In a conversation, Khandaker Shamim Rahman, General Manager, SMC Enterprise Ltd. elaborates on his journey, SMC’s unique marketing strategies and the things that make a successful marketer.
You have been serving at SMC for more than 15 years. Can you share how your journey has been?
The journey has been very fascinating – full of excitement, joy, stress, learning and unlearning. Before joining SMC, I had a fast career growth in the pharmaceutical industry, and I became a marketing manager at one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world. Despite having a great prospect, I felt like the industry was not the right fit for me. I wanted to be in a place which would allow me to utilise my creativity. It led me to join SMC, as it has always been known for its excellent communication campaigns and its image as one of the biggest contributors to the country’s health sector. SMC’s legacy as one of the most innovative and impactful companies allowed me to contribute by launching one of the most diversified portfolios, not only in the country but also in the entire world, which encompasses pharma products, contraceptives, sanitary napkins, diapers, food and beverages. We had major success in all of these categories and it’s rewarding to be able to play a major role in creating those brands. It has been quite a ride, full of exciting projects that required going above and beyond the call of duty, but my passion was the main driving force.
How has SMC evolved since you joined?
SMC has been one of Bangladesh’s most consequential companies for nearly half a century. It initially took off in 1974 as a Planning Social Marketing Project (FPSMP) to address the rapid population growth in the country. Through innovative communication, SMC has popularised the use of contraceptive pills and condoms among the masses. It has played a significant role in reducing Bangladesh’s overwhelming population growth over the past decades. SMC is the world’s second-biggest contraceptive program.
Unarguably, SMC’s most popular product to date is ORSaline-N. Over the last four decades, it has been playing a pivotal role in reducing the child mortality rate due to diarrhoeal disease. SMC Enterprise Limited (SMC EL) was formed in 2014. We never had to look back. Our products are affordable without compromising quality. We have a leading position in the hygiene category, like sanitary napkins and diapers. In food and beverages, we are one of the fastest growing companies with innovations in the ready-to-drink and instant soft drink powder category. The entire company transformed into an innovative, respected, powerful business organisation.
What are some of the hurdles at SMC that challenged you to grow professionally?
Every marketer’s job is full of challenges, a passionate marketer challenges the trend and the tradition and set higher goals for them. Aiming high is always an uphill task – you can’t do it all alone. You need support from the team members and superiors. I had a tough time convincing the team, and the management. Also, like every professional, I didn’t always get the resources so I had to fight hard for those. but that’s alright – it made me more pragmatic and more result-oriented as a marketer and leader. Also, in the corporate world, there are always hurdles like work-life balance and I am still struggling with that.
Can you also tell us about some of the successful campaigns you’ve been a part of?
Over the years, I have led several successful campaigns. Among them, Joya Sanitary Napkin launch campaign is the one close to my heart. Instead of talking like all other brands, we took a different route by talking about the impact of sanitary napkins in women’s lives so that they perceive the product as an essential product, not luxury.
SMC’S LEGACY AS ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND IMPACTFUL COMPANIES ALLOWED ME TO CONTRIBUTE BY LAUNCHING ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSIFIED PORTFOLIOS, NOT ONLY IN THE COUNTRY BUT ALSO IN THE ENTIRE WORLD
We also offered the best value-for-money pad with many unique attributes. There are a couple of great legendary campaigns on Orsaline-N and Panther condoms. In recent years, our ‘Taste Me’ communication was highly accepted in our youth target group and The SMC Plus communication talked about the unstoppable rise of Bangladesh aligned with product features.
With over two decades worth of experience, what is the one crucial lesson you’d like to share with aspiring marketers?
Marketing is not a job for me. It’s my life! It’s my passion! To be a good marketer you have to be a good observant. You have to have the acumen to see beyond a product. A product is basically a solution to a problem and need. Basics are never obsolete. In fact, for me, basics like product, price, place, and promotion are the points of planning. Also, this world of information technology offers us unlimited resources. We can copy or adopt the good things from great people. It’s not a bad thing at all as you don’t have to necessarily innovate every time. You have to understand the unmet need of your customer. You have to connect to the root to understand that travelling, reading, and research are the tools to do that. And you have to challenge yourself every day – how can you do small things better? With experience, you will know how to create great products and deliver great results.
Photographs Courtesy of SMC Enterprise Ltd.
