ACI Consumer Goods makes everyday cooking easier without compromising on taste.
You have had a remarkable career in a number of reputed companies. Could you elaborate upon your experience in the marketing sector? What are a few of the key lessons that you believe is necessary to be successful in the field?
I started my career right after I graduated from Institute of Business Administration, the University of Dhaka with my MBA degree in 1976. It was a long journey, and not always an easy one. I’ve had a long and successful career that I had developed on my own. I had to work diligently to reach this position. I joined as a Regional Manager and worked up the ladder to become the Managing Director of the company. However, that every second of this journey has been immensely enjoyable and eventful. Looking back, I see nothing but success in my professional career. My career started with a British pharmaceutical company; it was previously known as May & Baker and is now known as Sanofi Bangladesh Limited. Even when I was working there, I thought it was one of the most innovative and successful companies in generating newer molecules. I was on my way to becoming the Managing Director but I felt as if that was not the right direction for me. The pharmaceutical sector, for me, is a very small arena and pharmaceutical marketing is a different world. I wanted to explore a larger arena in terms of marketing operations. This led me to move to the USA during the early stages of my career.
After staying in the USA for a while, I realized I did not like it there either. It is an ideal premise to start your career. Still, I knew I had to move to the next phase of my career. After coming back to Bangladesh, I joined Jamuna Group as the Group Marketing Director. I introduced 100% halal aromatic soap which created a lot of buzzes. It is considered one of the best marketing success stories in this region and was included in the textbook “Principles of Marketing” authored by Dr. Philip Kotler as a case study.
When I transferred to ACI in 1999, it was a small organization with only two products; I introduced a plethora of products. ACI went from being a small organization to being one of the largest and recognizable. I only had a few people working for me when I first started out. Now, over 10,000 people are working for me.
In order to be successful in this field, patience is very important. Every event in your life has a correct time and place. As a student, the sole focus should be on education. I was never interested in going out with friends or going to the theatres. I was very focused on receiving the best education and being a brilliant student so that I can make my parents proud. I had taken whatever I was doing at any moment very seriously. This is very important when you want to succeed in any field.
ACI Pure started with salts in 2005 and has expanded to a number of items including spices, oils, and pulses. Could you detail the beginning and expansion of the company?
The people of Bangladesh were consuming salt full of dirt and harmful elements for years. When I went abroad, I saw they had the salt of excellent quality. So I started wondering why we weren’t producing such purified salt. I went on to conduct research and engage in discussion with experts in order to find out the proper process of getting 100% dirt-free iodized salt. I brought up the idea to the board after doing my research, and now 8 million households across the nation are buying this product. ACI salt was widely considered to be the best brand among all food and beverage categories after it was introduced. Even now, it is known as the best in the subcategory of salt. This has given ACI some serious mileage. There are many products required in the kitchen like flour, rice, spices, and many more. We are trying to provide all these items, especially milk with the help of Fonterra, a dairy brand from New Zealand.
Your products are known for their quality and because you provide healthier alternatives such as whole wheat flour. How do you ensure a quality product?
All of our products have to be of the highest quality. We do not compromise on quality or accept anything below our provided guidelines. This is why we only consider products catering to the needs of the general population. We have ventured into pulses, as the people of this country require rice, lentils, and beans. Therefore, we are introducing pulses of high quality in an affordable price range. Our business is notable for expanding because our products are everyday household products. A company like ours always faces some form of competition. We make adjustments accordingly but remain true to our promise of delivering a standard product. We would rather adjust in terms of our profitability rather than the quality or even the affordability.
What are your plans for expansion on an international level?
ACI Foods is currently exporting to around 22 nations and we are in the expansion phase. We could export to as many as 50 countries across the globe right away, but we want to identify the products that these nations require. A juice, for example, has potential to be successful in those markets. However, we value quality and simply cannot produce something if it doesn’t comply with international standards. We are currently working with international companies so that we can produce products of excellent quality that can be distributed in foreign markets.
How are the recent changes in weather affecting the production and processing of grains and rice?
Last year we had an abundance of rain, so our rice business was significantly affected. We could not produce salt either, which led to us importing it despite inadequate funds from the government. They also had a difficult time in allocating the imports among 256 companies.
ACI recently became the sole distributor, promoter, and seller of Anchor full cream milk powder, a brand of New Zealand dairy co-operative Fonterra, in Bangladesh. How has this achievement and collaboration boosted your company?
We have become the sole distributor, promoter, and seller of Anchor full cream milk powder, which is a product of Fonterra. This has certainly boosted ACI. Despite the high demand, we have recently included powdered milk in our portfolio. The recent processed food trends require quality. The efficiency they provide to the growing middle class is noteworthy. Our distribution of powdered milk has propelled us to introduce a new line of products to the market. We want to be the company that is your go to, we are hoping to introduce many more products and become the one solution for all your kitchen needs.
ACI Pure Foods organized a Bhorta Competition with Anando Alo titled ACI Pure Mustard Oil National 2017. How have such events helped create brand value and boosted sales?
Similarly to the previous year, ACI Pure Foods will once again be organizing a Bhorta Competition this year. The award ceremony will be taking place in Cox’s Bazar. These events help create brand value and boost sales. Bhortas is something that is deeply rooted in our culture, and this is why so many people across the nation eagerly await this competition in order to discover new ways and recipes for them. We actually turn all the recipes featured during the event into cookbooks so that the general public can learn new ways to make this traditional staple.
