What is next in Modern Marketing?

SLIM presents Professor Philip Kotler live for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka

Colombo – Sri Lanka: World renowned marketing guru, Professor Philip Kotler will make his presence felt in Sri Lanka for the first time by delivering a certified seminar in June 2011, facilitated by Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing, the national body of marketing in Sri Lanka.

Being a responsible body amply demonstrating its aims, SLIM brings Prof. Kotler to Sri Lanka to focus on the importance of marketing in post recession times while discussing the methods of satisfying the appetite of the technology driven new generation - Generation G.

The topics for the two events to be held at Waters Edge, “Value Driven Marketing” for the Knowledge Forum held in the morning and “Increasing Shareholder Value” for the CEO Forum held in the evening cover what is next in modern marketing. SLIM is paving the way for marketers and corporate entities in Sri Lanka to review their marketing strategies and reach consumers effectively with ideas emanating from this certified seminar.

SLIM President Mr. Thushara Perera said, “Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing is honoured to host Professor Kotler for his ground-breaking seminar. This is a milestone event for companies in Sri Lanka; it will create greater opportunities for local growth and prosperity, as there is an excellent opportunity for business leaders and marketing professionals to learn the latest in international marketing best practices in a dynamic and globalized economy.”

The Adviser to the Committee, Mr. Rohan Somawansa added, “Professor Kotler’s work will encourage creative and critical thinking through concepts which are synonymous with SLIM: leadership, education, training and development, profitability, sustainability, returnability, enrichment and advancement.”

Professor Kotler, who designed the concept of value driven marketing in the wake of the disastrous global financial crisis to assist companies rebound, reset growth potential and address the challenges of doing business. His new model of marketing (Marketing 3.0) treats customers as technology savvy, highly motivated members of a community and not just as consumers.

Ruwan Liyanagamage, Project Chairman said, “We are privileged and fortunate to have Prof. Kotler who is known as the ‘Father of Marketing’ visiting Sri Lanka. I believe it is the biggest seminar of its kind to take place in Sri Lanka and will go down as a hallmark event in the history of Sri Lankan marketing. SLIM has organized two events to ensure both the marketing fraternity and CEOs’ will benefit from these sessions. We should all maximize on this opportunity and ascertain new methods of reaching consumers, as it would be one of the many points that would be discussed by Prof. Kotler.”

Kotler Impact’s CEO, Dr Fahim Kibria stated that the seminar would change the marketing approach in the future. “This is a rare opportunity for business owners, corporate leaders and marketing managers to get an insight into the latest in marketing strategies from the acknowledged world authority in this field,” he said.

This one-day certified seminar will cover such topics as dealing with business challenges and opportunities, finding new ideas and improving branding power.

About Professor Philip Kotler: Philip Kotler is the S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA.

Prof. Kotler, has been involved in the research & development of marketing for the past 55 years. He is the author of Marketing Management (Prentice Hall), now in its 13th edition and the most widely used marketing textbook in graduate schools of business around the globe, with more than 20 million copies sold to date. He has authored over 50 other successful books and he has published over 150 articles in leading journals.  He received his Master’s degree at the University of Chicago and PhD at M.I.T., both in economics and has also received 12 honorary PhDs.

He is the only three-time winner of the coveted Alpha Kappa Psi award for the best annual article in the Journal of Marketing. Prof. Kotler has been named among the Top 50 business gurus since 1998. In 2008 and 2009 Prof. Kotler was ranked amongst the top 10 Business Thinkers of the World by The Thinkers 50. See www.thinkers50.com

About Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM): Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) founded in 1970 (then called Ceylon Institute of Marketing) with the view to harnessing the available skills in Marketing for the growth and development of the profession, was subsequently incorporated by Act no 41 of 1980 of the Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. SLIM is a Member of the Asia Marketing Federation (AMF) and thereby the World Marketing Association (WMA).

Photo caption - from left: Rohan Somawansa, Immediate Past President SLIM & the Adviser to the Committee; Dr Fahim Kibria, CEO Kotler Impact; Thushara Perera, SLIM President; Tilan Wijeyesekera SLIM Vice President and Ruwan Liyanagamage, Project Chairman.