Effective communication should be designed to suit different customer groups using various media including the online platform, mobile phones and digital TV, says Mindshare Thailand, a global marketing and media agency.
Managing director Nilufar Fowler said Thailand's media landscape is entering a dynamic phase. Brands and advertisers face challenges for media planning as consumer behaviour changes, so they need to adjust their communication strategies.
There are four key trends for Thai consumers in the next two years. First, the media landscape will be more fragmented by the influence of new media such as cable and satellite TV, as well as the upcoming terrestrial digital TV, she said.
When planning media campaigns, advertisers should note how much each media, especially those with their own viewership, will affect marketing, said Ms Fowler.
"Take for example the United Kingdom. Even with digital TV in the market, 50% of TV ad purchases are on ITV and Channel 4, two mainstream channels, while another 50% is for digital TV," she said.
Second, fixed-line internet access without mobile reaches 25% of the Thai population and is forecast to grow to 50% by 2015. Consumers will spend more time online, exceeding the amount of time watching TV by 2015.
Brand owners and advertisers should move their media investment to digital and ensure their content will be searched for and shared.
Digital media has proliferated the past few years and now nearly saturates Thailand, which ranks among the top for Facebook users with 18 million. The new Facebook rule is 10% of fan pages can see new feeds, and this is considered a threat for brands, she said.
This means brands should focus on getting fans to interact and engage with them.
Third, brands should embrace the mobile format. Mobile is likely to become the primary platform for internet access in Thailand, replacing the personal computer. By 2016, three times more mobile searches will take place than those via desktop.
Moreover, multi-screen viewing per device is increasing. Brands should make sure their campaigns are viewable across all devices rather than relying on TV as the primary media.
Lastly, brands should utilise data from their own media for analysis and strategy. Feedback will help accurately gauge marketing performance and improve the return on investment.