A presenter shows off one of the products under Taiwanese firm Tatung’s new sub-brand, Onyx. The electronics manufacturer rebranded its merchandise after the old name proved unpopular in the Kingdom.

The new product name, Onyx, is the first sub-brand launched in the company's 89-year history and was created after research found Thai customers preferred modern-sounding names.

Tatung president Charlie Lan said the company had started using the name with its LCD televisions and might soon launch other Onyx products and spread the brand throughout Asia if the initiative proved successful.

He said the new products would cost a similar amount and target the same consumers, with an increased emphasis on technological expertise.

Lan said Tatung sounded odd to Thai ears, while Onyx had a modern sound, emphasising the durability of the goods.

The company has a six-month, Bt20-million marketing budget to promote the name on television, billboards, in the print media, at trade exhibitions and roadshows.

Lan said Tatung would still be the name used globally and he wanted consumers to see Onyx products as Tatung-made, as they would still carry the parent company's logo.

Tatung's LCD TVs are sized 20, 27, 32, 37 and 42 inches, with current sales making up 5 per cent of the Thai LCD market. The market share is expected to increase to 7-8 per cent by 2008, with projected sales rising from last year's 3,000 to 10,000.

Lan said the company sold 600,000 TVs last year, generating Bt8 billion. Around 95 per cent of the Taiwanese company's sales came from exports.

Around Bt6 billion of the total was generated by LCD TVs with the rest coming from other products like set top boxes, tablet PCs, TV recorders and wireless stereo equipment.

Tatung plans to bring further electric devices to the Thai market in next few years.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation