Tag Archives: spotlight

When Consumers Tighten Their Belts—The Marketing World Turns Upside Down Now, It’s Time for Marketers to Do What They Have Never Done Before Loading Data… Today, businesses are walking a tightrope. Every step demands caution as consumers become budget-conscious at the time their financial resources are limited. Asst. Prof. Dr. Ake Pattaratanakun, a marketing expert who closely observes shifting consumer behaviors, shares with Your Answers today about what “changes” marketers need to embrace and how brands should adapt in the face of consumers’ shrinking purchasing power. Change Mindset to Deal with Changed World Mindset is crucial to dealing with the challenge. When spending feels heavier and money flows slower, Asst. Prof. Dr. Ake suggests that marketers should make their marketing activities special based on four following concepts: Small – Use small size or lot to win big. In the past, large sizes or bulk packaging might offer tempting value. But today, breaking things down into smaller units makes it easier for consumers to buy. A clear example is the rise of sachet products, which grew from a 20-billion-baht market to 50 billion in just a few years. The same applies to telecom providers, now selling data by gigabyte or call time in small bundles instead of large prepaid plans. While consumers may need to purchase more frequently, each transaction feels lighter in the wallet. Short – Long-term plans can be a trap. In today’s fast-moving market, marketing plans that are prepared six months to one year in advance can quickly become outdated. Many department stores now adjust product placements daily, responding to rapidly changing consumer behaviors, a sudden drop in sales, or a competitor’s stronger promotion. Marketers who cling to rigid, long-term plans risk falling behind the game. Simple – Simple is Smart. Look at the Chinese ice cream and beverage brand MIXUE, which has grown into one of the world’s leading franchises. The brand opts for simple store designs with movable furniture, allowing outlets to open quickly, relocate easily, or close underperforming locations without major losses. Marketers must adopt a new mindset: simplicity is not laziness but the approach to respond rapidly and intensely involving business landscape. Good – Don’t compromise quality. No matter how small, short, or simple approach a business embraces, its commitment to doing good must remain unchanged. Cutting costs is acceptable—but cutting quality is not. Consumers often remember a brand not in its moments of success, but in how it behaves during difficult times. Brands that continue to offer quality products and act responsibly toward society will be remembered as genuine and trustworthy.   Add Value Instead of Cutting Prices When consumers seek value, lowering prices can feel like a “sugar rush,” which offers instant gratification but harms long-term health. The same holds true for businesses. Marketers must remember that lowering prices is easy but raising them back to normal is always difficult. Overreliance on discounts may provide a short-term boost, yet it can erode brand value and profitability in the long run. The sense of value can be created in many ways—without relying on price cuts. Marketers can draw on the following six Ps to strengthen value perception: Product: Enhance product value, for example, by creating a shampoo that can also function as a conditioner. Place: Increase convenience, such as by offering free home delivery. People: Provide sincere after-sales service. Process: Streamline operations to ensure speed and efficiency, avoiding unnecessary delays Packaging: Design packaging that is aesthetically beautiful and collectible, reinforcing positive physical impressions through what customers see and touch. Pricing: Lowering prices should be used as the last resort only. Don’t forget that while it is easy to lower price, it is difficult to bring price back to the same rate as before. Price cut is nothing short of “marketing nuclear weapons,” which may complicate business operations in the future. Shift Your Investment Toward Data In an era where every baht counts, precision marketing depends on deep, insightful data. Investing in building a richer, more targeted customer database can significantly enhance brand value. Because Thailand Post has invested hundreds of millions of baht each year in developing its customer database, it can bring back a large number of customers. Building and leveraging customer data allows brands to conduct more effective marketing at lower costs, delivering both short- and long-term returns. For example, if you have reliable customer information in hand today, you can make tomorrow’s Facebook ads far more precise. Embracing technology and digital marketing can immediately improve a brand’s sales Although the economy may still feel sluggish today, we must remember that we have already weathered the far greater storm of COVID-19. Many new marketing ideas may seem to turn the old playbook upside down—but they are far from impossible. Marketers should view this as a test of brand resilience. And when the storm eventually passes, those that adapt and endure will emerge stronger than ever. News Release ดาวน์โหลด เนื้อหาที่เกี่ยวข้อง Loading Data…

Spotlight Everyone is an authentic leader- Thalengsak Ratchburi Loading Data… With his career path enriched by experience, challenges, and self-development, Mr. Thalengsak Ratchburi, Chief Operating Officer, Fibrous Business, at SCGP, is here to share his perspectives that can be applied to yours as well. Hailing from Business Analysis & Planning Field Mr. Thalengsak started working for SCGP at the time it was still known as Siam Pulp and Paper Public Company Limited. He had spent his first decade at the company as an analyst in charge of formulating business strategies, evaluating returns on investments, and assessing a merger. All these tasks required attention to detail and staying close to actual work sites. “Working in analysis and planning taught me to dive deep into the details and stay present at the operational level with the team. But as I grew in my career and took on broader responsibilities, I realized that beyond focusing on the finer points of the work, it’s just as important to ensure a balance between team performance and well-being,” he said. “Each task involves collaborations with various teams—everyone has colleagues, subordinates, and supervisors with knowledge, expertise, and experience. Together, work becomes easier. “In the business cycle, there are, of course, both good times and bad times. The team I work with now has experienced both. So, they know what needs to be done—and how to do it.” Mr. Thalengsak’s career has included two stints abroad—one in the Philippines and the other in Indonesia. Looking back, he believes his employer has chosen him for those jobs based on suitability for both the organization and his part. “My stint in the Philippines has been a chance for me to learn and gain experience in a new environment. But my time in Indonesia was more about identifying where I could create value for the organization,” Mr. Thalengsak said. “Currently, I am responsible for the Fibrous Business, which covers the entire value chain—from cultivating eucalyptus plantations for pulp production to converting that pulp into paper. Originally, our main focus was on printing and writing paper. However, we have already transformed our business. Now, we have delivered a wide range of products for industrial sectors, including textiles that are made from dissolving pulp and foodservice packaging under Fest by SCGP.” No Safe Zone in the Business World “As Fibrous Business has already embarked on a transformation journey, my role is to explore new opportunities to build up further success on our existing business and expand further into consumer packaging sector via our foodservice. “Today, the business world is highly volatile. So, we need to be both careful and timely in implementing some aspects of our business transformation as well. “Every business must always be ready for change, because disruption can come from many directions—whether it’s technology, sudden shifts in demand and supply, or unforeseen challenges. I believe every organization needs a transformative mindset.” Growth Mindset Matters When Things Go Wrong “I believe that everyone, at some point in their career, has faced situations where things didn’t go as expected. I have usually emphasized to my team that not everything is under control. So, while working, we need to assess the situation, formulate proper strategies, implement them, and go all out. If the results are not as expected, we just need to conduct a review to determine if there is actually a better alternative. In every situation, we need to keep improving ourselves and maintain a growth mindset. When we don’t get desirable results yet, sometimes it’s just because we need some more time. “Another key point is that, as we grow in our roles, we should become more flexible—able to manage ourselves to take on various assignments and collaborate with diverse teams. If we believe in our ideas and methods, we should try to persuade others to support us. But if others have already developed a good concept and a practical framework, we should support them and adapt ourselves to fit with the team.” Everyone is an authentic leader  “At the mention of leadership, we often think it’s about the person at the very top—or the holders of just a few positions below. But in reality, leadership exists within everyone. We thus shouldn’t place the burden of ‘leading’ solely on others. Each person must exercise their own form of leadership—by being a leader in their own way. You don’t have to be someone else—just a better version of yourself. I always tell team members to lead in their own style. Use their strengths and fix any flaws. In business, if we need capital, we can raise funds. We can also buy machines and technology. But what truly differentiates an organization is its leadership. “Ownership mindset is also important. I came to deeply understand this concept during my time in Indonesia. It means having the courage to ask questions. Don’t think too much about whether we have done beyond our scope of job responsibility. We should think about how we would act if we owned this business. This is because in the end, our actions can have a real impact on the bottom line of the business.” News Release ดาวน์โหลด เนื้อหาที่เกี่ยวข้อง Loading Data…