The subsidiary of South Korean consumer-electronics manufacturer Samsung has announced it will adopt a segmentation marketing strategy this year. Newly married couples, housing-loan clients and the military are among the main segments to be focused on separately, general manager for corporate marketing Marco Vocale said yesterday.

Citing information from the Kasikornbank research department, Vocale said that about 29,000 newlywed couples are in Bangkok and its outskirts. The company's research found that 75 per cent of 400,000 newlyweds annually buy homes, which of course they need to furnish.

The spending by these couples varies depending on their financial status and lifestyle. However, the company found that average spending for new furniture was Bt30,000, while average spending for home appliances ranged from Bt50,000 to Bt100,000.

With a wide range of products - audio-visual, home appliances, IT and personal digital gadgets - Vocale said Thai Samsung was ready to cater to newly married couples, whom he added would expect to begin a new life together with products that have strong brand identity.

In an effort to be one of the first brands they think of, the company has allocated about Bt60 million as a marketing budget, initially focusing on two activities.

The first - from February to July - features co-campaigns with wedding studios, while the second, from May to mid-June, features discounts of 20 to 30 per cent. Both campaigns are being held in Greater Bangkok through Thai Samsung's 10 major dealers.

Couples need to show proof they are newlyweds in order to receive the discounts.

Assistant manager for corporate marketing Sureerat Moleerat said the company would design other campaigns for upcountry markets later.

Thai Samsung expects sales from the target group to represent 30 per cent of its targeted US$550 million (Bt19 billion) in sales this year. The company anticipates sales growth of 19 per cent over last year.

Nitida Asawanipont, The Nation