Etika's Santharuban Sundaram on the new normal as he takes on CEO role at newly-acquired vending biz

Santharuban Thurai Sundaram, Etika's senior vice president marketing and alternate business, has taken on the role of CEO of its newly acquired Advend Group of Companies. In his new role, Sundaram (pictured) will be responsible for spearheading the expansion of Advend Systems and to bring to speed the implementation of contactless vending and retail experience for consumers in Malaysia and Singapore.

Etika acquired Singapore-based vending business Advend Systems in February this year in a strategic move to offer more value to its consumers. With the acquisition, Etika said it is now the largest independent vending solutions provider in Malaysia and Singapore, with services ranging from hot and cold beverages as well as snacks such as cup noodles. Etika added that the acquisition also brings an added layer of convenience to consumers who can purchase their favourite drinks and snacks at more locations with multiple payment options.

A+M understands that he will continue overseeing Etika's marketing team until a replacement has been named. In a statement to A+M, Sundaram said industry players in Malaysia live a new normal everyday and they yearn to predict the new normal. Human behaviours are changing rapidly and technology has ensured that it does, he said, adding:

The pandemic, is merely another factor that alters this change, but the change has always been there. While this is a new norm to many industries, to a marketer, it’s a Tuesday!

That said, it is still not time for individuals to rest on their laurels. He said that technology will wipe out most of the jobs in time to come. AI will be able to predict and respond to linear solutions better than humans can. As such, entrepreneurship is key.

"So for those who decide on campaigns and marketing initiatives based on GRP, reach, pantone code, size of logo, a robot will soon replace you, and probably do a better job," he said.

According to him, marketers need to create the future, that way, they are never waiting for the future and the need to futureproof themselves goes away. "Easier said than done, but we should at least constantly try. Don’t live a linear line, we don’t work in a production line and the same standard output, is the last things expected from us," he explained.

When asked about the marketing initiative he is most proud of during his time at Etika, Sundaram named the WONDA 5 senses campaign. "Print as a medium was declining and New Straits Times, which is the media partner we worked with, was also very small," he said.

From a gross rating point (GRP) and reach standpoint, Sundaram said it would make no math sense to spend a huge sum of the budget it had, on a single media, and that too spent within one week.

"Theoretically, you would hit the same person repeatedly in the span of that one week. The result, we grew and became the second brand in RTD coffee and hit our full year targets within the fifth month. I pick this as it defies many numerical facts that marketers toy around with and stands as a testament that innovation, creativity and good story telling has a far greater overarching reach than we credit it for," he explained.

Done in 2014, the print-enabled marketing campaign targeted the five senses. The first of the five-part five-day print campaign on New Straits Times was released on 20 January 2014 as a pop-up ad. Extended hands holding coffee cans popped out in the centre spread of the four pager insertion, targeting the sense of touch. Then VP of marketing and business development, Hemalatha Ragavan, said that enjoying coffee is tied in with the five human senses - sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing – with emphasis on smell. The brand wanted to offer a different experience for its consumers, it wanted them to remember it.

The pandemic certainly took companies worldwide by surprise. However, the team's resilience and confidence never wavered. Sundaram said his largest credit goes out to the management of Etika as a whole. He explained that reaching out and marketing any product during that period, needed to be done purposefully and that too with care and caution. Some brands chose to go dark, and some went the full CSR way. What was relevant is to be present and to serve consumers.

"Our sales, operations and HR team, was able to react very quickly and in an agile manner to ensure we continued to operate efficiently. This singularly made us stay afloat as being able to supply to the retail channels and provide good stock flow, was the biggest challenge," he said.

The need to be purposeful and genuine is even more relevant in today’s climate. According to Sundaram, his idea of a purposeful and genuine brand is one that takes into accord the consumers' needs, more than what brands think he or she needs. As long as it is what the consumer needs, and sold to them in a way they related to – it is purposeful, Sundaram explained.

While the phrase "new normal" is being thrown around frequently these days, Sundaram said the Malaysia marketing scene was never "normal". "I credit the entire industry and the talent and creativity present within this industry has ensured that the landscape change has been anything but linear, constant or even ‘normal’ even before the pandemic," he said.

Sundaram has nearly two decades of marketing and commercial experience, having launched multiple successful brands and expanded existing brands under Etika including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Tropicana, WONDA Coffee, Goodday Milk, Calpis, and Dairy Champ. He has served Etika for 12 years, starting off as brand manager and steadily moved up the ranks to head the entire marketing. He subsequently added into his portfolio trade marketing, alternate businses, on premise and sweetened creamer milk wholesale.

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