Colombo, 07th September 2021:
The 20th SLIM Brand Excellence Awards Press Conference was held online this year on the 8th of September 2021. As the only awards ceremony that recognizes brands for their performance, it is renowned across the country as a highly prestigious awards ceremony. With the continuous struggles endured during the pandemic, it is a necessity to reward businesses for their perseverance and resilience as they adapt to the new norms of daily life.
It is indisputable that the COVID-19 pandemic had severe impacts on the Sri Lankan economy. However, brands have continued to rise to the numerous challenges and tests of sustainability. The SLIM Brand Excellence Awards is the ideal platform via which to commend these brands for not merely surviving, but thriving during these tumultuous times.
Under SLIM Brand Excellence Awards, five main awards and eight special awards will be given. The five main award categories include Product Brand of the Year, Service Brand of the Year, Global Brand of the Year, Local Brand of the Year and Export Brand of the Year. The special eight awards include, Innovative Brand of the Year, Turnaround Brand of the Year, Best New Entrant of the Year, B2B Brand of the Year, CSR Brand of the Year, Online Brand of the Year, SME Local Brand of the Year and SME Export Brand of the Year. There will be awards awaiting the brands that have persevered towards their goals for this year, whatever they may be. Last, but certainly not least, the most coveted Ultimate Brand of the Year Award awaits a brand that has outshone the others, proving that they have a position of excellence within the Sri Lankan economy.
Speaking of the event, Thilanka Abeywardena, President of SLIM, stated, “For two decades, SLIM Brand Excellence has provided a scientific process to brand building and created a platform for marketers to keep raising the bar, getting well-deserved recognition for their work. I take this opportunity to recognize Professor Liyanage, as the first to outline this process and spearheaded the process that we have continuously developed till the present. Sri Lanka is in a time where we need more and more brands to be created, to help take products and services to the world. We focus too much on raw material exports and white goods but having dedicated brands will continue to put us on the global stage. It will also help us earn much needed FDIs and achieve local market growth. Despite current challenges, Brand Excellence was scheduled for this year to encourage marketers to showcase their best as they strive towards recognition.”
Chinthaka Perera, Vice President of SLIM, added, “It is owing to a great team effort that we were able to continue SLIM brand excellence amidst these challenging times. We had great support from teams, the event committee and SLIM staff to make this year’s virtual event a great success. This year was a challenge and I believe all the brand custodians have done their part to keep their respective brands alive. They have done well, without a doubt.”.
Sanath Senanayake, the CEO of SLIM further conveyed the importance of Brand Excellence saying, “Brand excellence is an attempt to evaluate and impart knowledge in enhancing the brand value proposition, to compete locally as well as raise it to the global level. This is an opportunity for an organization to comprehend the status of its brands. The process of applying itself is training for brand custodians to assess the brand in a more strategic perspective.”
Manthika Ranasinghe, the Project Chairperson of SLIM Brand Excellence 2021, drew attention to his main concern of “increasing the number of organizations that were scheduled to take part in the Brand Excellence Awards as opposed to fewer entries.” He added, “I learnt there are some misconceptions about Brand Excellence, but we will address this through communication to advocate for the corporate sector.”
“In her book, A Paradise Built in Hell, the celebrated nonfiction writer Rebecca Solnit studied impromptu, spontaneous, bottom-up responses to some of the world’s worst natural and man-made disasters and concluded that “A truly dire situation, as tragic as it is, requires we act, and act altruistically, bravely, and with initiative in order to survive.” Unlike any other year, this year will separate professional outfits from cowboys, visionaries from opportunists, and the exceptional from the mediocre. With the Coronavirus pandemic continuing to send shockwaves throughout the business community, marketers from all industries have faced the same question: “How do we respond?”
“While a proactive public response may not be appropriate for most, many brands have seized the opportunity to strengthen connections with their target prospects and build valuable goodwill and loyalty. In a time of so much uncertainty, when daily decisions about personal safety and financial well-being are made, most consumers are reaching for brands they trust. This, is a year like no other, and as we read your submissions, we were surprised by your insight, awed by your initiative, warmed by your response, and impressed with your performance,” commented Imal Fonseka, Head of Jury for SLIM Brand Excellence 2021.
SLIM has committed to working towards a ‘Future-Ready Sri Lanka’ and, as such, has developed a three-pronged strategy. The goals include making SLIM a ‘future ready’ association, formulating initiatives to produce ‘future ready’ marketers and finally, as a national body, working towards a ‘future ready’ society through upskilling, SME empowerment, entrepreneurship and innovation. SLIM serves as a platform that promotes initiatives to encourage strategic and result-oriented thinking in brand development, commending excellence through the SLIM Brand Excellence Awards. By empowering brands to rise to the challenge and explore the extent of their capabilities, SLIM hopes to fulfill their goals of a Future-Ready Sri Lanka..