Jamjaras Co., Ltd., under YDM Thailand, a specialist in the upcountry market, is setting out to lead brands into the Northeastern market. As a strategic region of the country, it is encouraging brands to take an offensive approach in expanding into secondary cities and reaching upcountry consumers to strengthen brand potential. The company has unveiled insight showing that local cultural communication values, or Soft Power, are a strength that can stimulate tourism and purchasing power, supporting the economy as spending begins to recover. It expects the upcountry market to trend upward during the year-end festive season and targets 2x growth in 2024. The Northeast is seen as an attractive investment area, covering one-third of the country with a population of more than 22 million people. Online media is found to dominate the market, and Jamjaras recommends the PHUTORN model to design brand communication strategies that fit upcountry consumer preferences and help increase sales by two times.

Mr. Tanapon Subsomboon, Chief Executive Officer of YDM (Thailand) Co., Ltd., said that online media now plays a major role in reaching consumers across the country. This is consistent with digital behavior data focused specifically on Thai people during 2022–2023, compiled by We Are Social and Meltwater, which found that Thailand has 71.75 million people, with 61.21 million internet users, or 85.3% of the population. Active social media users account for 72.8% of the population, and mobile phones rank first as the device used to visit websites at 68%. This shows that consumers now hold media power in their own hands, enabling them to choose the news, products, and services they consume in daily life. This is especially true for consumers in the provinces and secondary cities across regions, whose purchasing power is no less influential for brands than consumers in major cities. This is therefore an important market where marketers and brands should increase sales opportunities and expand their customer base. Jamjaras acts as YDM Thailand’s spearhead in driving partner brands to enter and seek new opportunities in these areas through its expertise and deep understanding of local cultural insight and values, as if it were truly part of the area, while helping brands reach consumers not only in major provincial cities but also in secondary cities through a strategy that integrates online media, offline media, and on-ground activities.

Mr. Somyot Chairat, Managing Director and Executive of Jamjaras Co., Ltd. under YDM Thailand, said that the weakness of today’s marketers and brands is their focus on urban consumer insight and their old assumption that the same stories can reach upcountry consumers as well. That approach may once have worked in the era when television was the main medium. But as the world has changed, the differing forms of Thai soft power have become far more influential. Most recently, the popularity of the film Sapparor is proof of acceptance, enjoyment, and the transfer of other cultural elements into mainstream influence. Some brands have already started moving into provincial and secondary-city markets, but they still fall into a major trap: they cannot deeply reach consumers in each area because they lack expertise and do not understand the behavior, lifestyle, and preferences of provincial consumers, which are specific to each region. As a result, many brands miss the opportunity to reach customers—especially in the Northeast, which is a strategically important region of the country.

Population data for the Kingdom of Thailand from the Central Registration Office shows that the Northeast had the highest population in 2022, with more than 22 million people, covering one-third of the country. It is therefore the provincial market with the greatest potential. It also has strengths in soft power, as the birthplace of arts and culture, local wisdom, beliefs, creativity, fun, and distinctive language, all of which help stimulate tourism and purchasing power among both domestic and international consumers. With the regional economy beginning to recover, this is an opportunity that brands should not overlook.

“Jamjaras is targeting 2x growth in 2024 and is moving forward in encouraging brands to enter the Northeastern market in response to the recovery of tourism and purchasing power, especially during the year-end festival period, when the upcountry market is expected to grow. In addition to using the PHUTORN model as the core of their marketing plans, brands should also draw on the strengths of local cultural communication values (Soft Power) in each area to strengthen the brand and connect with provincial consumers through four key elements:

1. Symbols should communicate through content, words, gestures, images, and objects that carry specific meaning and are accepted by people who share the same culture. 2. Heroes/Icons are important pieces that help draw attention alongside online and on-ground communication, focusing on people who are admired by society. 3. Rituals are local cultural expressions that come with beliefs, interests, and enjoyment and have strong influence on local people. They are often paired with offline activities that emphasize participation, such as festivals, merit-making events, parade trucks, or provincial annual events. 4. Value Target means reaching the unique identity of consumers in the area—for example, Northeastern people tend to enjoy group activities, fun, laughter, dancing, and singing.By applying this model to help drive brands into the upcountry market, it has been found that brands can increase sales by as much as two times, meet their goals, and achieve results beyond expectation,” Somyot concluded.

Credit : https://www.brandage.com/article/37204