Published in "Bone" Journal, Scientific Researches Confirm Peptan(TM) Hydrolyzed Collagen Benefits on Bone Health

Studies Conducted at INRA-AgroParisTech Laboratory Under Pr. Daniel Tomé Supervision and Published* in November 2009, in the Official Journal of the International Bone and Mineral Society "Bone", Reveal new Benefits for Peptan(TM) in Osteoporosis Prevention In response to customer concerns regarding long-term bone health, Rousselot has carried out, for several years now, many studies to demonstrate that an oral intake of Peptan(TM) may have a positive impact on osteoporosis.


Bone is a living dynamic metabolic system that relies on a maintained balance between bone formation and bone resorption. Cells called osteoblasts make bone while cells called osteoclasts resorb it. An imbalance

may lead to osteoporosis, a condition where the density and quality of bone is reduced.

Researchers conducted in vitro studies, and highlighted that Peptan(TM) in bone cell culture induced a better differentiation of osteoblasts. Those positive results have then been confirmed in vivo on ovariectomized mice, used to simulate a postmenopausal osteoporosis, which leads to a lower bone mineral density (BMD).

Animals were divided into three groups: a control group (non ovariectomized), a group of ovariectomized mice, both fed with a normal diet and a group of ovariectomized mice that received a diet containing Peptan(TM). After 12 weeks, the BMD of the group fed with Peptan(TM) is not significantly different from the BMD of control group. On the contrary the BMD of ovariectomized mice not fed with Peptan(TM) is lower.

Confirmation of Peptan(TM) benefits on bone health has been obtained by the measures of Carboxy Terminal Telopeptide (CTX), a usual marker of bone resorption. CTX is significantly lower in mice fed with
PeptanTM indicating that bone resorption is reduced.

Researchers conclude that Peptan(TM) may restore bone density in simulated post-menopausal osteoporosis by stimulating osteoblast growth and differentiation. This demonstrates the interest of Peptan(TM) as a bioactive ingredient to help preventing bone loss during aging.

*Hydrolyzed collagen improves bone metabolism and biomechanical parameters in ovariectomized mice: an in vitro and in vivo study. Guillerminet et al. Bone 2009.
Rousselot, http://www.rousselot.com

Part of VION N.V. (N.L.), Rousselot(R) is the worldwide leader in gelatine and hydrolyzed collagen. VION N.V. is an internationally operating food group that produces high-quality foods and ingredients for
humans and animals (Turnover: EUR 9.6 billion - 31,000 employees worldwide)

‘Roses of the North’ Charity Exhibition

Flowers can make everyone feel happy…. H.E.Privy Councillor Palakorn Suwanrath and Thanpuying Dhasaniya Suwanrath recently presided over at ‘Roses of the North’ charity oil painting exhibition inspired by Bhubing Palace organized by L’Occitane and Baan Saen Doi Resort in Chiang Mai. The art of mercy rose oil painting exhibition was held at Peninsula Plaza and part of sales went to support schools and hospitals where are needed in Chiang Mai. Many kind hearted celebrities attended the event including Khunying Dhipavadee Meksawan, Mr.Harald Link, Arunee Bhirombhakdi, Atchara Tejapaibul, M.L.Sirichalerm Svasti, M.L.Thongmakut and Jarujit Thongyai, Yuwadee and Nidsinee Chirathivat, Dararatana and Toey Mahadumrongkul, Chadapah Snidvongs, Captain Deuntemduang Na Chiengmai, Pimpawan Limpichart, Joy Sopitpongstorn, Panitnuj Bunnag, Piranuj T.Suwan, Sodsoi Chomthavat, Mayura Savetsila, Wanchana Sawasdee and more.

The exhibition showcased of over 70 oil painting of roses flowers by artist and art lecturer Narin Phothisombat. Narin Phothisombat is a talented artist with an art degree from Chiang Mai Technology Rajchamonkol. His painting was inspired by roses from Phra Tamnak Bhubing Rajanives (Bhubing Palace). His painting reflected his pride and passions towards the beauty of nature for roses including Queen Sirikit, Eliza, Rouge Meilland, Queen Elizabeth and Royal Air Force.

In addition there was the charity auction on 2 oil painting pieces. The first one was the painting of Queen Elizabeth which won by Harald Link, CEO of B.Grimm for 120,000 Baht and the other piece on Queen Sirikit won by Arunee Bhirombhakdi for 75,000 Baht.

MyComBar - Asia’s first launch, unveiled by BEC-Tero ComCom

An innovative new content application on mobile phone – MyComBar - has just been launched in Thailand, the first place in Asia to have access to this whole new pathway to information and premium lifestyle.


BEC-Tero Entertainment, Thailand’s leading entertainment media provider, has expanded into the mobile media industry with the establishment of BEC-Tero ComCom. The company is a 51:49 joint venture between BEC-Tero and Com Com Co. Ltd., the leading communications technology company for mobile phone providers from Norway.

MyComBar is a new content application for mobile phones offering premium lifestyle to its users. Thailand is the first country in Asia to launch the application along with a variety of special privileges for its users and benefits for advertisers and content providers.

Mr. Prasan Maleenont, Vice Executive Chairman of BEC-Tero said the company was striving to find new media technology to assure unique entertainment experiences. “MyComBar was created by Com Com Co. Ltd. and it’s a unique application that fits on with our company’s profile,” he said.

MyComBar is an application that will change the way content and news are presented on mobile phones. With a full screen mode, phone users can choose from several different interactions such as click to see banner, click to call, click to SMS, click to access WAP site for more information. By installing the MyComBar application, users can access news, read horoscopes or enjoy special discounts, promotions and privileges from various products and services.

By utilizing MyComBar, business owners will gain full benefits from mobile advertising which can reach more targeted audiences compared with the Internet and other media channels. Their advertisements, promotions and all kinds of communications will be more noticeable because of its non intrusive nature. However MyComBar‘s idle screen banner advertising adds even more value to their business since it can drive sales using interactive functions.

Mr. Svein Johnsen, Chairman of Com Com Company Limited said the company chose Thailand to debut MyComBar application in Asia because the country’s mobile phone user market is growing every year. There are now over 61 million numbers and it is likely to increase to 80 million in the next 3 years. Moreover Thai people enjoyed a modern premium lifestyle that suits the application. “We are aiming for 100,000 users within the next 6 months and the figures are expected to grow rapidly,” he said. “I believe that the MyComBar application will completely transform the lifestyle of Thais.”

The MyComBar application is compatible with AIS, DTAC and True Move networks. All 3 mobile network service providers are ready to accommodate users through “MyComBar ... My Premium Lifestyle.”

Mr. Pakorn Pannachet, Senior Vice President, Value Added Service Division of Total Access Communication Public Company Limited (DTAC) disclosed “MyComBar will create new phenomenon for the country’s mobile advertising industry. This smart passive application lets users respond to promotions, activities as they preferred. Its advertising banner in different styles efficiently communicates brands for products and services. Both DTAC customers and advertisers will get pleasure from the convenience and benefits offered by MyComBar.“

Mr. Pratthana Leelapanang, Assistant Vice President, Value Added Service of Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited (AIS) said MyComBar was the new choice for transforming regular mobile screens into something “funkier”.“This new service will also benefit AIS clients, and this is one of the company’s leading policies,” he said.

Mr. Piroon Paireepairitt, Multimedia Services Director of True Corporation Public Company Limited added “As the leader in convergence lifestyle, our ongoing commitment to our TrueMove customers is to provide innovations that fit and enhance their various and vibrant lifestyles. MyComBar is the latest unique mobile service with many cool interactive functions that allow our customers to enjoy life even more.”

Experience a new level of excellence with your mobile phone through MyComBar… My Premium Lifestyle, the newest application on your mobile phone that promises the latest updated news and highlights, special privileges such as discounts and prizes available at your fingertips at all times. Simply download MyComBar application on WAP site: dl.mycombar.com or call *583# (AIS), *483831100 (DTAC, TRUE) For more information check out www.mycombar.com or call customer service at 02 262 3975.
Special privileges until the end of the year

After installing MyComBar onto your mobile phone, you will be automatically updated with news and information so you won’t miss out on your premium lifestyle.
1. No GPRS fees charged for the installation and no charge for application.
2. When installing MyComBar today, get 30 Baht worth of free calls.
3. No GPRS fees when using MyComBar to update banners.

4. Get the latest updated news from Post Today, hot entertainment news Siam Dara provided by Samart, and daily horoscopes by Mor Yong, Mor Luk and Mor Krit and Mor Pu Lok Biew provided by Samart.

5. Get the latest promotions, for example, airfare promotions from AirAsia, job vacancies from Jobbkk, discounts at ManU Bar, free English tips and free trials by Andrew Biggs Academy (just click to call/send SMS/WAP for the interested content, fees are according to the operator shown on the banner.)

6. Monthly draws and prizes available for users including prizes from Thaiticketmajor, ManU Bar, and the Arsenal Shop. Prizes vary each month.

* Enjoy free calls seven days after MyComBar has been installed on your mobile phone for a period of 15 days.

**Special privileges available the day after the application installation has been completed.

BuzzCity Launches Mobile Advertising Campaign Planner

BuzzCity Launches Mobile Advertising Campaign Planner New tool helps marketers plan mobile ad campaigns on BuzzCity ad network


BuzzCity (www.buzzcity.com), a provider of global wireless communities and consumer services, today released a first-of-its-kind mobile advertising campaign planner for users of its BuzzCity Global Mobile Advertising Network. The tool allows marketers and brands to better plan their mobile advertising campaigns with traffic and demographic data from each of the 200 countries included in BuzzCity’s network.

The BuzzCity Campaign Planner helps mobile media planners, researchers and strategists to overcome the challenges they face when planning the strategy and tactics behind successful mobile advertising and marketing campaigns. With an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, the Campaign Planner provides key data that will help companies get maximum results from their advertising spend.

The BuzzCity Global Mobile Advertising Network is one of the world’s largest mobile internet advertising networks. It includes more than 2,000 mobile internet publisher sites in 200 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, along with the company’s myGamma mobile social networking community.

The BuzzCity Campaign Planner includes a map display coloured to denote the mobile internet advertising page views available in markets around the world. Darker coloured countries have more inventory relative to the lighter coloured ones, allowing advertisers to quickly identify where they would like to advertise. When users roll over each country with their cursor, a pop-up window displays the number of ad impressions available per month and the average cost-per-click recorded for that market. Other information accessible through the tool include carrier and network information, handset information—including brand, model, operating system and features, and user information—including gender, age and location.

“Each of the millions of ad impressions served across our network daily tell us a little more about the mobile internet landscape,” said KF Lai, BuzzCity CEO. “The data accrued is a trove of valuable insight for advertisers and media planners, and also paints a coherent picture of mobile internet trends—what markets are expanding, who is engaging and the types of handsets they are using to surf.”

The result is a tool that instantly puts an unprecedented amount of data in the hands of advertisers that want to run campaigns on the BuzzCity Global Advertising Network. Generally, mobile carriers and networks tend to release very little data on their users, leaving mobile advertising and marketing professionals with no real insight into the markets that they are dealing with. The Campaign Planner provides information that can take much of the assumption and guesswork out of the task.

“BuzzCity’s advertisers are now able to do away with much of the trial-and-error of planning, and can establish effective campaign metrics upfront,” said Lai. “There is no other advertising network that provides this amount of data, enabling marketers to better set goals based on their target markets, optimize their campaigns, continue to adjust performance to achieve the best click through rates, and ultimately achieve the best conversion and customer acquisition rates.”

The BuzzCity Campaign Planner is available at http://www.buzzcity.com/f/campaignplanner in an easy-to-understand graphic format, free of charge for all.
About BuzzCity

BuzzCity is a developer of global wireless communities and consumer services. Established in 1999 in Singapore, BuzzCity today operates the world’s largest wireless community - mygamma.com - for two distinct audiences: the newly connected emerging middle class in developing markets and the blue collar sector in developed regions. These "unwired" consumers are accessing the mobile internet on their phones due to widespread and affordable wireless access.

BuzzCity provides marketers with unprecedented opportunities to reach this audience via its far- reaching advertising, merchant and publisher programs. Additional information can be found at www.buzzcity.com.

INDEX CREATIVE IN WORLD EXPO TOUR VENTURE

       Event-organiser Index Creative Village has joined hands with Total Reservation and travel agency Starbridge to be the ticket sales agent and organiser of World Expo Tour, aiming at generating revenue of more than Bt100 million next year.
       This is part of the company's Spider Web Strategy, targeted at extending its event-organiser business to other areas.
       Index co-chief executive officer Kreingkrai Kanjanapokin yesterday said it had set up joint ventures with Total Reservation, the ticket-sales firm under Impact Exhibition Management, and with Starbridge. The investment proportion of each JV is 50:50.
       Index won the bidding to create the Thai Pavilion at the World Expositin Shanghai China 2010, or World Expo, the world's biggest exhibition featuring the latest architecture, arts and technology of each participating country.
       The expo will be held from May 1 to October 31 next year. The Thai Pavilion is being constructed onsite in shanghai at a cost of Bt600 million.
       "This World Expo is the biggest one in term of investment size and countries taking part, as well as the closest venue to date for Thai people wishing to experience the world phenomenon. I, as one of the World Expo gurus who have a passion for the event, think this is a good time to organise a tour and sell tickets for Thai people and open the opportunity for them to experience the expo," Kreingkrai said.
       The Chinese government and attending countries are investing a combined Bt1 trillion to build facilities for the expo and create pavilions, he added.
       He said Total Reservation had been authorised as the sales agent for the World Expo in Thailand. It plans to start selling tickets next month. Index and Total Reservation expect to sell Bt25 million worth of tickets for the event.
       Meanwhile, Starbridge - the other partner in the venture - will organise the Fast Track World Expo Shanghai Tour during the exhibition. Index and Starbridge hope to generate revenue of Bt80 million from this activity.
       Kreingkrai said Index aimed firstly to target corporate clients and others interested in experiencing the latest architecture from several countries.
       "This is not the first time Index has entered the tour business. We used to organise small group tours with people to the World Expo many times in the past. But this is the first time that we have joined hands with tour-agency and ticket-agency experts. This is a project in our Spider Web Strategy, aiming at extending our operations to other businesses. We expect to have more projects under this strategy next year," he said.
       The World Expo 2010 covers 3,300 rai in Shanghai, equivalent to 489 football fields. Exhibitors from 166 countries will be taking part, creating 230 pavilions.
       The Chinese government expects 70 million people to attend, generating Bt70 billion from ticket sales.

BUSINESSES TOLD TO BE CAUTIOUS

       Businesses have been warned to adopt marketing strategies to cope with a variety of economic scenarios next year, because conditions remain unpredictable. The warning came from executives at a seminar hosted yesterday by the Marketing Association of Thailand.
       Bank of Thailand Deputy Governor Bandid Nijathaworn said the economy had been picking up continuously since September, thanks to the rebound of the global economy and the government's spending and stimulus package.
       However, he said good business players should be cautious in such an uncontrollable economic environment. Different marketing plans and strategies should be adopted to cope with changes in the market and economic environments.
       Marketing Association president Somboon Prasitjutrakul said marketers had to create marketing plans and strategies to cope with different business circumstances, which might range from a stagnant to a growing market environment.
       Political unrest and oil prices will be two key factors affecting the local economy.
       In the event of a growing economic environment, local players should adopt more proactive marketing plans to accelerate their business growth and gain market share, said Somboon, who is also president of leading trading firm Diethelm.
       "We've seen better signs of economic recovery, especially in the tourism sector, since the end of September. We've seen many tourism-related products, as well as luxury goods, starting to show higher sales," he said.
       Singha Corp marketing director Chatchai Wiratyosin said present economic difficulties would not turn around quickly and that business players should expect uncontrollable conditions for the next three or four years.
       "Business people should do their jobs as best they can. They need to be flexible all the time, to deal with any changes. They should know and evaluate their own company internally based on a factual and realistic market environment," he said.
       Chatchai said political instability was the only worrying factor apart from an undesirable economic environment.

BUILD YOUR BRAND WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK

       Why do many businesses fail when times are tough? It's the same reason that any business can fail when times are good: faulty marketing.
       Faulty marketing - or no marketing at all - means no customers. And that means no sales, no profits and no business.
       Marketing to build a powerful brand is all about identifying the needs of a target market and taking action to satisfy those needs better than the competition. So, embracing a customer-led mindset throughout the company is critical to success. Every decision on all aspects of your business - from product design and pricing to supply chain and distribution channels - must revolve around customers and their needs.

       Empty pockets, full marketing plan
       I often hear business owners say: "That sounds good, but I don't have enough money, people, or resources to market effectively." The key to success is to change your mindset from what you don't have to what you do have.
       In fact, I guarantee you already have five powerful resources in your company that can help you market effectively. For business owners who are prepared to build and maintain a solid marketing foundation, these five resources can be used to bring greater success.
       1. Positioning: The way you want customers to perceive, think, and feel about your business versus your competition.
       2. Customers: We'll talk about how to effectively market to keep your current clients coming back for more.
       3. Your products and services: Learn to review your portfolio through the eyes of your customers to attract more business.
       4. Your team: There are powerful ways that your team can help you market, day in and day out.
       5. Your competition: How can your competition help your business to grow? We'll explore this in the final article of this three-part series.
       We'll cover all five resources in upcoming articles, but today, we'll focus on the first:
       Positioning
       Without positioning to differentiate your brand or business from all the others in a meaningful way, your products or services become commodities, and you end up competing on price alone, and this is a precarious market position at best.
       Businesses without well-defined positioning statements are not in the driver's seat. After all, if you aren't exactly sure what your company stands for, how can your customers be sure? Indeed, if you don't take charge of your positioning yourself, there's a good chance your competition will step in and define your positioning for you.
       I often hear business owners say: "Positioning is only for big companies or companies who sell direct to consumers," or: "We've never written it down, so we don't even have positioning."
       The truth is, you already have positioning whether you know it or not. Large or small, your company's positioning is how customers perceive, think, and feel about your brand or business versus the competition. Since your clients are already out there perceiving, thinking, and feeling about you right now, your positioning already exists in their minds.
       The question is, do you have the positioning you want?
       Another popular myth is that small companies don't need positioning. In reality, it's just the opposite: smart positioning helps level the playing field for businesses with fewer resources. While large companies often have deeper pockets to help communicate what they want their business to stand for, companies with fewer resources must be smarter, to identify and solidify that one particular "sweet spot" that they, and they alone, can and want to own.
       Taking charge of your existing positioning is one of the most powerful activities you can do to stand out from the competition and win in the marketplace. And, it doesn't have to cost you a lot.
       The key is to spend quality time with your management team, defining and aligning your business to the six core elements that make up your positioning: target market, need, competitive framework, benefits, reasons why and character. These six fit together like a jigsaw puzzle to form your Positioning Statement.
       Once defined, your positioning should become a mantra of sorts for your team, guiding everyone on a daily basis and helping to make important decisions. That's how you build a powerful position in the market without spending a lot in doing so.

       BRENDA BENCE is managing director of Brand Development Associates International. Earlier, she spent 20 years with Procter & Gamble and Bristol-Myers Squibb, managing dozens of brands on four continents and in 50 countries. She may be contacted at brenda@brendabence.com. Watch for the second of this three-part series to learn about the next two marketing resources that can be used to create a powerful, but inexpensive, marketing plan.

Kingdon's best crafts

       Great stuff handmade in rural corners all over the country are on sale at the October 10 Thai Craft Fair in the Jasmine City Building on Sukhumvit Soi 23.
       Shop for baskets, hand-woven silk, ceramics, hilltribe stichwork and recycled items and view the exhibition "Khon Lek Lek", featuring the amazing baskets of Montri Yimyean and his fellow weavers in Rayong, who've found a less harmful altfernative to factories and fishing.
       The fair is running from 10 to 5. Call (02)676 0636-8, extension 231,or visit www.ThaiCraft. org.

Magnificent seven

       In the most important, most revered event since the invention of the brontosaurus trap,Microsoft shipped the most incredibly fabulous operating system ever made; the release of Windows 7 also spurred a new generation of personal computers of all sizes at prices well below last month's offers.The top reason Windows 7 does not suck: There is no registered website called Windows7Sucks.com
       Kindle e-book reader maker Amazon.com and new Nook e-book reader vendor Barnes and Noble got it on; B&N got great reviews for the "Kindle killer"Nook, with dual screens and touch controls so you can "turn" pages, plays MP3s and allows many non-B&N book formats, although not the Kindle one;Amazon then killed the US version of its Kindle in favour of the international one, reduced its price to $260(8,700 baht), same as the Nook; it's not yet clear what you can get in Thailand with a Nook, but you sure can't (yet) get much, relatively speaking, with a Kindle;but here's the biggest difference so far,which Amazon.com has ignored: the Nook lets you lend e-books to any other Nook owner, just as if they were paper books; the borrowed books expire on the borrower's Nook in two weeks.
       Phone maker Nokia of Finland announced it is suing iPhone maker Apple of America for being a copycat; lawyers said they figure Nokia can get at least one, probably two per cent (retail) for every iPhone sold by Steve "President for Life" Jobs and crew via the lawsuit,which sure beats working for it -$6 (200 baht) to $12(400 baht) on 30 million phones sold so far, works out to $400 million or 25 percent of the whole Apple empire profits during the last quarter;there were 10 patent thefts, the Finnish executives said, on everything from moving data to security and encryption.
       Nokia of Finland announced that it is one month behind on shipping its new flagship N900 phone, the first to run on Linux software; delay of the $750(25,000 baht) phone had absolutely no part in making Nokia so short that it had to sue Apple, slap yourself for such a thought.
       Tim Berners-Lee, who created the World Wide Web, said he had one regret:the double slash that follows the "http:"in standard web addresses; he estimated that 14.2 gazillion users have wasted 48.72 bazillion hours typing those two keystrokes, and he's sorry; of course there's no reason to ever type that, since your browser does it for you when you type "www.bangkokpost.com" but Tim needs to admit he made one error in his lifetime.
       The International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations, which doesn't sell any phones or services, announced that there should be a mobile phone charger that will work with any phone; now who would ever have thought of that, without a UN body to wind up a major study on the subject?;the GSM Association estimates that 51,000 tonnes of chargers are made each year in order to keep companies able to have their own unique ones.
       The Well, Doh Award of the Week was presented at arm's length to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; the group's deputy secretary-general Petko Draganov said that developing countries will miss some of the stuff available on the Internet if they don't install more broadband infrastructure; a report that used your tax baht to compile said that quite a few people use mobile phones but companies are more likely to invest in countries with excellent broadband connections; no one ever had thought of this before, right?
       Sun Microsystems , as a result of the Oracle takeover, said it will allow 3,000 current workers never to bother coming to work again; Sun referred to the losses as "jobs," not people; now the fourth largest server maker in the world, Sun said it lost $2.2 billion in its last fiscal year; European regulators are holding up approval of the Oracle purchase in the hope of getting some money in exchange for not involving Oracle in court cases.
       The multi-gazillionaire and very annoying investor Carl Icahn resigned from the board at Yahoo ; he spun it as a vote of confidence, saying current directors are taking the formerly threatened company seriously; Yahoo reported increased profits but smaller revenues in the third quarter.
       The US House of Representatives voted to censure Vietnam for jailing bloggers; the non-binding resolution sponsored by southern California congresswoman Loretta Sanchez said the Internet is "a crucial tool for the citizens of Vietnam to be able to exercise their freedom of expression and association;"Hanoi has recently jailed at least nine activists for up to six years apiece for holding pro-democracy banners. Iran jailed blogger Hossein "Hoder" Derakshan for 10 months - in solitary confinement.

Book Expo Thailand 2009

       Realising that true knowledge comes from reading, the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (Pubat) proudly presents Book Expo Thailand 2009 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Bangkok, from Oct 15 to 25, 10am to 9pm.
       This comprehensive book fair aims to promote the paramount significance of reading among youngsters in line with fostering Thailand's ambitions to become a lifelong learning society and an education hub.

Spending rise predicted in Q4

       Advertising spending is expected to increase in the last quarter of this year after falling for more than six months due to the downturn, says the Advertising Association of Thailand.
       "We have seen some good signs since the third quarter and total ad spending this year will be on par with 89 billion baht last year," said AAT chairman Parames Rachjaibun.
       When the economy is bad, ad budgets are the first to be cut as firms reduce expenses. But the current crisis is less severe than the slump in 1997 and the Thai economy is now improving, he said.
       Many product and brand owners have realised ads are necessary to communicate with consumers during tough times so the industry has not been affected that much, he said.
       The Nielsen Company, a media research firm, said first-half ad spending fell by 5.11% from a year earlier to 41.9 billion baht. However, monthly media expenditures in August rose for the first time this year, climbing 2.8% year-on-year to 7.74 billion baht.
       Ad agencies, however, must adjust to changing demands from clients with limited budgets who expect higher returns on their spending, he said.
       The trend for ad spending in 2010 will depend in part on the government's creative economy project, he said.
       "It is difficult to predict the ad spending trend next year. I think a key driver for the sector is government policies,especially the creative economy project,"said Mr Parames.
       TrueVisions' approval from MCOT Plc to run commercials on its pay-TV channels will not be a key factor to spur the industry next year because ad agencies want to see True's airtime rates first, said Mr Parames.
       But he forecast that TrueVisions' freedom to air commercials would force free-TV stations to improve their content because agencies will have more choice.
       On Tuesday night, the AAT held the 2009 Adman Awards, which attracted 752 entries from TV commercials, print ads and integrated marketing communications, down 25% from last year.
       Ogilvy & Mather Advertising took the top prize as agency of the year. Phenomena won production house of the year and Verasu Retail Co was named advertiser of the year.
       The best TV award went to Brand Connections Co for its "Khon Thai-Phra Maha Wudhijaya Vajiramedhi " and "Khon Thai-Phai Soysraklang " for the Yuvabadhana Foundation.
       Leo Burnett & Arc Worldwide Thailand took the best print award for "Stadium of Dreams" for Heineken.
       This year, the association added the category of Interactive and Digital Media in response to the growing role of online media and internet marketing. The category has four sub-categories: advertising (banners and pop-ups), website design,viral advertising and integrated interactive campaigns.
       Only two entries won gold medals this year: Far East DDB for "Phoenix 29 Chuan Ploi Kong" for Mama Shrimp Creamy Tom Yam Flavour in the single viral ad category, and JWT Bangkok for "Avatar" for Oriental Princess in a viral ad campaign.

International education "beneficial"

       The trend towards international education is growing in Thailand.
       More Thai students are eager to become fluent in English, because it is the global language and will help them to find better job opportunities.
       Students who acted as exhibitors and visitors at yesterday's Thailand International Education Exhibition 2009 gave their opinions on international education in Thailand to The Nation.
       Thanaboon 'Na' Wanlopsirinun, 20, an exhibitor, video jockey of OIC television programme and a third-year communication arts student at Assumption University (ABAC):
       "I studied for my secondary-school levels at a state school. I understood very little English. My English has improved since studying here. Every lecturer always speaks English. It's really useful for me when I interview foreigners, like Korean singers. I understand them, so it makes my job easier. ABAC sets out to change students to be like business people, so I've learned to be punctual, methodical and responsible.
       "Future work [prospects for those who study in Thailand] are not inferior to those of people who study abroad. We have connections in Thailand; it's good for us to work here. Students studying abroad have connections there. They will benefit if they work abroad, too. However, if I decide to work abroad and they [want to] work in Thailand, both of us [will] need to adjust ourselves."
       Arisa Klinkhachornsak, 18, an exhibition visitor and a freshman studying journalism at Thammasat University (TU):
       "I decided to study in the international programme because I want to be skilled at English, but I don't want to spend the high costs of living abroad. Studying here makes me more confident in expressing my opinions, as lecturers listen to me.
       "I have opted for other international programmes in Thailand, for instance business. I'll probably use the knowledge to run my family's business.
       "However, when I graduate with my bachelor's degree from TU and I can take care of myself, I aim to further my higher education abroad. My cousins told me of their experience abroad, and how being fluent in English helped them to get well-paid jobs when they studied there, especially in the US.
       "People graduating from foreign lands are better off than those from the international education system in Thai land, particularly those who graduate from prestigious or world-class academic institutions. This also happens in Thailand. Graduates from the country's top universities are considered before others."
       Ratchawut Cherdchuvanit, 20, an exhibitor and a junior studying communication art at Chulalongkorn University (CU):
       "CU focuses on giving students basic knowledge and encourages them to apply the acquired knowledge themselves. I chose the international programme here partly because of cheaper costs. Parents should invest in their children's education as much as they can. It's worth the investment.
       "Graduating from an international programme is better than graduating from a Thai programme in my opinion. We learn specialised knowledge together with practising English. It's easier to work in an international company.
       "I wish to work in Japan and maybe China, so I study Japanese as my third language and probably Chinese will be my fourth language."
       Kusuma Suksri, 17, a visitor and a Matthayom 5 (11th grade) student from Suansri Witthaya School in Chumphon:
       "I'm studying in the science-mathematics fields. Not only science and mathematics are important for me, but also English language. I'll try to gain more and more information until I finish my secondary-school levels before I make a decision on whether I will study in an international programme or study abroad. I will look for information about both education formats to compare their strong and weak points."

A QUIETER MOTOR EXPO THROUGH NOISE MANAGEMENT

       Organisers of the Thailand International Motor Expo, one of two major auto shows staged annually in Thailand, plan to offer visitors to this year's event a more pleasurable experience by improving noise management.
       The show will be held in Muang Thong Thani's Challenger Hall in December.
       Organising chairman Kwanchai Paphatphong said his team was working to raise the standards of the show in several ways.
       "We want visitors to be able to walk around the Expo in comfort. We have come up with a new system to keep noise at any location in Challenger within appropriate levels by continuously monitoring noise levels in a central control room," he said.
       Excessive noise at any location in the hall will be detected by a special instrument that will alert the control room, allowing staff to deal with the noise at its source.
       Kwanchai claimed it was the most sophisticated noise-management system ever employed at a trade show in Thailand.
       "We will set up a Motor Expo Information Centre, like at previous expost, to provide all sorts of useful information, such as specifications of cars displayed in the show, various promotional offers, or booth locations, Visitors will be able to find what they want from a compilation of hard copies that we provide or they will be able to ask our service staff at three locations in front of the entrances," Kwanchai said.
       "This year we will also work with Impact Muang Thong Thani to install the latest and most effective temperature detectors at the entrances of Challenger Hall to scan visitors and ensure that the Expo in a virus-free zone," he said.

BUILD YOUR BRAND WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK

       Why do many businesses fail when times are tough? It's the same reason that any business can fail when times are good: faulty marketing.
       Faulty marketing - or no marketing at all - means no customers. And that means no sales, no profits and no business.
       Marketing to build a powerful brand is all about identifying the needs of a target market and taking action to satisfy those needs better than the competition. So, embracing a customer-led mindset throughout the company is critical to success. Every decision on all aspects of your business - from product design and pricing to supply chain and distribution channels - must revolve around customers and their needs.

       Empty pockets, full marketing plan
       I often hear business owners say: "That sounds good, but I don't have enough money, people, or resources to market effectively." The key to success is to change your mindset from what you don't have to what you do have.
       In fact, I guarantee you already have five powerful resources in your company that can help you market effectively. For business owners who are prepared to build and maintain a solid marketing foundation, these five resources can be used to bring greater success.
       1. Positioning: The way you want customers to perceive, think, and feel about your business versus your competition.
       2. Customers: We'll talk about how to effectively market to keep your current clients coming back for more.
       3. Your products and services: Learn to review your portfolio through the eyes of your customers to attract more business.
       4. Your team: There are powerful ways that your team can help you market, day in and day out.
       5. Your competition: How can your competition help your business to grow? We'll explore this in the final article of this three-part series.
       We'll cover all five resources in upcoming articles, but today, we'll focus on the first:
       Positioning
       Without positioning to differentiate your brand or business from all the others in a meaningful way, your products or services become commodities, and you end up competing on price alone, and this is a precarious market position at best.
       Businesses without well-defined positioning statements are not in the driver's seat. After all, if you aren't exactly sure what your company stands for, how can your customers be sure? Indeed, if you don't take charge of your positioning yourself, there's a good chance your competition will step in and define your positioning for you.
       I often hear business owners say: "Positioning is only for big companies or companies who sell direct to consumers," or: "We've never written it down, so we don't even have positioning."
       The truth is, you already have positioning whether you know it or not. Large or small, your company's positioning is how customers perceive, think, and feel about your brand or business versus the competition. Since your clients are already out there perceiving, thinking, and feeling about you right now, your positioning already exists in their minds.
       The question is, do you have the positioning you want?
       Another popular myth is that small companies don't need positioning. In reality, it's just the opposite: smart positioning helps level the playing field for businesses with fewer resources. While large companies often have deeper pockets to help communicate what they want their business to stand for, companies with fewer resources must be smarter, to identify and solidify that one particular "sweet spot" that they, and they alone, can and want to own.
       Taking charge of your existing positioning is one of the most powerful activities you can do to stand out from the competition and win in the marketplace. And, it doesn't have to cost you a lot.
       The key is to spend quality time with your management team, defining and aligning your business to the six core elements that make up your positioning: target market, need, competitive framework, benefits, reasons why and character. These six fit together like a jigsaw puzzle to form your Positioning Statement.
       Once defined, your positioning should become a mantra of sorts for your team, guiding everyone on a daily basis and helping to make important decisions. That's how you build a powerful position in the market without spending a lot in doing so.

       BRENDA BENCE is managing director of Brand Development Associates International. Earlier, she spent 20 years with Procter & Gamble and Bristol-Myers Squibb, managing dozens of brands on four continents and in 50 countries. She may be contacted at brenda@brendabence.com. Watch for the second of this three-part series to learn about the next two marketing resources that can be used to create a powerful, but inexpensive, marketing plan.

"THAILAND MAXIMISE" TO REVIVE MICE

       The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau will explore international markets this quarter with its "Thailand Maximise" campaign to revive the MICE industry.
       The TCEB will debut the campaign at the 17th IT&CMA and 12th CTW Asia-Pacific, together with its newest privilege package called "Max Value", created to boost the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions business.
       "We are officially introducing the campaign to over 2,000 operators and buyers visiting the event. Thailand has been the choice for IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific for eight straight years now," Malinee Kitaphanich, the TCEB director of meetings and incentives, said yesterday.
       The background of Thailand Maximise that the organisation had conducted a survey and research on the MICE industry from 2008-2009 and found that Thailand undoubtedly offers efficiencies and value for money for organising MICE activities of all sorts.
       "Be it the facilities, transportation, professional Mice management, reputation as a world-class travel destination, world-renowned hospitality or unique Thai culture, it truly contributes to and encourages the overall growth of Thai MICE industry," she said.
       The Thailand Maximise campaign stems from the integration of the country's core strengths and strategic marketing plan, basing on an international outlook. From these impeccable advantages, Thailand is eventually represented as the ideal destination for the MICE industry in Asia.
       With value for money in meeting in Thailand, a variety of meeting sites set among fabulous attractions and the country's unique heart-warming hospitality, the TCEB believes it would inspire and reflect a new perspective to MICE travellers.
       The organisation is now ready to appeal to international markets, both short and long haul, in order to encourage the recovery of the MICE industry and guarantee constant growth.
       "We believe that Max Value will boost meeting and incentive visitors by 15 per cent next year, from the current estimate of 250,000 visitors this year" she added.
       Last year, Thailand attracted 727,723 MICE travellers, with 51 per cent or 371,681 of them for meetings and incentives, generating earnings of more than Bt21 million.
       This year, the TCEB forecasts that MICE will bring over Bt41 billion in revenue into the country, with MICE travellers estimated at 500,000.

Brainstorms for the future

       Fancy footwear, a modern-art gallery fashioned out of old containers and a coffee table made from abandoned wood are just some of the highlights of the Bangkok Design Festival '09 that runs at various venues throughout the city from Thursday to October 21.
       Part of an ambition to turn the Kingdom into Asia's design hub, the third edition of the festival is bigger and better than before, with more than 1,000 Thai designers showcasing their talents alongside 40 foreigns projects.
       "The city will be enhanced by a range of projects that are being exclusively initiated for this event under the concept 'Balancing the Future'," says festival director Prathan Theerathada. "They all convey a sense of innovation, creativity and sustainability."
       Prathan, who's also the editor of art4d magazine, launched the festival three years ago as private initiative. This year the government is providing support.
       "The Bangkok Design Festival will lead Thailand into the new econolmic era throught its creative ideas and innovation, in accordance with government policy," says Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Pollabutr.
       "We need the inventive minds of Thailand's designers to stimulate and develop our economy under the umbrella of the 'Creative Thailand's designers to stimulate and develop our economy under the umbrella of the 'Creative Thailand' project.
       "Our aim is to make Thailand the hub of creative industry in Asean and to enhance the economic value of creative industry from 12 to 20 per cent of Gross National Product by 2012," he adds.
       the festival features everything from outdoor interactive installation art to a poster exhibition, film screenings to DIY workshops, and designers' talks to shopping.
       It kicks off at the Victory Monument, Bangkok's so-called "Kilometre Zero". Passers-by are invited to participate in "Creative City Km.0", created by Briton Maria Stukoff and Thai graphic designers Apostrophy.
       The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre is hosting various exhibitions, among them "Abundant Australia", a display of 160 innovatuve structural models fresh fro the Venice Architecture Bienniale.
       Meanwhile B Muse, a group of young Thai curators and artists, shows how much fun you can have visiting a museum in the exhibition "What is your Dream Museum?"
       "Do It Together by Knotting Else" sees 10 leading interior-design companies use recycle materials in environmentally friendly designs.
       Award-winning designer Anon Pairot blurs the boundaries between his furniture and sculpture in "A Part."
       Last but not least, is Designer's Saturday. Mark Holmes, a founding partner in one of the UK's greatest manufacturing successes of the decade, Established & Sons and Douglas Young, the founder and chief executive of Hong Kong's innovative retailer GOD/Goods of Desire will talk on October 10.
       Over at Siam Paragon'a Pare Paragon, Thai talen is on show in an ultra-modern art gallery made of five containers decorated with a dozen balloon trees.
       Supported by M150, Japanese architect Onishi Takaya - who teaches at King Mongkut University of Technology - designed the gallery to host "Degree Show'09", featuring fashion, jewellery, animation and graphic and interior design by the year's top design students.
       At the Hall of Mirrors, the "DEmark" exhibition shows a selection of design works by Thai entre-preneurs and designers taking part in DEmark (Design Excellence Award) 2009, or ganised by the government's Department of Export Promotion.
       Decor Mart converts its showroom into an art gallery featuring high-end German brand Hangsgrohe, with designs by Philippe Stark, Jaen-Mari Massuad, Antonio Citterio and Patricia Urguiola.
       Thai brand Furniture House by Plato displays its futuristic home decor inspired by origami, and designer Krit Sangvivhien has the "Thainess" exhibition, focusing on traditional local craftsmanship, recycled materias and modern designs.
       Architect firm G49 celebrates its 20th anniversay with "Twenty-Twenty", a showcase of 20 innovative project by both Thai and foreign architects inside 20 boxes.
       Meantime Tiga invites 100 designers to take part in its exhibition, "Kiew-koy 100 Designs."
       At Siam Centre you can see Thai proverbs interpreted as shoes at "Shoes'cream by Gold City", an exhibition by design students from Silpakorn, king Mongkut and Srinakarinwirote universities.
       Siam Discovery hosts "Illustration Poster" by Takashi Akiyama, the econo-peoject "Rebuild/Refresh by SCG featuring DesignLab, and the photo exhibition "I Am a Thai Graphic Designer."
       The shopping centre is also playing host to workshops, the "Young Creative Entrepreneur" exhibition and to a minimart that's selling products priced between Bt9 and Bt999.
       The Thaoland Creative and Design Centre at the Emporium is hosting a series of talks, among them "The Dimension of the Plan - Communication Design Germnay," focusing on corporate design, digital media, typography and signage systems.
       Following the successful screening of Gary Hustwit's "Helvetica" at the first festival, this year Pratha is bringing his new documentary, "Objectitied", which portrays the stories behind the work od elite product designers from around the world. The film screens at SF CentralWorld on October 15.
       Shoppers should not miss the "BIG+BIH" fairs at Challenger Hall in Muang Thong Thani from October 13 to 18, hosted by the Office of Product Value Development.

SUCCESS OF FOOD INGREDIENTS ASIA 2009 SETS THE STAGE FOR 2010 EXPANSION

       Bangkok was once again the center of attention for the food ingredients industry as Food ingredients (Fi) Asia 2009 got underway at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center on the 9th of September.
       This exciting event ran for three days and attracted over 7000 attendees from around the world. They were drawn to Fi Asia by the outstanding opportunity to network with the industry's key players and learn about the latest developments in this dynamic market.
       Many attendees were particularly interested in opportunities in the rapidly growing functional food market. Dr. Damri Sukhothanang, Permanent Secretary of the Thai Ministry of Industry, underlined this trend in his opening address. He stated the industry' s current health-oriented focus has developed in response to consumers increasing affluence and health consciousness, and many companies in the region are now offering healthier food choices with high nutritional value.
       The 2009 show featured a highly informative program of conderences and seminars. The first in the series was "What's New in the World of Functiional Food ingredients?" which was co-organized by the Food Science & Technology Association of Thailand (FoSTAT).
       International speakers covered 18 other relevant topics and all the high level conderence events were well attended and covered by the many media companies in attendance.
       In order to offer Fi Asia exibitors and visitors increased access to the ASEAN region, the Fi team will be branching out into new markets in 2010.
       Fi Asia be held in Indonesia in 2010 and return to Thailand in 2011. a new event, the Fi Asia Summit, will make its debut in Vietnam in 2010 and then bring the industry to the Philippines in 2011.

BALANCING THE FUTURE

       Bangkok will once again play host to a unique art and design showcase when the "Bangkok Design Festival 2009" raises its curtains next week.The third edition to be held, this year's festival involves innovation, creativity and sustainability under the idea of "Balancing the Future."
       The 14-day event, from October 8-21,will take place at various hot spot venues around the city - Thailand Creative and Design Centre (TCDC), Bangkok Art and Culture Centre,Siam Paragon, Siam Centre, Siam Discovery,The Emporium and Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani. There are also exhibitions in public spaces such as Victory Monument.
       On show are stunning works by professional and young designers, both Thai and foreign,special themed projects, interesting activities, top thesis by design students from various universities, a Thainess show, a creative party, an art fair and a mini mart.
       "Bangkok Design Festival 2009 will lead Thailand to the era of a new economy via the tactics of creative work," said Alongkorn Pollabutr,deputy minister of commerce.
       "The event also goes in line with the government's Creative Thailand in-
       tiative, aimed at turning Thailand
       into the hub of creative industry
       in Asean and to enhance the
       economic value of creative
       industry."
       "In the art and design industry, Thai designers
       are second to none in
       terms of their knowledge
       and talent and the Bangkok Design Festival is an excellent platform to unwaveringly drive Thailand's design industry to the international level,"said Mayuree Chaipromprasith, marketing promotion senior director of Siam Paragon Development Co."This year, we have highlights at every spot. Among them, the Degree Show, which presents the year's top thesis by students in interior, product, graphic,fashion and jewellery design as well as animation," said Prathan Theerathada,director of the Bangkok Design Festival.
       "Another fascinating exhibition is the showcase of more than 70 pieces of work from seven different fields creatively displayed in five Design Containers among balloons," he said."Despite a limited area, larger-than-life quality is guaranteed
       and you can see these ou-
       standing pieces for yourselves at Parc Par-
       gon, Siam Paragon."
       The programme also includes "Creative City km.0." This year, Change Bangkok Project continues what it began earlier. From last year, the selected photographs of places in Bangkok that need change the most is the Victory Monument (km 0).
       The designers responsible for the change are Maria Stukoff, an artist from the United Kingdom, and Apostrophy's from Thailand.
       In the heart of the city at Siam Paragon is "DEmark", a selection of good design works by Thai entrepreneurs and designers in a contest of DEmark 2009 Award (Design Excellence Award) organised by the Office of Product Value Development, Department of Export Promotion, Ministry of Commerce. This is a golden opportunity for art enthusiasts to admire these creations at the Hall of Mirror, M floor.
       At Siam Centre's Atrium 2 on the first floor is the "Shoes' Cream by Gold City",an exhibition of shoes designed by students from Silpakorn University, King Mongkut Institute of Technology Lad Krabang and Srinakarinviroj University.
       Causing quite a stir and fun among Thai graphic designers is the project,"I am a Thai Graphic Designer" by Practical Studio. The project, set to take place in the Grand Hall of SiamDiscovery, showcases more than 1,000 works by graphic designers from across the country.
       Each work is presented using photographs of each designer holding a plate with his/her own design of the phrase "I am a Thai Graphic Designer." Related activities in this area include a graphic design workshop for high school stu-dents, and seminar on the topic "Put the strong faith in Thailand by Thai graphic designers."
       Also on show in the Grand Hall is the "Illustration Poster by Takashi Akiyama"exhibition. Akiyama is a world-renowned Japanese visual communicator and graphic design professor at Tama Art University. Through some 40 posters,Akiyama communicates stories with illustrations that convey profound meanings that are beyond the ability of words or any international languages to communicate.
       On show at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre is "Do It Together by Knotting Else" featuring works of 10 leading interior design companies presented in the Tetris puzzles pattern. The exhibition gathers recycled materials under Green Design or environmentally-friendly design concepts from each company.
       BIG+BIH at Challenger Hall, Impact Muang Thong Thani, will probably be the most familiar event as it's been held for many years. This year, the event is held under the theme,"Unique Lifestyle",with a trade fair and exhibitions showcasing updated movements in both local and international product design scenes.
       "Bangkok Design Festival 2009", October 8-21, at various venues around the city. For full activities and exhibition programme,venues and map, please visit www.bangkokdesignfestival.com.
       Work from the "Designers Saturday"showcase (above);and two art pieces from the "Abundant Australia" exhibition (below and right).
       This year's festival features stunning works of art and design by professional and young designers.

Makers show off new gadgets at Mobile Expo

       Samsung is gunning for pole position in mobilephone sales by the end of this year by showering the market with appealing new products.
       Yesterday the Korean handset-maker launched Samsung Candy, its newest touch-screen phone aimed at teens and new users at a price of Bt5,990.
       The gadget made its debut at Thailand Mobile Expo 2009, which started yesterday and runs to Sunday at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.
       Manatase Annawat, head to telecommunications marketing at Thai Samsung Electronics, said sales of Samsung Candy are targeted at 30,000-40,000 units per month.
       Manatase believes that sales of touchscreen phones will continue to gain momentum on the demand of geeks to use the devices to wirelessly connect to online social networks.
       The public's perception of touch-screen phones has also changed.
       Earlier they thought that the models were difficult to use and very expensive, he said.
       Samsung Thailand will introduce about 10 models during the rest of this year.
       It sold about 1.5 million cell phones of all types in the first eight months of the year, closing in on its year-end target of over 2 million units.
       The company is confident of passing current market leader Nokia Thailand by building up a share of 35 per cent by the end of the year.
       Nokia has recently said it is confident of maintaining its superiority with a wide-ranging product portfolio and attractive mobile solutions.
       Besides great devices, if offers an array of services such as mobile e-mail, music and games and navigation solutions.

MARKETING TRANSFORMED BY SOCIAL NETWORKING

       Social-network marketing, using both Facebook and Twitter, has become the talk of the town among marketers in all industries.
       The rapid rise in the number of users at both sites in Thailand has demanded the attention of Thai marketers, many of whom are currently calculating what share of their annual budget they should divert to the new online medium.
       An adviser to the Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Ian Fenwick, has given some pointers to online-marketing success.
       He said marketing was moving towards a new digital era, for which new marketing models would be designed and developed to deliver messages digitally through a variety of end-devices and platforms including Internet web 2.0, mobile phones, Internet television, personal Internet devices, social-networking platforms, and electronic devices yet to be developed.
       Referring to the "Four Ps" of traditional marketing strategy - product, price, place and promotion, he said digital marketing came with its own Four Ps: permission, participation, profile and personalisation.
       "Marketers need to understand the fundamental elements of the new era of marketing first. Then they have to understand how to use their marketing budget to gain the most benefit," Fenwick said.
       This year, Internet penetration around the world amounts to 1.6 billion users. Of these, 42 per cent are in Asia. These people are also spending more of their time on the Internet, from only 15 per cent of their daily life in 2003 to 30 per cent in 2008. Their main activities on the Internet are participating in social networks and reading blogs.
       The best-known social-network site is Facebook. It now has 330 million users - up from 250 million in July. The trends are similar in Thailand, where there are 16 million Internet users and more than 1 million of them are Facebook users.
       Twitter, the most popular microblog site, had more than 7 million users in February, up from fewer than 5 million one year earlier.
       Marketing expert Thunyawat Chaitrakulchai, who is managing editor of MKT magazine, said social-network marketing, especially that using Facebook and Twitter, was the next big thing. Marketers should not ignore it, but should pay more attention to learning about it and understanding it in order to use it as a marketing weapon to reach the right target customers at a lower cost in terms of time and money.
       He said it was better to use both Facebook and Twitter in parallel, with "balanced portions" devoted to each. The size of the portions directed at each channel depended on the requirements of different businesses.
       "There is no one success model for all. This is a time for marketers to pay attention. They have to realise that they cannot ignore this. Both large corporations and small- and medium-sized enterprises should jump in," Thunyawat said.
       A similar message came from Worawisut Pinyoyang, marketing expert and owner of Newmedia.com and MKTtwit.com. He said Facebook and Twitter had a big impact on product and brand awareness.
       The beauty of social networking for marketing is that it provides a huge number of target customers with the correct demographic profile, he said. Personalisation enables marketers to get very quick feedback and their marketing message can reach a mass market in a short time by "going viral".

BETTER WAY HIKES 2009 SALES TARGET TO BT8.6BN

       Better Way (Thailand), a leading direct-sales operator and owner of the Mistine brand, has revised its sales target for this year to Bt8.6 billion, up significantly form Bt8.1 billion set at the beginning of the year.
       Managing director Danai Deerojanawong said the new sales target had followed dramatic year-on-year growth in the third quarter, with figures 15-percent higher than those in last year's third quarter. Company sales grew 13 per cent last year from 2007.
       He said the company had also been encouraged to set the new target by growth in its exports, which would double this year to a value of about Bt300 million.
       "We've been able to open new markets for Mistine products, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, including Iran, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We plan to enter Mauritius by the end of this year and will turn to Ivory Coast and the UAE next year," Danai said.
       The company expects its export sales to grow at least 25 per cent next year.
       "We've achieved sales of Bt6 billion in the first nine months of this year, including exports. We expect sales for the whole year to show growth of 11-12 per cent," he said.
       Danai said the company had increased its number of sales representatives from 700,000 last year to 860,000 now.
       "We've also found the value of purchases per bill from our sales representatives has increased significantly in the third quarter, by more than 5 per cent."
       Danai said Better Way (Thailand) had set a conservative sales target for next year, with year-on-year growth of 10 per cent expected. Sales performance should be similar to this year, depending on "crucial factors", such as local political stability and oil prices.
       "We invested more than Bt100 million last year to upgrade our information-technology(IT) system, so that now we're able to analyse our costs more effectively.
       "The new system supports our Marketing, Sales and Logistics departments, helping them work more efficiently," Danai said.
       With its new IT investment, Better Way expects to shape itself to meet a new trend of "products and marketing on demand," The company will segment its customers geographically and according to their preferred types of merchandise.
       "We plan to open two new distribution centres next year in Chon Buri, which will be responsible for the Eastern Seaboard provinces and one province in the middle of the southern region," Danai said.
       Better Way will launch a new television commercial this week called "Beauty Mind", for its Mistine No 1 Diamond lipstick. Starring movie queen Petchara Chaowarat, the 45-second commercial will be screened for the first time tomorrow, on all channels.
       Part of the sales revenue will be donated to the Foundation for the Blind on Thailand.

       With its new IT investment, Better Way expects to shape itself to meet a new trend of "products and marketing on demand".

BIDDING TO START FOR NEW PHUKET CONVENTION CENTRE

       Bidding will be held by December this year for the construction of an international convention centre in the southern island resort of Phuket.
       Deputy Finance Minister Pruttichai Damrongrat said the project would cost Bt3.74 billion, using budgets from fiscal 2010-12 under the Thai Khemkhaeng stimulas programme.
       Construction of the facilities for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions are expected to provede new economic opportunities in the southern island province.
       The project will be located on a 150-rai plot owned by the Treasury Department, close to Phuket Airport.
       Construction will take about two years. Pruttichai said the project needed an environmental-impact assessment before work could begin.
       Sources said the site might face a shortage of fresh water during the dry season. In addition, the location is not close to most hotels, and it takes about an hour to drive to popular Patong Beach.
       Overall, the Phuket convention centre will be designed to serve 2 million visitors a year.
       Besides the four exhibition buildings, there well be a four-star hotel with 350 rooms.
       Its carpark will accommodate 1,000 cars and buses.
       Pruttichai said Phuket had already been allocated a Bt779-million budget for fiscal 2010 under the Bt1.43-trillion economic stimulus package, which runs through fiscal 2012.

A model kit mecca

       "From the Beginning Beyond the Future" is the theme of "Gundam Expo Thailand 2009", which will be held from October 21-25 in the Fashion Hall of Siam Paragon to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the animated series this year.One of the event's highlights will be the six-metre fibreglass representation of the upper body of Gundam RX-78-2.The expo will be divided into many different zones, featuring the history of the Gundam franchise in Thailand as well as in Japan dating back to its beginning in 1979; a visual zone featuring images from the Gundam animated series; a music zone featuring the signature and signing-off Gundam songs over the past 30 years;a lifestyle zone highlighting a wide range of Gundam products under the concept of a dream "Gundam bedroom"; and a not-to-be-missed shopping zone where Gundam model kits, DVDs and limited-edition goods will be available.At the event Kunio Okawara, Gundam's mechanical designer and one of the three creators of Gundam, will be giving a talk on his work, and Mark Bakuc, an expert in model assembly and modification, will be conducting a tutorial workshop. Other activities include a Gundam cosplay (a term of Japanese origin and short for "costume role play") competition and a Gundam karaoke singing contest.
       Call 02-310-1904/5, or 02-310-1005/6, or visit www.dexclub.com. Admission is free.

Giants in animation

       There is more to Gundam than just Japanese robots. To its fans around the globe, Gundam is a passion for life. "Gundam, to me, is like a drug," said Rittikrai Kraikrengsri, 30, a model maker at an animated series production company. "Assembling Gundam figurines has become an activity that I am addicted to whenever I have time."
       FULL HOUSE: Tokyo’s Shiokaze Park is packed with Gundam diehard fans towered over by the 18-metre-tall statue of Gundam RX-78-2 specially created to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
       "I like Gundam's characters. They're real," said Marisa Zennun, 28, an animator. "I have been following the Gundam TV series and reading Gundam comics since I was a child."
       RARE FINDS: Gundam followers buy heaps of Gundam model kits, right, in a shop in Japan despite their exorbitant prices.
       Like Marisa and the majority of Gundam disciples, Rittikrai's zest for the robots started off as a childhood fascination. It was the time, he recalled, when animated series featuring super robots proliferated. In contrast with the concept of super robots featured in stories of transformable, damage-resistant giant robots with an arsenal of superpowers yet unrealistic weapons, Gundam seemed to offer the only "real" robots - common robot machines used by the military forces such as tanks or aircraft - in that era. And that was the main reason why young Rittikrai suddenly fell in love with all of them.
       Gundam maintains a very strong fan base not only in Thailand and Japan, but also in many other countries. Diehard Gundam fans are usually referred to as "Gundam Otaku", a term borrowed from Japanese to describe people who have an obsessive interest in Gundam.
       To celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, Bandai Japan recently held "Gundam Big Expo", an exhibition featuring the long history of Gundam figurines, the Gundam animated series, Gundam video games and every spin-off from the Japanese heroes. In the late morning, hundreds of people lined up patiently to enter the exhibition venue.
       Gundam Big Expo was held in Odaiba, Tokyo, and its star attraction was an 18-metre statue of Gundam RX-78-2, standing firmly and elegantly in Shiokaze Park. It was considered the highlight of the anniversary event.
       IN PRINT: Apart from the animated TV series, Gundam is also available in other media genres, below right, one of which is comics.
       Gundam first came into existence in 1979 as an animated science fiction television series called Mobile Suit Gundam. The story of Gundam is simply about the giant piloted robots or the mobile suits and their pilots fighting in a war some time in the future where total destruction and dehumanisation are inherent.
       The television series found its way to Thailand in 1981. It was first aired on Channel 7 under the name Apiniharn Gundam, which literally means "Gundam, the Super Power".
       The storyline in the original Gundam series later gave birth to a number of sequels, prequels and side stories. The popularity of Mobile Suit Gundam finally expanded to other media genres, including mangas, video games and, of course, figurines.
       According to the Hong Kong-based assistant manager of Bandai Asia, Tsutomu Suzuki, there are several reasons why Gundam has such a strong following, even though it has been 30 years since it was first released.
       "The designs are so cool. The narrative is not complicated, so it is not difficult for people to understand it. More importantly, the stories are closely related to our everyday lives," said Mr Suzuki, who is also Bandai's chief Gundam overseas officer.
       And for those who think that Gundam robots are only playthings created particularly for children, they are absolutely wrong. In Japan, Mr Suzuki said, half of all Gundam diehard fans are, in fact, more than 30 years old, while 30% of all fans are teenagers. Family and children fill up the rest of the pie chart. In Thailand, children account for only 10% of all Gundam devotees, while 50% of all fans are adults and 40% are teenagers.
       Bandai's factory in Shizuoka, a few hours by bus from Tokyo, produces about 15 million Gundam model kits annually. The plant boasts that its model-production technique is one of the most advanced dye-injection technologies in the world, and that it is the only place where 17 patented four-colour injection-moulding machines are located. In 2006, the Bandai Hobby Centre was founded within the factory's compound to function as a mini museum showcasing the proud history of the company's product creation and development.
       The Bandai Hobby Centre and the factory have implemented a number of important environmentally-friendly measures. For example, the solar panels on the building's exterior generate the energy used within the centre as well as the factory. In addition, a system is used to recycle rain and groundwater.
       The model kits manufactured at this factory are sold both in the Land of the Rising Sun as well as in 10 other countries, most of which are in Asia. The annual global sales revenue from Gundam figurines is about 200,000 million (72 billion baht). Despite such a commendable sales achievement, the chief Gundam overseas officers disclosed that the company's plan is to increase its sales performance by 10% every year.
       "Our company's sales strategies are consistently implemented, especially in the area of product development. We conduct a lot of research to see which mobile suit is suitable for people in which period of time.
       "In line with product development is the development of production technology to support our future growth," explained Mr Suzuki.
       Rittikrai now has more than 50 Gundam figurines in his plastic model collection. Even though the prices of Gundam model kits remains high - starting from a few hundred baht for beginner model sets to more than 20,000 baht for perfect-grade figurine assemblies - as a Gundam otaku, his love for the robots will never die, he said.
       "I think one of the major difficulties facing Gundam aficionados is that the model kits are so expensive and are, in many cases, unaffordable, especially as far as children are concerned.
       "And this is the reason why non-fans think that we are crazy when we spend such huge sums of money on Gundam models. I think our case is similar to that of Blythe lovers.
       "Blythe dolls are extremely expensive, but people still buy them simply because they like them. And it is the same with Gundam.
       "Others might think that we are crazy, but to me, passion and craziness are two different things," he said.
       ------------A MODEL KIT MECCA
       'From the Beginning Beyond the Future' is the theme of 'Gundam Expo Thailand 2009', which will be held from October 21-25 in the Fashion Hall of Siam Paragon to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the animated series this year.
       One of the event's highlights will be the six-metre fibreglass representation of the upper body of Gundam RX-78-2.
       The expo will be divided into many different zones, featuring the history of the Gundam franchise in Thailand as well as in Japan dating back to its beginning in 1979; a visual zone featuring images from the Gundam animated series; a music zone featuring the signature and signing-off Gundam songs over the past 30 years; a lifestyle zone highlighting a wide range of Gundam products under the concept of a dream ''Gundam bedroom''; and a not-to-be-missed shopping zone where Gundam model kits, DVDs and limited-edition goods will be available.
       At the event Kunio Okawara, Gundam's mechanical designer and one of the three creators of Gundam, will be giving a talk on his work, and Mark Bakuc, an expert in model assembly and modification, will be conducting a tutorial workshop. Other activities include a Gundam cosplay (a term of Japanese origin and short for ''costume role play'') competition and a Gundam karaoke singing contest.
       Call 02-310-1904/5, or 02-310-1005/6, or visit www.dexclub.com. Admission is free.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

       Images and art are typically opaque with pigment, dense depictions of objects or impressions of the un-representable, paradoxically becoming more mesmerising when the medium used is as translucent and profane as glass, a material possessing ghostly qualities beyond its commonplace applications.
       While exhibitions of glass art are not unusual in many countries, they are unheard of in Thailand, so the first two glass exhibitions by Thai artists are almost historic events or at least milestones in the making of Thai art history.
       The second of the two shows is now open at PSG Art Gallery, Silpakorn University. Titled "Our Best Recent Work and Glass Art Project: the 26th Art Exhibition by Members of the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts",it contains many of the works created during a recent project by the faculty to establish the skills, techniques and technologies required for glass art production in Thailand.
       Held from March to May at Silpakorn's Sanam Chand campus in Nakhon Pathom, the workshop focused on training teachers from around the country in both warm glass and cold forming techniques. The initial showing of the workshop's output was simply titled "Glass Exhibition" and was held from August 17 to September 4 at Sanam Chand campus.
       A course designed to "train the trainer", it produced extremely innovative work, perhaps because none of the some 60 art teachers were familiar with the millennium-old traditions or schools in the glass art movement established elsewhere. Nevertheless, the work was of international quality.
       If the response of the students, who flooded to attend the Sanam Chand opening, is anything to judge by, the future of glass art in Thailand is transparently bright. Substantial financial backing by sponsors including Loctite,Glass Dec and Ferro also indicates the medium has great potential to develop and benefit a new generation of artists.
       The current show at Na Phralan cam-pus allows some of Thailand's most accomplished practitioners to express themselves using a material none had previously tried until participating in the workshop. Artists of the calibre of National Artist Nonthivathn Chandhanaphalin and Panya Vijinthanasarn have put down their spatulas and paintbrushes and have begun fusing, foiling and staining glass, exploring the almost unlimited possibilities glass possesses.
       While not all the work in the exhibition is glass, the installation in the centre of the gallery is made up of a series of 30cm x 30cm glass panels contributed by each of the artists. Framed by a circle of stainless steel, the installation, which has been purchased by Kasikornbank PLC, demonstrates the versatility and natural beauty of the material.
       Another example of the glasswork on show is Krisana Honguten's Golden Lotus on Starry Night which fuses materials with different properties including glass,wood, gold leaf and carborundum to portray the sky at night. Krisana's piece,painterly in its execution, warmly expresses the artist's vision with textural vitality.
       In A Little Bit of Passion Can Refine Our Mind , Panya Vijinthanasarn recreates his signature representation of the Buddha gazing down from the top right corner of the work which he has famously replicated many times in gold leaf and paint, only here he has sandblasted his impression across six framed
       panels of clear glass.
       On the other hand,Surapon Saenkham has been inspired by the architecture of Italy, famous for its long history of glass art as evinced by the innumerable stained glass windows to be found in the country's cathedrals and churches. His Fi-renze Italy successfully captures the glory and splendour of those medieval and Renaissance monuments.
       Glass maintains a fascination with the human mind because it accompanied humanity as numinous ornaments throughout the Palaeolithic period and thus has a symbolic power. Glass is simply sand transformed through fire into a substance so sublime as to become a metaphor or mirror for our own evolution from the archaic to the civilised, or unconscious into conscious.
       The alchemical character of glass art will continue to captivate Thailand, and the glass seed now planted here in the hearts of so many art educators will crystallise at Silpakorn University and grow at art schools across the country,burgeoning in the years to come as a new branch of contemporary Thai art.
       "Our Best Recent Work and Glass Art Project:26th Art Exhibition by Members of the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts" is on show until October 9 at PSG Art Gallery,Silpakorn University, Na Phra Lan campus.Open Monday to Saturday,10am to 6pm.Call 02-221-0820.

PACIFIC MOTOR SHOW READY TO ROLL

       The Pacific Motor Show will be staged in Chon Buri's Sri Racha district again next month, with the 12th annual event expected to attract 400,000 visitors to look over the products and displays of 15 auto manufacturers.
       Organisers expect the show, to be held at Pacific Park Sri Racha from October 3-11, to lead to purchases worth Bt450 million.
       Thirteen exhibitors will be carmakers and two motorcycle manufacturers. They are BMW, Volvo, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Isuzu, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, Ford, Suzuki, Tata, Chery. AP Honda and Yamaha.
       At last year's show, 433 cars and 155 motorcycles were sold.
       "The show will be held under the concept 'Energy and Automobiles', aiming to exhibit various alternative vehicles, such as hybrid cars and E85-capable vehicles," said Pacific Park Group managing director Somboon Vorapanyasakul.
       "During the first half of 2009, the economic slowdown and political turmoil affected consumer confidence. However, thanks to the government's stimulus measures and positive signs in the global and local economies, consumers are now regaining confidence. Moreover, the automobile industry is also picking up, as seen from the upward employment trend. Many of the employees who were laid off have returned to their jobs back."
       The Pacific Motor Show has been hailed as one of the most successful shows along the Eastern Seaboard, because of its location.
       Somboon expects auto companies to have strong marketing campaigns at the show, to help boost sales.
       "New products from auto companies will also be a main driving force. We'll be accepting orders for the Mazda2 subcompact car even though it has not yet been officially launched in Thailand," Somboon said.
       "Other highlights will include the BMW 520d, the Volvo V50, the Toyota Camry Hybrid, Toyota Vigo 2.5VN Turbo and the new Mitsubishi Lander EX."

Yahoo! to spend $100m in bid for more brand buzz

       Yahoo! believes a lot of its good work has been overlooked by investors and the media so it's spending more than US$100 million (Bt3.3 billion) to get the word out to consumers directly.
       The money is going toward the Internet company's most expensive marketing campaign since Standford University graduate students Jerry Yang and David Filo started Yahoo's website 15 years ago. Yahoo! provided a peek at the 15-month blitz on Tuesday in New York.
       The ads will run on television, online and other media in the United States and nine other countries where Yahoo! hopes to expand on a worldwide audience that is alrady approaching 600 million.
       Despite its extensive reach, Yahoo's brand has been bruised in recent years as its profits sagged and many people turned to Internet search leader Goodgle and relative newcomers like Facebook and Twtiter - none of which have spent much money on self-promotion.
       Yahoo's financial struggles were magnified last year when Yang and the rest of the Sunnyvale-based company's board spurned a $47.5-billion takeover offer from Microsoft.
       The rebuff alienated many Yahoo! shareholders, and the missed Microsoft opportunity has remained a recurring theme in the business press because the company's market value now is about 50 per cent below Microsoft's last takeover offer in May 2008, before the rivals ultimately agreed on a search partnership nearly two months ago.
       Yahoo! chief executive Carol Bartz, hired eight months ago to steer a turnaround, believes the company has been getting a bum rap - something she hopes to reverse with the new advertising push.
       "When you get outside of New York City and Silicon Valley, everybody loves Yahoo!," Bartz said on Tuesday during a press conference that was webcast. "Why are you [the media] so cynical about us? Be cynical about frigging Google. If you don't love us, leave us alone."
       Wall Street's affinity for Google is driven by money.
       Google's revenue has been rising in recent years, even during the US recession, largely because it dominates the Internet search market and can thus sell more text-based ads that appear on the side of search results. Yahoo's share of the search market has shrunk in the past few years and, more recently, the recession has made it more difficult to sell the visual ads that have long been its specialty.

Slump alters consumer behaviour

       The recession has transformed consumers' behaviour, says a study by the advertising agency BBDO Bangkok.
       But although economic problems have weakened people's purchasing power,some product categories still have growth potential, said CEO Songkran Sethesompobe.BBDO Bangkok's survey of 15,000 respondents in 15 countries worldwide - including 1,300 Thais - in the first half of 2009 found that most respondents have become more economical and spend more time choosing products.
       Most have cut their out-of-home entertainment and fashion spending, preferring to stay home and spend more time with family.
       "As a result, the market for indoor entertainment products like DVDs and DVD players, online games, internet packages and mobile phone packages is likely to grow," said Mr Songkran.
       About 51% of respondents also buy more house-brand products.
       The survey found consumers could be divided into four groups: strugglers,who lack financial stability and look for cheap goods; middle-class consumers,who are optimistic; secessionists, who are unaffected by the crisis; and spectators, who are young and free from worries but lack financial planning.
       Thai respondents were most upset by the global recession, followed by those in the US, Singapore, Taiwan and France.About 49% were more concerned by the current downturn than the 1997 crisis because they felt a direct impact on tourism and exports, but 51% disagreed.
       About 54% said they were unable to save because of high costs of living. They also used credit cards less.
       "Local economic and political uncertainties have also forced middle- to low-income groups to hold down more than one job or to work harder to ensure their survival amid the economic hardship," said Mr Songkran.
       But rising product prices had increased consumers' interest in environmental issues. Higher living costs had also had a positive impact on family relationships.
       Although consumers are uncertain about the economy, they take time to visit temples and give more to charity.