So far, the thick-soled shoes have mostly attracted men aged 26 and over.

Charnchant Krisadawat, marketing manager of OTT Footwear Co Ltd - Dr Marten's authorised representative in Thailand - said that since it officially entered the Thai market last September the brand had received a good response from Thai consumers although sales to the key 18-25-year-old segment had not met expectations. The company is hoping sales to this segment will account for 30 per cent of sales this year. To draw interest from younger buyers, the company will apply music marketing. Its first activity under the strategy is "Lek Chin Sod: Flure Spective", a concert by the band Flure sponsored by Dr Martens, which will be held on April 1. Every buyer of a pair of Dr Marten's shoes will be awarded two tickets to the concert. The campaign is being organised in partnership with Fat Radio.

Charnchant said that if the campaign proves to be success, the company will organise more concerts with other radio stations to capture various groups of teenagers.

Apart from the concert, the company has opened a 1460 Booth Shop at Centre Point in Siam Square to give it exposure to more teenage buyers.

Dr Marten's has been widely known among Thai consumers for over a decade as independent traders bought in bulk to retail the shoes here. OTT Footwear became the authorised representative in September.

Shoe prices range from Bt3,900 to Bt4,500.

The brand has three product lines: Casual, Classic Style and Smart Working.

Dr Marten's are currently sold at seven branches of the Central Department Stores: Central Chidlom, Lardprao, Bangna, Pinklao, Rama III, Phuket, and Zen.

This year, the company plans to open another five retail points at Siam Paragon, The Emporium, The Mall Bangkapi, Central Airport Chiang Mai, and Isetan. It also hopes to open an 80-square meter store at Siam Discovery within this year, which will require a Bt3 million to Bt4 million investment.

Another marketing campaign running from yesterday to the end of March is "Dr Marten's: Free Style in Style" selling shoes designed by Thai celebrities. Revenue gained from the sale of those shoes will be presented to the Chaipattana Foundation.

With all its marketing efforts, the company expects to sell more than 10,000 pairs of shoes worth Bt45 million. Last year, the company sold 3,000 pairs worth Bt12 million to 13 million.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation