Chinese telecommunications equipment firm ZTE Corporation has set its largest-ever marketing budget, US$20 million, to promote its smartphone brand among Asean members this year.
The figure is 50% higher than last year's budget, with the aim of serving its rapidly growing smartphone business, said Jeremy Zhao, ZTE's Southeast Asian chief executive for devices.
Zhang: Great potential in Thailand
"We expect to sell 2.5 million smartphones in the Thai market this year for a 15-18% market share, up from 1.1 million sold last year," he said.
A total of 2 million smartphones of the total sales target will come from co-marketing with mobile operator, Total Access Communication Plc.
The remaining 500,000 will come from its local authorised dealer, Jay Mart Plc.
Sales of ZTE smartphones ranked fourth in the Thai market last year, behind Samsung, Apple and Oppo.
The Shenzhen-based company sold 100 million smart devices globally in 2014 including 48 million smartphones.
Its smartphone sales in the US rose by more than 50% last year, outpacing the group's total global sales, which saw 20% growth.
Mr Zhao said he was confident of achieving the ambitious sales target after ZTE gained a 10% share in the local medium- and high-end smartphone markets last year despite intense competition.
"For ZTE, Thailand is the most focused and important Southeast Asian market excluding Indonesia," Mr Zhao said.
Jacky Zhang, vice-president of ZTE Corporation and chief executive for Asia-Pacific of subsidiary ZTE Mobile Devices, said the parent company planned to sell 60 million smartphones globally this year, up from 48 million last year.
ZTE expects to sell 100 million smart devices this year, about the same as last year.
"Smartphones contribute 70% of the group's mobile revenue," Mr Zhang said.
He said Thailand was one of the few Southeast Asian countries to obtain a budget increase thanks to its high market potential.
Mr Zhang said ZTE fully supported the government's planned spectrum auction this year to provide fourth-generation (4G) wireless broadband service.
A 4G spectrum auction will help to drive the development of a digital economy in Thailand, he said.
ZTE last week in Hong Kong launched the latest additions to the Blade series and plans to introduce the Blade S6 in Thailand this month for $250. Some 20 million of the Blade series has been sold globally since its introduction in 2010.