Monday Oct 06, 2025
Monday Oct 06, 2025
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Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa (fourth from left) presents the publication to Sampath Bank Senior Manager – Marketing Anjali Goonetilake while Deyo Consultancy CEO and Kotler Impact (Sri Lanka and Maldives) National Representative Denzil Perera (second from right) presents a token to Sampath Bank Senior Deputy General Manager – Marketing and Life Lead Operations Tharaka Ranwala. Open University of Sri Lanka Prof. Nalin Abeysekara (second from left) and Sampath Bank Brand Manager Janaka Sooriyaarachchi look on
The first-ever Sri Lanka edition of Essentials of Modern Marketing by Prof. Philip Kotler, developed in cooperation with Kotler Impact Inc. and Deyo Consultancy and Advisory, was officially launched at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo recently.
Sampath Bank is the only bank featured as a case study in this landmark publication, a distinction that celebrates the Bank’s commitment to harnessing innovation to address real human challenges while shaping the future of banking in Sri Lanka.
The case study spotlights Sampath Bank’s pioneering Touchless Cash Withdrawals, the first such service in Sri Lanka and among similar innovations in Asia, introduced at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Designed to minimise physical contact at ATMs, the service enabled customers to withdraw cash using a QR code generated on the Bank’s WePay mobile app, eliminating the need to touch the machine. Initially offered to its own customers, the Bank later extended the service to users of other banks, reflecting its ethos of inclusivity and collective responsibility.
Sampath Bank Senior Deputy General Manager – Marketing and Life Lead Operations Tharaka Ranwala said: “Marketing isn’t just about what you do but about what you do for people. At Sampath Bank, we believe that is where true marketing lives, in the space where we solve problems within our society, and in turn, those solutions drive our business to greater heights. Being featured in a publication that has shaped modern marketing thinking across the world affirms our unwavering commitment to innovation with purpose, and inspires us to keep creating experiences that transform lives.”
Its inclusion in Kotler’s Essentials of Modern Marketing reflects how the initiative reshaped industry behaviour and consumer expectations well beyond the pandemic. Pioneering touchless withdrawals accelerated the adoption of contactless technologies in Sri Lanka’s banking sector, setting new benchmarks for safety, accessibility, and digital trust. The service’s rapid uptake demonstrated how empathetic innovation can deepen customer loyalty and drive market differentiation, turning a health-driven necessity into a sustained competitive advantage.
