A learned professional dedicated to the field of marketing and communications for 15 years now, Suman Shrestha is the Head of Marketing and Communications at The British College, Thapathali.
He holds an MBA degree from Sikkim Manipal University in 2012 and has garnered extensive experiences in recruiting students, marketing and public relation, operations management, rapport building with government departments and ministries along with other development partners nationally as well as internationally. Having worked with International School of Management and Technology (ISMT) as well as AEC Nepal, he was also awarded the ‘Best Secretary General Award’ in 2016.
In an interview with My City’s Sonam Lama, Suman talked about his experiences and challenges in his 15 years of professional journey.
How has your experience in the field of marketing been so far?
Having dedicated 15 years of my life in the field, I feel that I have achieved a lot academically as well as professionally. At the initial phase of my career, I was very much drawn to communications and networking. So I was quite excited to explore the areas of marketing. Prior to entering the field I had limited access to professional people and was unaware of the skills that it comprised.
Marketing is heart of any business
However, having learned and worked under many organizations from the grassroots level, I ultimately gained a deeper understanding of my responsibility and acknowledged the passion for my work.
How has the scope of marketing changed over the decades in Nepal?
We have invited numerous improvements in the field however marketing is yet to fully flourish in Nepal. Since the definition and strategies of marketing have been confined to traditional practice, it is significant to practice the two-way marketing that comprises the equal participation of both the marketer and customer in order for the field to proliferate at its maximum level.
The field of marketing has grown in better terms and has established itself as an indispensible part of Communication and Public Relation. With the growth of multinational and automobile companies with the acknowledged importance of networking via social media the sector has been gaining much priority and gradually thriving in Nepal.
What challenges do you think persist in the field?
The primary factor that challenges the field is the lack of investment, resources and proper training. Advertising and brandishing will not suffice and vouch to bring about the progressive changes but it equally is crucial to maintain the public relation.
The problem here is that we highly focus on the initial phase with the objective to lure customers but hardly pay attention to the rapport building which is even more important to win our customers. Although marketing ethics and laws that have are limited to policy levels should be properly implemented.
What measures can be adopted to boost marketing in Nepal?
I believe the area of marketing needs to be explored in many respects. Having acknowledged the fact that marketing sales contribute to a major part of revenue generation, ample resources and budget should be invested. Advertising and brandishing being the firm grounds of marketing should be prioritized well and experimenting creative ideas of youth can be more of a help.
A proper management system should be operated to mitigate the problems that are frequently emerging to hinder the growth of marketing. The hoarding boards that have been restricted in some areas should be provided with some alternative to not hinder ones policy. Meanwhile, the use of digitaltechnology could also contribute to widen the scope in a long-run.
Any word of advice to our readers?
Be it any area of work or profession, marketing that comprises of communication and networking is an inescapable part of professionalism. Since it shares a common ground with every other station of work, the need for young and enthusiastic marketers is always required. Creative ideas and TV commercials made by youths are quite appreciable and welcomed so I believe an active participation of youth in marketing could bring about effective changes in the field.
