Firm creates opportunities in lean times

Like the old saying, "there are opportunities in every crisis", technology-marketing veteran Derek Brown has foreseen a bright prospect for his newly setup Bangkok-based company, Pronto Marketing, to provide offshore marketing services to small businesses in the United States - despite the country's current financial turmoil.

While many analysts have predicted a reversal in outsourcing activities as the US dollar continues its journey south, last Friday, Brown quit Microsoft and kicked off operations at Pronto.

The company is aiming to offer online-marketing services at affordable rates to small US businesses.

Brown said Pronto, with its pool of talent and competitive cost structure, will come to the aid of American companies at a time when they may not be able to afford a marketing department of their own.

"We will help them get [new] customers and help keep their business healthy.

"For US$200 [Bt6,780] a month, you can have a "marketing department" with a website and e-mail-based newsletters," he said.

Brown worked with Microsoft for 12-and-a-half years, which included the last three years with the company's Thai subsidiary where his last assignment was as marketing director. Speaking during an exclusive interview with The Nation, he said there are two reasons behind his decision to resign from the world's largest software company.

"First, I want to stay in Thailand. I'm happy living in this great country. I have a great life. Microsoft Thailand has 200 staff members. There are a limited number of jobs. If I go back to Seattle, there are 3,000 jobs. It's different. It's personal decision.

"[Second], I have been with Microsoft for 12-and-a-half years. I feel it's time to go for challenges. It's an unbelievable company to work for. There're opportunities to think big at Microsoft. I can never think of working for any other company. My heart is with Microsoft. So, I have started my own company," he said.

Brown, 55, joined Microsoft in 1996 - the same year that Windows 95 was launched. While working at the headquarters in Redmond in Washington state, Brown had a chance of visiting many Asian countries often, including Thailand, which quickly turned into his favourite destination.

"So I wrote an e-mail to Andrew [Andrew McBean is DTAC's senior vice president who was then-managing director of Microsoft Thailand] asking whether Microsoft would have a job for me in Thailand. After five months, I came here," Brown said.

Now, Brown has set up a temporary office for Pronto at the Regus facilities on the 36th floor of the CRC Tower, just one floor below the Microsoft Thailand office. He is looking for a new office near his home in the Saphan Kwai area.

Pronto will work with Microsoft's "small business partners" to offer marketing services to their clients. These small business partners - numbered 5,000 in the US - already provide IT, managed services and help-desk services to small companies. "I conducted a survey to find out whether they felt they were doing a good job in [providing] marketing [services to clients]. Their answer was 'no'. They have real need for marketing" he said.

Through a marketing-affiliated network programme, which Pronto will announce in Seattle at the SMB Nation forum this Saturday, the

new company aims to build a network comprising 200 Microsoft small business partners within one year.

The partnership will enable Pronto to gain economies of scale to offer marketing services at affordable rates.

"We don't have to design 100 campaigns [for 100 companies]," he said.

Most importantly, Brown said, Pronto's customers would be offered "business-analytical services", which used to be out of the monetary reach of most small businesses. "That's the future of marketing ... data-driven marketing," he said.

Pronto's target, he said, is to have "200 very happy customers" within the first year. "I feel if we have 200 customers and they're very happy, we'll make money," he said.

Started with three staff members, the Bangkok-based Pronto expects to hire 10 people within six months. Brown, meanwhile, has his eldest son in Seattle helping him communicate with customers in the US.

Brown said he is confident Pronto will be able to compete with India in terms of both cost and talent.

"I wouldn't have started this business in Thailand if I didn't think there is enough talent and great people here," he said.

pichaya@nationgroup.com