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Published on August 27, 2007

The Thai Direct Marketer Association predicts bright prospects and a 10-per-cent increase in sales this year to about Bt7 billion.

Association president Gessanie Skuldist last week said direct selling was an efficient way to reach lower-income consumers.

Direct marketing is enjoying a worldwide boom, said Gessanie, who is also chief creative officer at Arc Worldwide.

In Thailand, direct selling is gradually gaining popularity among companies seeking to introduce new products to potential customers. "Many companies have shifted as much as 50 per cent of their advertising budgets to direct marketing," she said.

With increasing competition, companies are seeking to offer customers more in an effort to create brand loyalty and direct marketing is an alternative way to achieve this, she added.

Many companies take advantage of direct marketing to collect customer databases.

Gessanie explained that direct marketing was required in designing "strategic long-term plans" allowing companies to retrieve customer feedback.

Direct marketing communicates with customers online and offline - via the Internet, mobile phones and direct mail. "The online format will be the trend in direct marketing in the digital era," Gessanie said, adding that, as a result of its lower cost, the Internet was proving the most popular medium.

However, she suggested direct mail should not be overlooked given that it reached all customers.

The association encouraged companies to "realise the importance" of direct marketing by visiting its 2007 trade show at the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre from September 11 to 13.

There will be seminars and trade and creative exhibitions and the association expects more than 700 companies and 2,000 individuals to participate. More than 120 examples of direct marketing are entered in the creative awards competition.

Changes to data protection laws before the National Legislative Assembly will affect the way companies use information, Gessanie said. To this end, the fair will concentrate on "real practices" and "ready-to-use marketing strategies".

Legislative changes involve the use of name and information databases. Companies will need to seek permission for the commercial use of those records.

The association was established in 1992 and has a membership of 62 companies, including American Express, Reader's Digest, Thai Airways International, TV Direct, Fuji Xerox, Smart Digital Solutions and Ogilvy One.

Sasithorn Ongdee

The Nation