Brands should focus on digital media and use them as a powerful "owned and earned" tool to communicate with consumers, say executives of leading digital agency mInteraction.
Siwat Chawareewong, chief executive of the Group M-owned agency, said the launch of third-generation (3G) mobile service will make online brand competition more intense for many segments, especially personal care products, hotels and airlines.
Almost all brands in Thailand have already used digital media to communicate directly with target customers, but brand marketers must prepare to cope with changes in four key areas.
First, the trend for selective paid online media such as banners will be weighted by the return on investment.
A technological innovation called demand-side platforms will maximise the value of marketing, guaranteeing that marketers can reach their targets much more effectively through specific tactics. This will lower costs by up to 30% for selected campaigns.
Second, Thai consumers regularly use social media and search engines to gather information before making a purchasing decision. Marketers should pay more attention to keywords and social mentions for above-the-line marketing.
Third, multimedia including video will be extensively used by marketers for customer communications when broadband internet through fixed lines is implemented and the 3G service is officially launched.
About 82% of Thai internet users watch online video.
Last, the proliferation of social media will remain in 2013 and beyond. Marketers should establish their online platform to be owned and earned media for customer engagement.
"In the future, ad spending will shift from paid to owned and earned media," Mr Siwat said.
Content creation is key to making a brand's platform successful, ranging from photos to videos and music.