SMEs are the lifeblood of the Thai economy. Employers employ more than 85% of the country in the face of the COVID crisis, which is like a huge iceberg and must fight against economic stagnation Can't sell products because customers lack purchasing power. Plus, traditional marketing is not as working as before. Dr. Ake Patthanakul, Chair of the Master in Branding and Marketing Program and Assistant to the President Chulalongkorn University Shared experiences and turned the textbook upside down to find strategies to help Thai SMEs survive at the Digital SME Conference Thailand 2020.

When Thai SMEs are facing a huge iceberg

The Covid Crisis caused 15 years of academics who taught brand and marketing at the Faculty of Accounting, Dr. Ake, to tear down the textbooks he had taught because today the textbooks are no longer available. Dr. Ake said now I had to swallow my own saliva. What has been taught in the past no longer works. I don't know what movement to use. As in the past, it would teach you that 4P Product Price Place Promotion can be used with any strategy, but don't use Price. Because if the price is cut back and forth in the end, all will die. The strategy to cut the price will only make the product value lower, the more the competition is, the lower. It requires a strategy to create value. Create added value for the brand. But today, even the old big-name brands still must cut prices. Because people don't have money today, "value marketing" can't do it and must. "Cost-effective marketing"

For example, five-star hotel, spa massage 950-baht, normal massage shop 1,000 baht, how can a normal massage shop survive? Dr. Ake reiterated that what he said did not make the operator panic but want the businessman to realize that this crisis is very scary. Every marketing textbook must be torn apart. You must think of an upside-down. For example, in foreign countries, famous brand companies over the age of hundreds must shut down because of COVID. In Thailand itself Famous tourist attractions, airlines, restaurants closed Many hotels are still not open because there are no tourists. And how to continue doing business. Today we must find a solution because SMEs that have been around for a long time, both overseas and in the country, still cannot survive

Dr. Ake likens the COVID crisis to a huge iceberg that doesn't know how to pass.
He recalled the latest research from the Siam Commercial Bank (EIC) Center for Economic Research that domestic spending was negative at 2.3%. Domestic investment negative 10.4%, exports negative 15.31%, tourism negative 83.1%. The only positive thing is the amount of money in a bank where more than one hundred million baht is deposited, plus 12.7%. That means rich people put all their money into banks. The question is if Thailand is like a car? But no engine is running So what do business people do?

How to do marketing when business never is the same?

Covid distorts marketing and business practices. Dr. Ake said that eight months ago he still taught that the sharing economy is coming, but now everyone is afraid of COVID. No one dares to share anything. Airbnb, Uber, Co-Working Space, now there are no people to use or market a good service, need High Touch Service, but it is the fault after COVID. Or a gathering of tourism that requires an emphasis on interaction, eat together now can't. Or branding requires the principles of Sensory Branding or branding through the five senses, eyes look, hand touch, ears listening, tongue tasting, nose sniffing. Now, if SMEs use the same method, taste, catch, smell, no one dares to do just two things: the eyes and the traditional simple marketing is not effective.

Identify ways to survive Thai SMEs with the strategy of "5 จ"

When Thai SMEs have to overcome this iceberg But the traditional marketing strategy is unable to save a life any longer, Dr. Ake asks to turn the marketing textbook to be the light to point out the solution for SME entrepreneurs with the strategy "5 methods".

  1. Catch the current, what current to seize it, seize it first If making it possible to sell products

Dr. Ake said that in the past, the market caught the trend, saying that there were ups and downs, do not have to pay attention because it is not sustainable. But now if there is no budget When there is already a loud current Hurry and catch them first before you can survive. When there is a new trend, keep looking. Then the current marketing must be fast What happens must be communicated immediately, do not emphasize beautifully. It does not have to be accurate as in the past. Because today the world is not in beauty, but at Speed ​​or fast. Example of flow that comes fast, super valentine, orange stop, raining, now Uncle Phon. Dr. Ake noted that the trend will happen about a week before TikTok, followed by Twitter, and if the stream is going to go to IG, after about 2 weeks it will go to Facebook and about 1 month to go on TV. Therefore, SMEs business, if only watching TV means that it will lag for 2 months or play LINE alone, it is not a duty to do. Today must keep up with the current. The question is, how do you look at the current? Dr. Ake recommends using a tool like Google Trend or trend.wisesight.com that belongs to the Thai people and understands the Thai context well so that they can follow the current and get it to market.
 

2. Pecking customers, customers are hard to find, no money to buy things, have to be met with digital tools

In the past, when marketing, customer pecks would not do because of fear of annoying customers. But today, customers have limited money, if they don't buy our products, they buy other people's stuff. So, you need to follow the customers' pecking techniques that are simple in the digital world. For example, when you talk to a friend about a product you're interested in, an ad suddenly pops up on Facebook. When interested, click to see and do not buy. Ads will follow indefinitely. Maybe cross-platform as well. Dr. Ake asks if SMEs have been marketing this kind of pecking customers yet. Because today there are tools like Facebook Pixel or Google Tag Manager that can enter customer information and follow customers indefinitely until they buy, you can set the time for how many days you will stick to customers. I would like SMEs to do their homework and study these tools and must use them as they will be very useful for business.

3. Targeting marketing because of no budget. Need to find customers to meet clearly target customer groups

Dr. Ake recommends that there is a marketing method that does not require a large budget but is effective because it can find potential customers through targeted techniques. Just know how to search for groups on Facebook that include mothers, elders, health lovers, pets, marketplaces, educational institutions, etc. These groups have huge customers. There are similar needs, ask SMEs to try to search, for example, Facebook Group, the mother of the Little Pig Club, is the mother who has a child born in the year of the pig, come together to share experiences with each other or the elderly group, go to Count up. With over 70,000 people aged 50+ Therefore, SMEs must hunt for those groups. So as not to lose the opportunity in marketing that costs less but is very effective.

4. Sincere marketing must be sincere. And will get customers back

In the past, we had to create a brand and create a story, but today customers have learned a lot about what is true and what is not. Sincere marketing doesn't have to be online alone. You can do it offline. For example, Big Tae's shop at Thammasat still sells well, even with convenience stores selling competitions, but still selling. Because P’ Tae sells things using sincerity plus fun. With handwritten words attached to the shelf, such as "Bread for people like taro" or "Recommended snacks at the end of the month. Crispy corn sticks, a lot, delicious, only 5 baht. Eat the whole pack and drink the water you will be able to pass this month. Or "Brother who doesn't have a watch to wear P’ Tae, would like to recommend Hanami, a rich cracker, friend. Here is an example of a handwritten little story, but it creates a sincere and touching impression on the customer. Or an oyster shop cashes Seven Stamps trend "Oyster Sauce 60 baht, receive a stamp of Seven" These are things SMEs can do and big brands can't beat. Try to apply it as an example of marketing that does not require much thought but is the sincerest.

5. Helping (Society) Today, everyone is struggling, business can live, and society can live

Because COVID changes society, everyone is afraid because they don't know what will happen next. Dr. Ake said that in the end, it is not possible to do business alone, but also to support society. Because SMEs are people who employ 85% of the total number of businesses, more than 90% of the country. For example, Thai Post Office In the past, many people sent donations to the hospital, so there was a promotion for free delivery, if the weight is less than 10 kilograms, the post will be picked up at home. Or Find Food in LINE MyShop during COVID, farmers do not sell mangoes, together with elephants lacking food So they brought mangoes and elephants to meet, and made a campaign to buy 10 kilograms of mangoes for the elephants to help the farmers help the elephants make agriculture to sell mangoes. Or Local.bkk Delivery helps the community is a gathering of the Sao Chingcha community and the Pratu Pee area without being deducted 30-35% to the food delivery platform. Living Business Concept Living Society SMEs can be used because it will make the business stay sustainable.

Before the end of the session, Dr. Ake reiterated that Will Never Ever Be the Same Again, nothing is the same today. Many people think that COVID is a barrier, but COVID is an opportunity for businesses to optimize and move on. Let's fight together

Source: Digital SME Conference Thailand 2020: Marketing Upside Down: Upside Down Marketing Textbook by Dr. Ake  Phatthanakul, Chair of the Master in Branding and Marketing Program and Assistant to the President Chulalongkorn University September 15, 2020