Background
Manthika Ranasinghe is a Chartered Marketer with over 16 years of corporate experience in marketing management, spanning a wide range of industries. His professional journey is distinguished by a strong foundation in finance management, which enables him to seamlessly integrate strategic financial insights into his marketing initiatives.
Manthika began his education at D. S. Senanayake College, Colombo, and later graduated from the University of Sri Jayawardenepura with a BSc in Marketing (Special). He further enhanced his business acumen by qualifying with CIMA (UK), which has been instrumental in his approach to business strategy.
Currently, Manthika is serving as the Treasurer at the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) for the 2024/2025 term. His leadership and expertise have been evident in major projects such as the SLIM Brand Excellence Awards 2021, SLIM Kantar People’s Awards 2024, and the National Sales Awards in 2016 and 2017. In addition, he is the Founder President of the Marketing Alumni Association of the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, underscoring his ongoing commitment to advancing the marketing profession within the fraternity.
Challenges
Throughout his career, Manthika has faced several challenges, particularly in adapting to generational shifts and evolving market conditions. One significant challenge has been understanding and engaging with Gen Z—a demographic that requires a fresh approach, as traditional marketing strategies often become obsolete. To address this, Manthika prioritized gaining deep insights into Gen Z’s preferences, behavior, and communication styles. This deep understanding has enabled him to design products, create marketing strategies, and build brand equity that effectively resonates with this new generation.
Adapting to the digital landscape and shifting patterns in social media consumption has been another major challenge. While maintaining a consistent core marketing strategy, recognized that the execution on traditional ATL/BTL media differs significantly from digital platforms. Driven by analytics and requiring a logical, data-driven approach, digital media tactics necessitate a different kind of strategy. By learning and applying these principles, has successfully crafted strategies that maximize engagement and impact across all channels.
Economic challenges have also posed significant hurdles, especially during periods of reduced disposable income, increased taxes, and rising production costs. To maintain profitability, Manthika innovated by developing customized products that meet customer needs without compromising on quality. He also focused on cost rationalization, eliminating non-value-adding activities, and exploring cost-effective production methods to sustain healthy margins.
Lassana Flora Weddings, Community Impact
For Clients (Bride and Groom): Lassana Flora Weddings places a strong emphasis on delivering exceptional value by using exclusively fresh flowers for all wedding decor. Each event is meticulously customized to reflect the unique vision of the couple, ensuring that no two weddings are the same. By setting trends in the wedding industry with fully fresh flower themes offered at the best possible prices, Lassana Flora Weddings allows clients to experience premium quality without compromising on cost.
Economic Impact: Lassana Flora Weddings plays a significant role in supporting the local economy by creating numerous job opportunities within the company. In addition to employment, the company has established a training academy to equip aspiring florists with essential skills for both local and international job markets. This initiative not only strengthens the floral industry but also contributes to the broader economy by fostering a skilled and capable workforce.
Environmental Responsibility: Lassana Flora Weddings is dedicated to environmental sustainability and has introduced organic concepts into its wedding decor. By completely avoiding the use of plastic flowers, the company ensures that its designs are both beautiful and environmentally friendly. The commitment to using only fresh, natural materials helps reduce the ecological footprint and sets a positive example for the entire industry.
Significant achievements of Lassana Flora Weddings
Lassana Flora Weddings has proudly celebrated 25 years of excellence in the Sri Lankan wedding industry, firmly establishing itself as a trusted and innovative leader. Among its notable achievements, Lassana Flora Weddings stands out as the first florist brand in South Asia to obtain ISO certification for its wedding flower decor processes, a clear testament to the company’s unwavering commitment to quality and international standards.
As the market leader in the upper segment of the industry, Lassana Flora Weddings has consistently set benchmarks in both service and product offerings. A significant milestone for the company has been its successful cultivation and commercial growth of a wide variety of flowers, including European species that were once imported. With its own flower nurseries and expansive greenhouses, Lassana Flora Weddings ensures the freshness and quality of its flowers while contributing to sustainable practices by producing flowers and herbs locally on a large scale.
Moreover, Lassana Flora Weddings recently achieved a remarkable triumph at the Sri Lanka Wedding Awards 2024, securing three top accolades in the floral category. This recognition highlights the company’s dedication to setting new standards of excellence in wedding decor.
These achievements underscore Lassana Flora Weddings’ ongoing commitment to innovation, leadership, and quality in the wedding industry, both locally and regionally.
Passion Driven
With over 16 years of experience in marketing across various industries in Sri Lanka, his motivation is deeply rooted in a passion for innovation and adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of the industry. Embracing new technologies and trends keeps his work dynamic and engaging.
Continuous learning is a key priority for him. He actively pursues professional development through industry events and stays updated on the latest strategies and research, which helps him maintain both enthusiasm and effectiveness in his role.
Setting and achieving ambitious goals for himself and his team fuels his drive. Each accomplishment brings a sense of satisfaction and motivates him to tackle new challenges and strive for even higher milestones.
Beyond his corporate role, he engages in voluntary projects, including his work with SLIM and the University Marketing Alumni Association. These initiatives allow him to contribute to the marketing community and stay connected to broader industry developments.
Networking with multidisciplinary professionals on LinkedIn further inspires him by providing fresh perspectives and insights. This interaction enhances his creativity and keeps him motivated in his career.
His advice
His advice for aspiring marketing professionals is to stay closely connected with clients and truly understand their needs and perceptions of your brand or product. By empathizing with their pain points and appreciating their positive feedback, you can tailor your strategies more effectively.
He emphasizes not shying away from sales, as it’s an integral part of marketing. Gaining hands-on experience in various aspects of business management is crucial. Observing and collecting insights from every opportunity will make your academic knowledge more practical and impactful for your organization.
He also advises staying updated daily, as marketing is a constantly evolving field. Keeping abreast of market changes and industry trends will ensure that you remain relevant and effective in your role.
Lassana Flora Wedding Evolution
In the future of the wedding floral industry, he anticipates a continued shift away from using plastic flowers mixed with fresh blooms, even in high-end venues. His ongoing efforts to educate the market about the benefits of using exclusively fresh flowers are gradually influencing this change. Clients are increasingly seeking unique and innovative floral designs that break away from traditional norms, aiming to create standout moments and surprise their prestigious guests.
Over the next three years, Lassana Flora Weddings plans to elevate its position from good to great. The focus will be on driving advancements in innovation, creativity, operations, marketing, and client servicing. The company aims to set new industry standards, enhance service offerings, and continue leading with fresh, cutting-edge floral designs.
Contact Lassana Flora Wedding for solutions:
Manthika Ranasinghe Chief Marketing Officer – Weddings ( local / destination ) MBA (AEU), Chartered Marketer (UK), Bsc Mkt (USJ), CIMA (UK), MSLIM (SL)
Mobile : +94 772 443 195
General: +94 112 024 115 | Fax: +94 114 406 266
Web Site – www.lassanaweddings.com
Facebook : Lassana Weddings
