“Marketers need to focus on the strategic aspects of marketing, thereby contributing towards value creation of organizations rather than pondering on the tactical aspects of marketing. It is a common misconception that marketing is synonymous with marketing communication, hence being classified as an optional business function. Consequently, marketing is still not on the business agenda and not being properly represented on the board; customers still do not receive the service they deserve and organisations are still not as profitable as they should be.”, said Mr. Paul Gostick, Chairman of The Chartered Institute of Marketing, International Board of Trustees at the CEOs’ Breakfast Forum organized by The Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Region, held recently at Hotel Galadari. This was the fourth time that The Institute had invited Mr. Paul Gostick for the annual CEO’s Breakfast Forum as the Chief Guest.

Mr. Gostick said that according to The Conference Board Annual CEO Survey, customer loyalty and retention is ranked at the top of management priorities while downward pressure on prices and differentiation/Branding have been identified as the top market place issues, bringing marketing to the forefront of the Board’s agenda. Therefore, he emphasized on the representation of marketing at board level and the significant role of Marketing Director.

Quoting from “Marketing As strategy” by Kumar, Mr. Gostick said that organizations should draw away their focus from the traditional 4 Ps and concentrate more on the 3Vs i.e., valued customers, value proposition and value network, which gives an insight into how marketing can be incorporated into their business models in the creation of value to the customer.

Taking the mobile phone industry as an example of the role of marketing at the strategic management level, Mr. Gostick illustrated how the mobile phone industry has been evolved during the last decade: the industry was able to correctly identify customer requirements and the potential of the technology, thereby making a turnaround in the industry.

Mr. Gostick added that it was a pleasure to see many marketers amongst the audience who were heading companies as CEOs and Directors which reflected how far professional marketing had been embraced in Sri Lanka. As he complimented The Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Region for its contribution therein, Mr. Gostick announced that The Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Region had won The Best Managed Region Award for the 3rd consecutive year, amongst all CIM International and UK Regions, which was indeed a reason for the country to be proud of.

Mr. Roshan Lyman, Head of Trade and Politics of The European Commission made an address on the “Role of Corporate Entities in a Developing Economy”, representing the invited Guest of Honor to this year’s CEOs’ Breakfast Forum, Mr. Julian Wilson, Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Sri Lanka.

Mr. Lyamn revealed that opportunities for business ventures have been opened in the Eastern Province following the establishment of government control in the area and added that the corporate sector could contribute towards the development of the Eastern Province by expanding their businesses to the area. He made a note of the importance of the participation of locals in the development process, which is essential for instilling a sense of ownership within them in the development of the area. He also emphasized that the government should take the necessary initiatives to create a conducive environment for business and organizations too should lobby collectively and have a dialogue with the government in order to win better terms for their respective industries.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Region organizes the CEOs’ Breakfast Forum annually in order to the promote networking and fellowship amongst the senior members of The Institute and the corporates. Nearly fifty CEOs, representing some of the leading companies in the country were present at the event, which is positioned as an apex event in The Institute’s calendar. For the second consecutive year, the CEOs’ Breakfast Forum was sponsored exclusively by Asian Alliance Insurance. The Institute intends to increase the frequency of such programmes in the future, as a part of its strategic intent to enhance benefits to its members and the business community.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing is the world’s largest and most prestigious professional body for marketing and The Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Region is the fastest growing CIM body, with nearly 1000 members and 3000 student members.