| What has been your role in the new business efforts of the agency? | |
|---|---|
| hi my name is cara | hi ma |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - Chief Operating Officer | Play a lead role in the new business core team. Identifying opportunities and making connections |
| Charith De Chickera COO Starcom Sri Lanka | Leader of new business team |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - COO | In the new business core team, whcih identifies opportunities, make connections and pursue |
| gfbgf | bfbg |
| As if you were writing to a prospective client, describe the agency in no more than 3 sentences: | |
| hi my name is cara | hi my name |
| Charith De Chickera COO Starcom Sri Lanka | The agency is very flashy / upmarket Won a lot of awards / creative 360 degree communication solutions |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - COO | We deliver creativity that brings results. |
| Stuart Elliott, who writes about agencies for The New York Times, is doing a story about agencies around the world. After spending After spending a day at your offices, and then going back to write the piece.... what would the headline be? | |
| hi my name is cara | hi mfds |
| Charith De Chickera COO Starcom Sri Lanka | Creativity at Play |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - COO | Leo Sri Lanka wins... for....(Brand) and the effectiveness and a regional award |
| What is your background, in terms of agencies, accounts, and client-side experience? | |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - Chief Operating Officer | Been with the agency from its inception. Handled, Telecommunication, Financial sector, Retail and the leisure sector |
| Charith De Chickera COO Starcom Sri Lanka | MAS Financial Controller - 3 years Reckitt Benckiser Head of Business Development - 4 years SriLankan Airlines Head of Brand Development and Service Monitoring - 3 years Starcom Sri Lanka COO - 3 + years Accounts Handled while at Starcom - Telcos, FMCG, Retail, Education, Financial Services, Jewellery |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - COO | Been with the agency from its inception and handled a variety of brands and products from Telco, Banking, Food and Beverage, Retail |
| gfbgf | bfgb |
| Now bring the agency to life. You have certainly been through this exercise, however applying it to your agency agency can be quite revealing in understanding more about your "DNA". If the agency were a car, what kind would it be? What color? Why? | |
| Charith De Chickera COO Starcom Sri Lanka | A Jag Green Upmarket and brash |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - COO | A volvo, known for safety and Olive green. Always goes with heritage, trust and results |
| What agencies do you most admire? Why? | |
| Charith De Chickera COO Starcom Sri Lanka | Triad They seem to win a lot of pitches |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - COO | A local agency - A young team who actively pursues new business and wins awards |
| List the top few agencies that you do/will compete against most often. | |
| Charith De Chickera COO Starcom Sri Lanka | Triad Phoenix JWT |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - COO | McCann, JWT, Triad (Local Agency), Phoenix |
| In the eyes of clients, what do you provide of value, that none of your competitors do? | |
| Charith De Chickera COO Starcom Sri Lanka | Not sure... |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - COO | Integrated communications and having specialists on board |
| Are there any negative perceptions that prospects might have about the agency that could hold you back in new business? | |
| Charith De Chickera COO Starcom Sri Lanka | Aligned to the opposition party A bit too upmarket - not Sri Lankan Not aligned to the Govt |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - COO | Yes being in the top 5 and think costs are high, government connections, not understand local idiom |
| What is one of the most innovative "pitch or RFP tactics" the agency has ever applied in a new business situation? This might include a distinctive questionnaire response or RFP, "presentation theater," dressing of the room, unique video content, innovative research, a special way of engaging/interacting with the client, etc., etc. | |
| Charith De Chickera COO Starcom Sri Lanka | Nothing i can recall. Most presentations were straight forward PPT presentations |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - COO | Sri Lanka Tourist Board. From the strategy, creative, the presenters and farming and selling the idea to the client even before the pitch |
| The following is a list of potential roadblocks that hold you back with your overall new business efforts. On a scale of 1- 10, rate each on how much it is a road block (1 being not a road block, 10 being a significant road block): | |
| Charith De Chickera COO Starcom Sri Lanka | 10 |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - COO | 1 |
| Specifically regarding pitches/RFPs, when you lose, what are typically the top 3 reasons? Consider both the client's expecations and how you compare to your competitive set. (check only 3) | |
| Charith De Chickera COO Starcom Sri Lanka | |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - COO | |
| When you win a pitch, what do you think are typically the top 3 reasons? (check only 3) | |
| Charith De Chickera COO Starcom Sri Lanka | |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - COO | |
| Bottom line, what do you think the agency most has to do to improve at new business? | |
| Charith De Chickera COO Starcom Sri Lanka | Get a dedicated function charged with New Business |
| Chrishani Kotalawela - COO | Dont tell the client what they already know about their business and show something different |