Thailand's top 10 digital brands report

Whatever their age, Thais are the people most drawn to digital marketing. Part of this attitude probably stems from the fact that Thais are generally open towards all forms of advertising.

The most popular form of digital advertising is sponsored content - the highest in the region at almost 55 per cent - followed by dedicated websites and banner ads. Email newsletters that struggle for authority elsewhere are well-received in Thailand, as are consumer opinions on message boards, which at a 23 per cent approval rating, outstrips Taiwan’s nervous 11 per cent.

Despite the local interest in advertising, it is international companies that occupy the largest share of mind, with Nokia retaining first place in terms of awareness. Popular brands continue to be from the food and beverage and automotive sectors with KFC, Pepsi, Honda and Toyota beating out Kasikorn Bank, national mobile provider Dtac and Thai Airways in the top 10. All the top 20 brands scored highly in persuading their customers to engage more deeply with them, and more than 90 per cent of respondents said digital advertising increased their interest in using the brand.

Areas where one would expect to see a rise in activity showed a decline in 2011. Fewer Thais saw digital advertising via email, a missed opportunity, since Thais give the medium a higher rating for trustworthiness than any of their Asian counterparts. SMS ads were also down, but here Thais share Asian suspicions about their validity.

Placing ads in virtual worlds is one of the least favoured means of communication for most Asians, but here Thais buck the trend, albeit from a low base. Trust increased to 14 per cent - double the average. With such a receptive attitude, Thailand could be at the forefront of developing virtual world advertising that appeals across markets.

Top 10 brands

1. Nokia
2. KFC
3. Honda
4. Toyota
5. Pepsi
6. Kasikorn Bank
7. Samsung
8. Dtac
9. Pizza Hut
10. Thai Airways

Top 10 motivating advertisers

1. Nokia
2. Sony
3. Honda
4. Apple
5. 7-Eleven
6. Dtac
7. KFC
8. Nike
9. Lay's
10. Coca-Cola

Top 10 spenders

1. Nokia
2. One-2-Call
3. Dtac
4. KFC
5. Honda
6. True
7. Samsung
8. Toyota
9. Pepsi
10. Pizza Hut

Methodology

Research company TNS interviewed a total of 3,000 consumers, aged 15 to 39, across six Asian markets: China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore,Taiwan and Thailand.

Interviews were conducted online using an access panel provided by Lightspeed, a Kantar company.

The research had four main objectives:

• To understand consumer awareness of a brand’s digital presence in each market
• To examine the use of digital media by different brands in the region
• To assess the effect a brand’s digital presence has on influencing consumer choice
• To explore levels of consumer trust towards different media channels

Accurate representation of consumers was achieved via stratified sampling with quotas on age, gender and city in line with population distribution. The brands included in the survey comprise the top spending online advertisers in each market across all media, according to Nielsen’s advertising expenditure data.

This study therefore focuses on the digital presence of the top advertisers only. Those advertisers and brands not included in the list of top spenders are by default excluded from the study.