Canon targets doubling sales by 2011

Thailand has been promoted by Canon, manufacturer of imaging products and office equipment, as one of its "Victory" countries, where the company will provide special attention and funding to support the rapid growth of its business. Vietnam, India and China have also been named Victory markets.

"We [Canon] have set as a criterion for Victory countries a high rate of economic growth. Our mission for them is to increase our Canon business by more than three times its GDP growth," said Wataru Nishioka, president and CEO of the local subsidiary.

He said the company wanted to maintain 18-per-cent growth each year in Thailand for the next three years. A marketing budget of Bt700 million has been earmarked for the Kingdom this year, 10 per cent more than last year.

Nishioka said Canon Marketing (Thailand) posted first-half sales of Bt2.9 billion, up 16 per cent year on year and almost three times the local GDP growth.

Breaking down the sales figures, 18 per cent came from the company's Business Imaging Solution (BIS) Division, 47 per cent from the Image Communication Product (ICP) Division and 35 per cent from the Consumer System Product (CSP) Division.

The BIS Division oversees sales and marketing for office products like black-and-white and colour copiers, fax machines and tube printers.

The ICP Division handles consumer-imaging products like digital and video cameras and digital single-lens reflect cameras.

The CSP Division is in charge of consumer products like scanners, projectors and ink-jet printers.

Nishioka said all three divisions experienced healthy growth in the first half. The BIS Division posted 9-per-cent growth year on year to Bt533 million, the ICP Division 16 per cent to Bt1.3 billion and the CSP Division 20 per cent to Bt998.7 million.

"We have set a sales target of Bt6.3 billion this year, a 19-per-cent increase over 2007 and 3.4 times local GDP growth," said Nishioka.

He said the company expected the BIS Division to grow 14 per cent this year, the ICP Division 19 per cent and the CSP Division 22 per cent.

Nishioka said key strategies expected to contribute to the company's growth included launching new approaches like Internet marketing, introducing a strong and advanced product line-up, educating customers, strengthening customer satisfaction and formulating corporate social-responsibility measures that protect the environment and contribute to society.

Canon Co achieved worldwide sales of US$39.3 billion (Bt1.34 trillion) last year, of which 10 per cent came from Asia outside of Japan, 21 per cent from Japan, 33 per cent from Europe, 30 per cent from the Americas and 6 per cent from Oceania.

Southeast Asia accounted for 25 per cent of Asian sales outside of Japan, with Thailand contributing 16 per cent of Southeast Asian sales.