Asian Paints breaks new ground in Sri Lanka with Masterstrokes

Oct 13, 2015 (LBO) - A unique multi-dimensional loyalty programme that will contribute significantly to the empowerment of local painting technicians has been launched in Sri Lanka by Asian Paints, the multinational coatings giant that operates in 18 countries. More than 1,100 professional building painters from the Western and Southern Provinces of the country were registered and enrolled into ‘Masterstrokes’ in a single evening at the formal launch of the programme at the ‘Eagles Lakeside’ banquet hall recently. Uplifted by an insightful and thought-provoking oration by Asian Paints Brand Ambassador and cricketing icon Kumar Sangakkara, these painters will be the first batch of beneficiaries of an initiative that Asian Paints intends rolling out across the country to build professional skills, knowledge, practices and earnings of this segment of the work force, which uses its products. The Masterstrokes programme paves the way for professional painters to be registered as members via their mobile phones, leading to the creation of a database that will enable Asian Paints to gain an insight into product and brand usage, provide training inputs and offer targeted benefits and rewards. Commenting on this ground-breaking initiative, Jacob Kuruvilla, Director/General Manager of Asian Paints (Lanka) Limited said: “Masterstrokes takes our engagement with professional painters in Sri Lanka to a new level, and is the only programme of its kind in the local paints market. Asian Paints already has the widest product range in the local decorative paints industry, and as we produce new and increasingly innovative products, there is a need to raise the skill levels of the artisans who work with them.” “Masterstrokes is also a very tangible demonstration of our commitment to develop the local market as well as the livelihoods of the painters.” Speaking at the Masterstrokes launch, Asian Paints Brand Ambassador Kumar Sangakkara urged painters to take pride in their profession and described the loyalty programme as an opportunity for them to gain impetus in their progress and build a special relationship with the company. The Asian Paints product portfolio in Sri Lanka encompasses a large spectrum of coatings and ancillary products in Decorative Paints, Wood Finishes, Automobile OEM coatings and refinishes, Marine, Road Marking Paints, Floor Paints, Roofing Paints, Waterproofing products and industrial coatings. Asian Paints has one of the largest R&D facilities in the industry with multiple laboratories devoted to cutting-edge research. The ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certified Asian Paints (Lanka) represents the brands Apex Ultima, Apex, Ace, Royale with Teflon, Classique, Premium and Decora in the Emulsion and Enamel Paint categories. The company also produces Skim Kote for both exterior and interior, acrylic putty, waterproofing solutions and other primers for different types of paint and the water-based wood finishes from Renner. All Asian Paints decorative products are guaranteed to have no added Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Chromium or any other heavy metals. Asian Paints is among the top decorative paints manufacturers in the world, with annual sales in excess of US$ 2.2 billion. The company has 28 manufacturing facilities in 18 countries and serves consumers in 65 countries.