Suwanee: The Pink Panther character is already popular among local teenagers, so YB will not have to spend heavily on promotion.

YB International, a local distributor of pyjamas and underwear products, has launched a new Pink Panther apparel range in the local market, hoping to cash in on the timeless popularity of the famous cartoon character.

Managing director Suwanee Meeaswapenmongkol said YB had been awarded the Pink Panther licence by US-based Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. She declined to reveal the cost.

The brand is nothing new to YB. It has produced Pink Panther apparel products for more than a decade, but only on an original-equipment manufacturing basis and only for export.

Suwanee said the Pink Panther character was already popular among local teenagers - the company's main target group - so YB will not have to spend heavily on promotion. Rather it will capitalise on the character's existing fame.

"The Pink Panther products will help boost our total sales growth to 40 per cent this year," she said, adding that Pink Panther products were expected to account for 70 per cent of sales this year, with the rest coming from the company's YB Sissi brand of underwear.

YB will offer lower prices for Pink Panther products, in order to build up market share quickly. The price range of Pink Panther pyjamas and underwear will be Bt200 to Bt1,000 per garment.

YB has also won a licence to use the famous Japanese character Hello Kitty in its range of clothing and plans to launch Hello Kitty products later this year. While the Pink Panther products target teenagers and older consumers, Hello Kitty products will be aimed at the teenage market only.

YB is also planning to develop its YB Sissi brand to include hair accessories in addition to underwear, Suwanee said. The hair accessories will be launched by year-end and made available only at Boots outlets.

"We're also planning to export our YB Sissi underwear products to other Asian markets later this year," she added.