenepura Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce Dean Prof. Dushan Jayawickrama

Postgraduate Institute of Management Director Dr. Asanga Ranasinghe

Management Consultant Dr. Samantha Rathnayake

Professor Nalin Abeysekera

• National Marketing Day Conference 2025 concludes successfully 

On 27 May, marketing guru Professor Philip Kotler celebrated his 94th birthday, honoured by Sri Lankan marketers and marketing undergraduates. This year, for the second time, Sri Lanka arranged a special felicitation for Professor Kotler on his birthday, following the first online felicitation that was held by announcing a National Marketing Day in the year 2022. Professor Kotler connected online in real-time with the conference so that the audience could connect with him and wish him a happy birthday.

The National Marketing Day Conference’s theme was to mould Sri Lanka’s future marketing professionals. To guarantee that the attendees gained the most knowledge possible from their sessions, speakers from a variety of industries talked at the event. After the first National Marketing Day was held in 2022 at the invitation of Professor Nalin Abeysekera  and announced by Open University of Sri Lanka Vice Chancellor Senior Professor P.M.C. Thilakarathne, the forum was the second of its type. 

The conference began with Iresha Hettige, the master of ceremonies, asking everyone to stand and observe a one-minute silence in honour of the late Professor Uditha Liyanage and Malini Fonseka, the Queen of Sri Lankan Cinema. 

Professor Abeysekera  welcomed the audience and emphasised the value of educating the SME sector about marketing. Senior Professor Tillakaratne emphasised the organisers’ efforts and expressed gratitude for the involvement of numerous other top academics and business professionals in educating Sri Lanka’s future marketers. 

Postgraduate Institute of Management Director Dr. Asanga Ranasinghe spoke to the audience on the subject of value creation and emphasised the significance of collaborative events in advancing marketing. Other notable speakers at the event included the Open University of Sri Lanka Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies S.A.D. Senanayaka, and University of Sri Jayewardenepura Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce Prof. Dushan Jayawickrama. 

Addressing the gathering, Professor Philip Kotler’s Country Representative Denzil Perera mentioned that he was fortunate to be a part of this felicitation in paying tribute to his all-time marketing hero, Professor Philip Kotler. This was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Samantha Rathnayake, a management consultant, with three panellists: Prof. Abeysekera , Prof. Jayawickrama, and Deyo Consultancy Managing Director and the Country Representative for Professor Kotler in Sri Lanka Denzil Perera. 

Professor Kotler’s virtual appearance on the screen during the conversation caught everyone off guard. Everyone stood up to wish Professor Kotler many, many more happy returns of the day during that particular occasion. After his brief remarks, a tribute video prepared in his honour aired, touching him. 

A series of engaging and insightful speeches formed the heart of the conference’s technical session. Kotler Impact CEO Sadia Kibria delivered a special address on the “Impact of Kotler on Marketing,” setting the tone for a day dedicated to thought leadership. 

Kantar Sri Lanka Director and Country Head Himalee Madurasinghe shared her insights on “How research can shape the future of marketing and branding”. Sarva Colombo Managing Director Chrishantha Jayasinghe explored “Creativity and Advertising in Brand Building,” while Sunquick Lanka Ltd. Managing Director Mangala Perera presented an in-depth case study on the brand Sunquick.

Adding further depth to the proceedings, Derana Deputy Chairman and CEO Laksiri Wickramage spoke on the journey of how Derana became the number one TV channel in Sri Lanka. Liquid Island Ltd. Strategic Head Commercial Chathura Ganegoda discussed the strategic efforts behind launching a premium water brand in Sri Lanka. Sunshine Consumer Lanka Chief Marketing Officer Kavi Rajapaksha presented on how Watawala became a category leader in its segment. Commqube Ltd. and 7 Needle Ltd. CEO Sujith Caldera provided an insightful look into strategic media planning and the current media landscape in Sri Lanka. 

Closing the speaker lineup, IES Ltd. Managing Director and entrepreneur, and corporate trainer Bernadine Jayasinghe inspired the audience with her talk on “The Power of You: Discover, Define, and Design Your Personal Brand”.

The technical session was widely appreciated for bringing together diverse marketing perspectives, covering areas such as advertising, brand management, media strategy, niche marketing, services marketing, and consumer research.

Open University Marketing Department Head Dr. Ishara Lakmali, who was instrumental in setting up the conference with lecturer Tharindu Rathnayaka, gave a vote of appreciation to end the event. Watawala tea, Munchee, and Cinnamon Grand were acknowledged as gift sponsors, while SANASA Life was acknowledged as the event sponsor.