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Published on November 30, 2007

About Bt300 million has been allocated for marketing the digital cameras in fiscal 2007, which ends next March 31. The marketing and advertising budget will be increased to Bt600 million for Lumix products in fiscal 2008.

Daizo Ito, the Panasonic Group's CEO in Thailand, said his company intended to become the leading player in all of its major product groups - plasma television sets, digital still cameras, air-conditioners and refrigerators - by 2009.

Panasonic is already the market leader in electronic shower heaters, fax machines, cordless telephones and projectors, as well as electronic whiteboards, called Panaboards.

Ito said 25,000 Lumix digital still cameras have been sold since October 1, achieving an 8-per-cent share of the local market, where demand this year is estimated to reach about 850,000 units.

"We expect to sell 100,000 Lumix digital still cameras in fiscal 2007, which ends in March, raising our market share to about 12 per cent," he said.

Sales are expected to reach about 140,000 units in fiscal 2008, raising the company's market share to about 15 per cent, at which time it will be one of the top three players, beating its closest rivals: Samsung and Nikon.

Ito said Sony was currently the market leader in Thailand's digital-still-camera market, with a 24-per-cent market share, followed by Canon at 20 per cent, Samsung at 11-12 per cent and Nikon at 10 per cent.

"We will also have a facelift in all design functions on our LCD and plasma television sets, following the modern and trendy designs of our award-winning conventional Viera wide-screen television sets," Ito said.

He said Panasonic expected to increase its share of the LCD-television market from 15 per cent to about 20 per cent in fiscal 2008.

"We were able to increase the market share of our

air-conditioners from 21 per cent to about 22 per cent earlier this year and expect

that to reach 23 per cent by next March. The market share for Panasonic refrigerators has also increased, from 18 per cent in fiscal 2006 to about 19 per cent this year, and we expect it to reach 22 per cent by March. This will make Panasonic the market leader in both air-conditioners and refrigerators," Ito said.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

 The Nation