Tul Wongsuphasawat, general manager for marketing and business management, said yesterday that negative factors like the oil price hike and political uncertainty had affected the company. Higher oil prices have already caused a 10-per-cent rise in operating costs, Tul said.

The company has to closely monitor its sales every month, adjust promotional campaigns conducted at each selling point, and change its operating system in order to stay cost-competitive.

Despite the gloomy business environment, sales during the first four months of the year grew by about 10 per cent. And Tul still is still optimistic about his company's performance this year due to Fifa World Cup 2006 fever.

To tap the fever surrounding the upcoming tournament in Germany, the company has invested Bt20 million to run a "Watch football ... remember to watch your health" campaign during the competition. It targets 10-per-cent sales growth during the Cup period, compared with the same period last year.

Tul said people would watch matches throughout the one-month football competition, many of which will be broadcast very late at night, and then wake up early for work. The company therefore has an opportunity to offer them its refreshing Brand's chicken essence.

Customers will find a nine-digit code printed inside each bottle and can send the code via mobile phone SMS to the company.

The first 10,000 senders will receive updated World Cup

news from the company throughout the tournament, starting from June 9.

These first 10,000 senders and customers who send messages after that will have an opportunity to win prizes worth Bt2 million.

After the World Cup period, the company expects to launch another big marketing campaign.

The company is the leader with 85-90 per cent of the local Bt2-billion chicken-essence market, Tul said.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation