I’m going to stick my neck out and name 11 people who would make my Marketing Team. These are marketers who have proven their ability to understand what people want and give it to them, at a profit. They include both business titans and small business people. The point here is not the size of the business but their passion and ability to provide great value to their customers. Tell me whom I have left out that you would have included.
- Dr Anthony N Sabga (of course we know of his stellar business accomplishments but he is actually quite sharp at marketing. For example: he pioneered the hire purchase concept in T&T and mastered the idea of horizontal diversification to serve all your needs as a customer; sell the car, finance it, insure it, fix it and more)
- Machel Montano (or his 2015 edition Monk Monte; he refused to be defined by the Calypso Tent and the Soca band experience and made his own rules. He has built his brand to be able to ask a lot for its rental)
- Nobel Philip (you will pass him straight in the supermarket because he does not like the spotlight, so he’s likely to choke me for this post. Noble has in the past led the Bermudez brand across the globe and also runs Market Facts and Opinions, one of the premier research agencies in the Caribbean. A better strategic thinker and reader of situations you will not find)
- Arthur Lok Jack (he was one of the first to set up manufacturing operations outside of T&T on the island of Malta in a joint venture with the Maltese government )
- Tony Chow Lin On (he learned to read people, I imagine, from his days as a DJ. He has been one of the best connectors with urban youth)
- Dr Aleem and Ana Mohammed (were you around for Chubby mania? This medical doctor and his wife have taken on the might of Coca Cola with their S. M. Jaleel brand with great success and the world is their market!)
- Dean Ackin (he has brought customer service to Carnival (of all places) like no one before him. He has defined his brands with a maniacal focus on ‘client delight’ and everything is designed around that philosophy)
- “The Doubles Man” (These are the hundreds of small business people who feed the nation mostly in the morning; but differentiate themselves in so many ways including bara style, condiment range and customer experience)
- Ian Alleyne (Hate him or hate him, he has sought out a group of people and given them exactly what they want. His is a big brand with some heavy users)
- Richard Ferguson (Richard’s Bake and Shark has become the gold standard of a national dish, through consistency and creativity and leading customer service from in front)
- Kama Maharaj (Started Sacha Cosmetics Ltd. in 1979 with the vision of developing the world’s first line of makeup for women with exotic skin)
