Central steps up marketing campaign
Central Pattana Plc’s executive vice president for marketing Dr Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana (middle) expects Thailand to be listed as one shopping destination in Asia and expects Central Department Store to be among top shopping malls.
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Central Pattana (CPN) has allocated a massive Bt800-million marketing budget for this year and is working hard to convince not only locals, but also international shoppers to visit its 10 Central Department Stores throughout the Kingdom.
The company hopes international visitors will remember Thailand as an attractive shopping destination in Asia, as well as a place of natural scenic attractions.
Domestically, CPN will continue to create a shopping mood among local consumers by conducting a variety of marketing activities and promotions, said executive vice president for marketing Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana.
Of the Bt800 million, Bt300 million will be used in the third quarter and between Bt200 million and Bt300 million in the fourth quarter, he said. The remainder was spent in the first half of the year.
This will be the first year that all of the company's business units, such as SuperSports and stationery and bookstore B2S, will work together to arrange marketing activities and campaigns for Central's major events. Formerly, each unit worked separately.
Various branches will arrange marketing events and campaigns, each with a different character depending on location, targeted customers and population outlook. For example, events at CentralWorld will be modern and trendy, while those at Central's Rama II branch will be more local, such as a seafood festival.
On the international side, the company has allocated Bt30 million to promote Thailand and its department stores as an Asian shopping destination in magazines in targeted countries, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan, and in in-flight videos in certain international airlines.
It has also invited members of the international press to visit Central, not only to attract international shoppers, but also to keep local shoppers in Thailand.
Another of its strategies is supporting the Tourism Authority of Thailand's mid-year "Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2007" in competing with nearby countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, which also arrange giant mid-year sales. The company will hold the CentralWorld Wonder Mid-Year Sales Campaign from Thursday to July 31, while the Central Plaza Mid-Year Sales Campaign will start a week later.
It expects the sales campaigns will increase traffic at its shopping complexes 20 per cent on average, pushing sales up more than 50 per cent in the third quarter.
Nattakit said the political uncertainty that has dogged the country's economic activity should soon be solved. The country still has strong economic fundamentals, so the fortunes of every business depend on how well it can adapt to the current situation and what it can do to catch consumers' minds. Businesses need to achieve closer communication with consumers and conduct in-depth analyses.
In the first quarter of this year, CPN had 900,000 visitors to its 10 branches around the country. Next year, it plans to renovate its Pinklao and Bang Na branches, requiring Bt300 million and Bt250 million, respectively.
Nitida Asawanipont
The Nation
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