Page 3 - Al-Rashed Newsletter March 2020

TÊTE-A-TÊTE

MR. ASHOK KUMAR - SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER

1) How did you get affiliated to Marketing of Shipping Industry?

I was working with Godrej in India when I came to Kuwait for a month. It so happened that one telephone call and

subsequent meetings with Mr. Ravi and Mr. Pradeep changed my carrier and got me into the shipping industry,
for which I am always thankful to them.

2) What is an innovative new marketing strategy that you'd like to implement that you haven’t?
Marketing strategy always changes as per the changes in the market situation. Shipping is an incredibly
traditional industry (some might say old school), that is built and developed on personal relationships. Brands
within the sector need to reflect and develop those traditions within their marketing and most importantly
throughout our experiences that shows we have one foot in the future with the other in the past. In this way, Al-
Rashed Int’l Shipping has come a long way and we have used this strategy to great success and still more can
be done with the changing situations.

3) From your experience what you think is an essential elements of a marketing?
Price, Product, Promotion and Place. However, nowadays, this increasingly includes several other Ps like
Packaging, Positioning, People and even Politics as vital mix elements

4) What’s your view on digital marketing?
Digital marketing is already a great success and will be the future. Shipping is certainly a complex industry -
made up of a huge number of suppliers in different parts of the supply chain. Digital experiences could be used to
bring complex processes to life - for example an interactive website can make the life much easier for customer
looking for their logistics solutions. The likes of Amazon is moving into the space to own the whole logistics
chain.

5) There is a misconception that marketing and sales are same concept, how do you differentiate?
Simply put, marketing is any business action that creates interest or gathers knowledge about a potential buyer
or customer. Marketing starts with identifying the needs of the customer and catering the product
or service to their needs Sales start with the product or service and is a function of marketing.
Sales job is to “sell what’s in stock”. The company has specific products or services and—and it's up to sales to
sell those things.

6) In your day to day business, what inspires you the most?
Well, I am always inspired by the challenge of meeting deadlines, targets/goals and working as a team to
achieve the set objectives.

7) What you do to unwind?
Music, reading and watching movies and of course sports.

8) One aspect of marketing that you think can be done differently and one thing that you really admire
about Al Rashed?
As I mentioned, there is nothing fixed in marketing – you always will have to do things differently, according to the
changing market situation, to survive in the market. Al-Rashed definitely has a great brand image not only locally,
but globally – this was built on the hardwork of it’s employees and the management over a period of time.

9) An advice to young buds who are interested to pursue their career in
Marketing?
Marketing is an excellent carrier for anyone if you have good communication
skills and likes to meet people and present yourself positively. This is a very
challenging and exciting job with greater career prospects, if you apply
yourself to the tasks involved.

-Interviewed by: Naseema Khan