SC Serichai Beauty presenters display Lolane haircare products at Siam Paragon yesterday.

The company has also injected Bt40 million into new advertising and marketing activities.

SC Artistry Co Ltd marketing director Wiboon Somboonsakdikul said yesterday the company would promote its two most popular hair-treatment formulas as its main products, in order to build brand awareness. The two treatment formulas are in the category of marine mud treatment, but can be used as general hair conditioners.

The company has a 55-per-cent share of the Bt216 million domestic hair-treatment market and expects that to increase to 60 per cent this year.

More sophisticated consumer behaviour, such as using hair-treatment solutions instead of normal conditioners, in order to save time, has helped promote the brand.

To build further awareness, the company will spend Bt30 million on advertising and Bt10 million on marketing. The advertising plan includes new ads on television and in other media. Its marketing campaign kicked off yesterday, with 500,000 free samples distributed nationwide.

Wiboon said the company expected its share of the overall Bt13-billion haircare market to increase from its current 5 per cent to 6 per cent by the end of the year. It also expects its current 10-per-cent annual sales-growth rate to jump to 40 per cent this year.

Of the Bt13-billion market, shampoos dominate, with sales of Bt7.4 billion, conditioners come in second at Bt2.4 billion, and the remainder consists of leave-on moisturisers and hair-treatment products.

The company has more than 100 products in three main categories: hair cleaning and care, hair transformation and styling. Among these products, Lolane is its main brand, and the rest are sold under more than 10 sub-brands.

SC Serichai Beauty marketing director Rath Phukaew said that while promoting Lolane, the company was also reviewing its other sub-brands, in order to work out details like brand character, targeted customers, market trends and consumers' perceptions of particular sub-brands.

Studying each brand will enable the company to clarify its focus, which will make it easier to manage each brand individually. Following in-depth studies, the company might have to repackage or rebrand some of its sub-brands, while changes could be made by next year. The company has allocated Bt3 million for this purpose.

Wiboon said company sales last year totalled Bt518 million: 70 per cent from selling haircare products to professional barbers and the rest from equipment sales to them. In addition, 60 per cent of sales were generated upcountry and the rest in Bangkok. The company expects its sales to reach Bt770 million this year.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation