Transcript

Hi and welcome to ETV Power Women.

Now you’ve heard the introduction to our next guest who actually probably needs no introduction at all. You’ve probably bought something that she has marketed or heard a saying they have come up with. So let me introduce Varuni Amunugama Fernando to the show.

Hi Varuni.

Hi Minoli.

How are you doing?

Good and thank you and Etv for inviting me for Power Women.

Thanks for coming on and I hop you’re gonna enjoy it. I want to start off Varuni you know kind of mild and legend and rumor. Is it true that Triad sort of started off like a hobby for you? Like a pet project? Something that you sort of did to earn a little bit of pocket money type of thing?

That’s a quaint way of putting it. Basically I think lot of people refer to that or we mentioned it in our Book which we did to celebrate 15 years. Really the beginning or how we began was in a very very small way. Really it was more than a hobby of course. Because there were three of us the only thing is we never really planned how it was going to turn out. So in that sense when we started Triad it was something we all wanted to do out of interest. And we thought we could do something while we enjoyed doing it we though we could do something which would have some lasting value or contribution to the society. So in that sense yes we started with zero investment, zero big plan so in that sense you can call it a hobby. In a nut shell it was vey very small.

It has taken off in the last fifteen years. It hasd a life of its own its massive its become something like you said you started off very small its now this huge agency and its interesting because its really Sri Lankan agency. Which must me sort of incredible sort of pride for you.

Oh yes Minoli and I think it is just really the team and honestly even if I’m here today and you’ve invited me to be a Power Woman but actually I’ am really the voice of a team of people. So if I have any right to be speaking to the audience today it would be simply because I am part of a team. And over 15 yaers what began as just 3 people has grown to be 92. iN advertising alone but a s agroup we have about 600 people on this team.

It’s masing.

Yes even to us.

When you kind of sit down and think ..

Yah, you know like did it really happen? And were we a part of it? I think we also evolved. Because now if you take , we spoke about 3 people who started together. It was my partner who is still my partner Dilith Jayaweera and Ishini Wickramasinghe. Of course when we really registered the company in 1993 she moved out because it was a conflict of interest so ever since that time we’ve king of Dilithand I have sort of grown with this industry because I worked at Phoenix at a very junior level as an Account Executive.

That’s where you got bit by the Advertising Bug?

Ah…kind of. And also learnt loads because there were people like Uma who taught me wher to go what to do Mr Weerakody all that. Dilith was not in advertising but ofcourse a very hands on creative person in what ever he did specially at the university. So we really dodn’t when we came into this industry this is one in industry which is always been dominated by multinational agencies rather than home grown agencies. So really when w e staretd it off it was strategic for us to position our selves as a Sri Lankan agency. And in effect we kind of that our strong point was that we spoke Sinhalese very well, we understood our culture very well and we were all products of this society and we knew how to speak to our customers. So strategically we gave it that aura that we are a very Sri Lankan routed agency. And the people who joines us or our own indeginous tools that we developed what ever it is and our focus really. We really wanted to do what ever we could to build local brands.

Like you were saying. Local brands and you’ve had such success with you know lots of campaigns specially the “Api Venuveng Api” . Tell us a little bit about the creative process that actually that how that whole thing came about.

Yes, actually “Api Venuven APi” Minoli is more than just a communication campaign. Really it is funny because when we, our client was the Sri Lanka Army. They briefed us and this was just when the military approach to9 end this war was beginning and they felt that there should be a recruitment drive. So being a local agency and when we said that we understand how the Sri Lankan people think, they invited us and they said ok do a recruitment campaign. But what we told them was there was no point in doing a recruitment campaign what the forces needed was the perception change. So they said ok you recommend what ever. So before we start a campaign we do ground level research because at the end of the day we believe us in our air condition rooms in little corners somewhere won’t understand really how the common man thinks. So we went out on top the roads, we spoke to people and we came up with an insight. And the insight was that every Sri Lankan has somebody connected to the forces. It could be a relation, it could be a child, a neighbor but we had an affinity. So in effect it wasn’t as though the here or the soldier was fighting we were by standard. It was us fighting this war which was crucial to tehi scountry. So we built on that insight and said, no more is the soldier an alienated person, he is one of us. So that is how this “Api venuven api” campaign born.

It was just captured so beautifully. Because I remember seeing the ads when they came up and I was thinking wow.

The very important aspect why that campaign succeeded other than for the strategy was the fact that everybody bought into this. Now the media I must make a special mention, over one billion worth of media airtime space and all that was contributed free.

Which is amazing.

Amazing. All the media houses. Even outdoor companies came and said you know we’ll give free space you do this. Tehre were businesses that came and said let us support you with all these tings. The whole country came together.

Which is what you want. You've brought.

Ya, because of that media cloud, it was very present. So everybody got exposed to it.

I remember seeing it everywhere.

We would love to think it’s the creativity alone, but that was only one component. All these things came together.

Honestly it had such a huge impact.
Welcome back. We’ve just had an interesting discussion with Varuni on the iconic campaign “Api venuven api”. And it kind of ties into your agency what it was built n as well. You have this whole sort of ethos of you know walking with the masses talking with the masses and that really fits in well with this. I mean that was one of the core principles your agency was founded on?

Actually Triad’s success is about it’s people. And funnily enough most of the people are not from the advertising industry. So they all come in to this one family so to speak bringing in their experiences, exposures and all that. Which I honestly believe that has enriched the team. So today if you take most of the people in any agency, they say the core is the creative team. Ours is different. What we say is everybody is creative. So it could be the guy who’s making the cup of tea has this brilliant idea so its fine. And really Minoli ideas are born through discussions. Somebody will spark of a little thought, somebody else will develop it, then some completely inane contribution will come out of no where. Then you suddenly think, wow that’s an idea. Because we don’t sell a commodity. We sell ideas. And that itself makes it a very profitable business because you cant put a value on an idea. Today lot of people feel just because they have access to computers or they have mastered the computer graphics that you can do communication. But in effect you can’t. It’s about real life experiences translated creatively. So that come through experience and exposure and of course skill. Now at Triad, we have tried to adopt to certain policies which is if you know that the Sri Lankan society is built on the family concept. That’s what makes us very strong and even if you compare with the west, what is very strong and solid is our foundation which is this family bonding. Now we’ve brought that into Triad. We have told them, look you are working to have a good life with your family. So work here during regular office hours, work well but after hours go home and spend quality time with your family. Which is very different to a normal advertising sector. And com in at 6 o’ clock and hanging out here and drink and party. All that happens. But priority is different. So I think that has also helped for people to trust each other and lot of people who come from other agencies say that what they find unique about Triad is the ethos. Where its very transparent . Now Dilith and my doors are open for anybody to come and discuss and we are very much hands on with the operation.

And I know that not just a statement. Because I have actually been to your office and your doors are open.

And the second thing is, we believe that this advertising is an evolving industry. So everybody has there time and place and limits of contribution. Now both Dilith and I, I’m 41 he’s 42. We’ve been in the industry for the last 15 years. So we feel that there may be another 10 years where we can contribute at our peak. But we have to be responsible to kind of groom somebody you know rather than hang on to this, be rooted and when we move on the agency will die. So we’ve kind of foresee n that. We have already encouraged. We have earmarked and head hunted. We found a young COO, we brought him in so that we can from him. Who is 10 years younger. Who’d from the new age. But very very cultured, routed and very very sensitive to this family concept. Because we believe that even our people team members will see the longevity of the whole program. And they will get confidence from it. So long term, just like a family, we would expect their children to be a part of the agency and this agency to evolve into something more than a communications company. This itself should become a Sri Lankan brand.

And Varuni you were just explaining to me because earlier on you said that youhave 600 employees who work for the company and I couldn’t quite figure out you know where they all started into.

Actually 92 at Triad itself. But 600 when you taek all the subsidiaries together. The thing is they are managed completely independently. They are own businesses. Its just that we are the investors. The only common factor is the culture. So each of these heads of those companies most of them have been our university colleagues or people who are well known to us, very similar background, very similar way of thinking. So that same culture has kind of gone into all these subsidiaries as well but function completely independently. So that’s how this 600.

It’s a huge amount of people actually. And it must be a really rewarding thing waking up everyday knowing that you know, you are helping 600 people kind if get a benefit.

Almost unreal. You know to think that. On the one hand you are so happy to be a part of it. On other hand you like the anonymity as well. You would probably think you know what the connection with 600 people. I still remember we had this Avurudhu Utsvaya, one company had organized it and everybody got together and it was really funny because nine of them even knew that we were joint managing director of this company. Because we were participating in their activities Kambha Ahiya and all these things. So for all of them, this specially what we have tried t inculcate Minoli is that you don’t need hierarchy. We believe in hand on work as team members. Dilith and me included. No hierarchies needed because that way we feel that you enjoy what you do and you respect everybody who is involved in it and it bring together the whole concept of family. Because that kind of management style is on its way out. Specially in our industry it doesn’t work at all.

Specially in your industry as you said it’s all about finding new methods and new trends and new ways of doing things.

And if people feel pressed or they don’t have a voice, its jut not gonna help at all.

It must be a wonderful kind of thing to have brought all this together. But something totally away from Triad. Because every time you talk about your husband you kind of get this little glint in your eyes. Tell us a little bit about him. Tell us how you met. Were you at university together?

Ah, actually not. Of course when I entered University I was going out with him. No we met through friends as far back as 1987. When I was just doing my A/Levels. And he was one of my friends uncles friends and what I really liked about him which to this day exists is that he and his family concept. You know its weird like you know where ever you go all roads lead to Rome kind of thing. Somehow, because he comes from a very catholic bonded family from Wennappuwa. All brothers. In my family there is a sister. I have only a sister and I always wanted a brother. And somehow the whole approach to family life his closeness to his parents the regard and the respect and the trouble he will take you know to look after them, do things for them. I got a feeling of security and then my admiration for him you know to think that this is a gut who values the same things that I do. And even in terms of work Minoli, he’s into Tae. So completely different trade. But he’s been very broad minded and I’m happy because what ever achievements that I’ve had, he’s definitely been proud of it. And he’s never tried to stop me and say you know, don’t do this or don’t do that. Only time we have a snag and a problem is if I say I’m coming in 5 minutes I mean half an hour or just around the corner. And if its 5 minutes his guess its 4 ½. But he would probably turn up 3 hors later. So that is the only time that there would be some kind of friction. Friction in the sense of where he would probably get into a mood . But women being who they are know how to put them in the mood and get them out of it as well. But I’m happy to say that we’ve been together almost 22 years. And it’s been a partnership. Where even to this date I am a person, I do not believe in woman’s weak. Because I think women have an inner strength. And that womanliness is that strength. So by being a woman I think we get power. So say my role in our relationship if you take, I would most often play a supportive role. And I would gladly give Rohan the decision making role. And which works out fine. Because I think even he likes it that way. And a recent discussion between him and my father was, you know we for so many years we’ve been thinking that she’s been doing what we want. But looking back we’ve been doing what she wants.

It’s just how you play it.

How you work it and I think in our society specially, it is a nice way of making things work. Because at the end of the day, the bigger picture is what counts. You want the marriage and the relationship to work or do you want to say that hey I am a woman and I decide and just you know create some unnecessary issues. I am a person who don’t think that I want to experience life on my own. So definitely I am one for marriage, for family and togetherness and all that. So in that respect I think definitely that I found the correct partner.

Well that’s lovely to hear. And after 22 years of marriage its even nicer. So Varuni tell us a little bit about you know how do you sort of apart from spending time with your husband and then with your family, what do you do to relax? Even though you say that the work, you obviously love your job it’s rather very evident. With that territory your in there must be certain amount of stress. What do you do kind of to take a breath and relax? Where are we gonna find you relaxing?

At home. I am a person who would like to just be at home you know just relaxing. And I like to read. Crime fiction mostly. Patricia Cornwell is my favorite author.

Isn’t it a little bit gory? Some of her stuff?

It is and my father who saw me reading in my library my section is all full of crime fiction. Jeffrey Deaver or Tami Hoag everything is about the same subject. He was like look, there must be something wrong with you. Get your nut examined. I don’t know probably but I like the finding of these clues and you know that kind of things. It really interests me. I like movies. Specially Sinhala movies. Not so much of a movie bug. I mean if there is a choice I’d rather read a book. Because you know that imagery comes to your mind rather than seeing it happening on TV. And other than for that, I am actually a fanatic about exercise. So is my husband. So it helps. Four times a week we make it a point to exercise. We do you know working out like and normal physical exercises. And the other two days I do Karate. Which is totally unusual for somebody of my age. But I think that’s what makes me build my confidence and all that. And I haven’t taken part in any tournament but I’m training at the moment.

Oh my goodness so we can see you like on TV while doing your thing.

I know you’re visualizing Bruce Lee. In Karate there are two aspects. One is Kumithe – that is the fight. The other one is Katha . That is wher you do the fighting movements but it’s the style. So I’ve opted for the Katha as of now.

So no physical contact?

No physical contact. You’ve got to get the style right. So we are training at the moment. The Blue belt came from, there are 5 other belts. Blue belt is the 5th one. To do that you get graded. So you have to do this Kathas and they grade you on the Kathas and see whether you are worthy of going to the next level.

I always thought that Blue was right underneath Black.

No no no no…long way more to go for a Black belt. That is the aspiration. Really mentally, you know makes me feel good. After a session, you think ok, you did it. I dint know what will happen in real life. If somebody confronts m, I’ll probably run.

Actually Varuni, when you talk about Varuni. She’s a simple a really nice person. And she’s a combination of everything . Like when you talk about education, the creativity you name it and everything she has. And she’s basically a, she has a control over her life. When it comes to business and personal she has, she knows her limits. And she can draw a line between her business and personal life. So I would say she is a combination of everything. She’s really a nice person. And when it comes to charity, she’s on top. And when it comes to fashion, still the same. Basically, she has like, how do I say, she’s everything. Among good things there can be bad things no. The bad thing is, she trusts each and everybody equally. So by trusting each and everybody equally, she falls into trouble as well. I would say like this because I have a daughter, my daughter’s role model should be Varuni. So definitely, she’ll be a role model. I want her to be somebody like Varuni.

Since I’ve known her for 25 years, we have to go back from school days. And thinking about what she has done, in terms of part taking in school activities, the most memorable was her taking part in an oratorical contest. And that was to do, the subject was to do with Sri Lanka. And it was delivered with such vigor and passion that it was a very lasting impression. And at that time I just got to know her. And it just shows that she has had that you know skill to be able to get her point across very well. And she won it, though physically smaller at that time, the voice was above all very you know clear. She came from the Ladies college I think in grade 6 as I said that was our time to you know bond. And I would say she had the capability, to catch on very well and you know make friends and as much as her language skills, she was you know fluent at that time in more Sinhala and then she gained her you know fluency in English also there. As a result, she has become apt in both languages to speak public speaking and deliver lectures very well. Then I would say personality, her personality is the strongest point that you know she has that ability, her friendliness makes people want to you know talk to her and she can get peoples attention to what she has to say. And in terms of a friend, though she’s busy she always finds time to you know spend some time with her close friends. And it makes you very happy that you know she’s a successful woman as well. And also can balance things.

I really need to comment. You do know that I wrote their script.

What? No!!!

I was just joking. I just have to say my piece about the two of them. The first lady, is the Finance Head of Triad, so really she would know me inside out and I am totally flattered specially the part about her daughter. Because I am really concern and involved in the little girl’s life. So it’s very important that when she says that she thinks of me like that, I’m really touched by that. And more than anything else, she’s very outspoken. So you can see you know, some of them are back handed compliments. That is typical of her. But absolutely honest and a dream.

The second lady, is my gorgeous friend. Kalini. Kala is everything I’m not. Sophistication and all this. And I told her, Kala, when you speak be honest. I know you want to say “She’s my best friend but she has no time for me”. In terms of school it has been a nomadic kind of schooling experience. I was at Sirimao from grade 1-5. Then form 6-9 at ladies. Then with my father who went to UNESCO the family went and we were there in Paris at the British School for a while. Then I came back to Ladies. So right through it has been different sets of people. But I feel being at Sirimao who gave me the grounding. The knowledge, the Sinhalese, the exposure all that. May be Ladies college gave me a different scope. You know some of my friends, still they laugh at me and say “You came for your finishing school here”. And I’m like ya! don’t flatter your self you know and say you need to be going somewhere else for your finishing. So all in all it has been a colorful experience with different people, you know different life styles. Because as Sri Lankans if you compare, we are so far ahead to be compared with people from the other parts of the world. It’s just that we don’t have the self confidence. We don’t realize how much we have.

It’s wonderful. Everything you have expressed is just lovely to hear.

I loved what you said that we don’t take our Sri Lankan – ness out into the world. But that was wonderful to hear. I’m now gonna put you in that awful spot. Which is actually not that awful. I try to make it out to be really horrible but it’s not.

Well, don’t forget the blue belt.

Did you notice that I actually sat back a bit? I’m now gonna ask you the dreaded ten. Which is brought to us by the lovely people at Ponds and Ponds Age Miracle. Which of course I was saying during the break that you don’t really have to use.

Is the glass empty or half full?

Both.

Ok. That’s an interesting one. Would you rather be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond?

Mmm mix of both I think. A medium size fish in a medium size pond.

What do you do to impress other people?

I just become very friendly I think because by being natural, friendly and kind of open, you become their friend. Rather than so you don’t have this barrier.

Where would you go to be alone?

To the toilet. That’s my favorite place Minoli and I get scolded by my son and my husband and everybody. I just love being in the bathroom.

How many rings before you answer the phone?

With the mobile phone, sometime it just rings endlessly. You don’t answer. Usually may be about 5.

What’s your biggest regret?

I don’t have any regrets. I’m happy. Because I take life as it comes. I am not a huge dreamer. And I don’t really plan long term. I live, I enjoy the moment. And I am happy. And I think I look back this is one thing that I believe in, be happy with what you have.

Which finds you true inspiration?

I think your own experience. Right throughout out life, it could be our parents, siblings, friends who ever. We learn through experiences. We watch other people. We behave in certain ways. We react in certain ways. And we learn and move on. So I would gain inspiration not from Icons or personalities not like that. From real life everyday people.

If you were suddenly granted 3 wishes, what would your first one be?

To be healthy. And I like to be healthy. Then you know that you are not going to suffer.

Do you love your enemies?

Actually you firstly have to have enemies. There may be, every body may be having bit I don’t know of any one.

Band if you had a million dollars to donate a anonymously, who would you give it to?

Children. Children as many as possible. I would probably it would be more in the lines of education, because it goes back to my childhood. I believe that education is about independence. So I would use that to give them world class education which would give them independence and they could contribute to make Sri Lanka what it rightfully should be.

Well, sadly that’s all we have time for but don’t forget to tune in next week to ETV Power Women.