Patcharawadee Wongpreecha, marketing director of Mahajak Development, said late last week that JBL was still not well known among consumers despite the brand being in the global speaker market for 60 years, and in Thailand since 1977.

The US brand is popular among professional users such as theatres, music producers and movie producers globally, she said. "Eighty per cent of theatres globally use JBL speakers and related products."

JBL is not widely known among consumers because Mahajak has always launched the products among professional users only through specialised magazines and newspapers, and attending only events that target those users.

The strategy from now on is to arrange marketing events more publicly, in places that attract its target high-end customers.

Patcharawadee said the firm had in the last 30 years focused only on entry-level and professional products. As general consumers tend to expect a greater variety of products, it has started to concentrate more on this group in the past few years.

JBL covers entry-, middle-level and professional users. Entry-level users account for 30 per cent of its customers, middle-level users 50 per cent and professionals the rest.

Mahajak Development also plans to build a clear image as a high-end brand via its new outlet in the Siam Paragon complex.

"Being at Siam Paragon will certainly help JBL communicate its high-end image. The shop required Bt10 million," Patcharawadee said.

The company has seven showrooms, in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Samui Island, Pattaya and Phuket.

The overall marketing budget next year for JBL is a 10-per-cent increase on this year's Bt30 million.

The company this year expects sales of Bt1.9 billion, 60 per cent from air conditioners and the rest from audio systems. Of the total expected sales of audio systems, half will be generated by the professional market and the other half from use in homes and cars.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation