Three Coins, Sri Lanka’s only specialty brewer, has announced two key management appointments which the company says will add more muscle to its niche marketing strategy.

The appointment of an Innovations Manager and a Relationships Manager, Three Coins CEO Lasath Suriyapperuma said, would enable the company to "fine-tune" its much-talked-of effort to wean educated beer lovers away from mass market brands to world-class specialty brews.

He said Sudath Liyanasuriya who earlier held the position of Promotions Manager at Three Coins, has been appointed Innovations Manager as well, giving him the synergistic responsibilities of promotions and innovations to obtain for Three Coins a greater share of mind among the educated classes.

Mr. Liyanasuriya has extensive experience in the beverages business, having spent 11 years at Ceylon Cold Stores where he was Assistant Sales Manager and subsequently Promotions Manager. He has also been exposed to other competitive environments, notably during a four-year stint as Sales Manager at Janashakthi Life.

"As Promotions Manager, my job is to be a bridge between marketing and sales," Mr. Liyanasuriya explained. "But in my new role, I also hope to be a catalyst for innovations within the company so as to facilitate novel and imaginative responses to consumer needs, rather than allowing knee-jerk reactions to market demands in the fashion of mass marketers."

The new Relationships Manager at Three Coins is Rasmar Lye, a versatile musician and former advertising professional who in his personal capacity is also an importer of exclusive Havana cigars. Mr. Lye holds a Diploma in Graphic Art Design from the School of Visual Arts in New South Wales, Australia and has also worked as a Merchandiser in Hong Kong.

"Market share and reach in niche marketing are driven to a greater extent by relationships between brewers and consumers. Three Coins also has the additional task of informing the target market in Sri Lanka that there is more to beer than lager and stout," said Mr. Lye, who has already implemented an effective programme of weekly sampling sessions for corporate executives.

Three Coins is the brewer of Sri Lanka’s only 100 per cent malt, all natural beer. The company broke new ground last year with "3 Coins Riva" the country‘s only bottle re-fermented white beer, and also carries a range of specialty beers on tap, which has been highly sought after by the better hotels to upgrade their events in terms of quality and style, as eloquently demonstrated by the Colombo Hilton’s most recent Oktoberfest.