DITP Nurtures Thai Brands to Meet Global Trends

In an era of intensifying business competition, building a strong and distinctive brand is a significant key to success, especially in the global arena. The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Ministry of Commerce, recognises this importance and has organised the Thai Brand Incubation project, IDEA LAB. The 8th edition focuses on entrepreneurs operating businesses according to the green economy approach, from three product groups: food innovation, health and beauty, as well as fashion and lifestyle. It also promotes the use of Thai soft power as a tool to create awareness and recognition.

M.L. Phaskorn Abhakorn, Director of Innovation and Value Creation Office, DITP, said, "This year's Thai brand incubation project comes with the concept of 'Explore Your Exponential Growth,' which helps entrepreneurs discover ways to develop their brands, create a clear identity, and meet the needs of customers in both domestic and international markets, especially the mega-trends of environment and sustainability. Furthermore, the incorporation of Thai wisdom and cultural heritage into brand storytelling is considered an important soft power that drives Thai products and brands to be memorable. All 15 brands participating in the intensive incubation are on their way to creating their brand manuals, serving as a guide to international competition in the future."

Examples of interesting brands include:

• Panya Natural: A natural skincare brand with moringa as the main ingredient, combined with innovation to create premium value for the Thai natural skincare industry. Since 2014, Kamolrat Ladsitha has studied local agricultural knowledge and natural plants, inspired by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, and has transferred this knowledge to farmers in the community. The highlight is moringa oil mixed with gold, an innovation that extracts the smallest molecules in the world, 0.25 microns, and 99.98% pure gold with nano-sized molecules that can penetrate deeply into the skin, strengthening it, reducing skin fatigue, and erasing wrinkles. Currently, Panya Natural has become one of the leaders in the production and distribution of moringa-based products in Thailand and aims to develop the brand by making moringa a soft power to expand into foreign markets and convey the value of skincare from Thai herbs by Thai people.

• Pathe: A restaurant brand with a 26-year history, focusing on creating impressive dining experiences. It started from a family's dream to create a happy restaurant, believing that good food is not just about taste but also about the atmosphere and warmth that customers receive. As the world has changed in many ways, the brand has adapted to the lifestyles of customers, aiming to remain loved and accessible to both current and future customers. It uses a strategy of deeply understanding customers, which is key to improving the brand to truly reach people's hearts.

• Thai Chef: Established in 1995, to share the taste of Thai food with people around the world, Thai Chef started with instant noodles launched for the first time in Cambodia. Currently, Thai Chef is developing a variety of products to offer easy and convenient options for consumers to taste Thai food. With more than 20 years old, Thai President Foods Public Company Limited wants to rebrand Thai Chef to build a contemporary image while maintaining a clear identity that meets the needs of consumers. Also, the company is constantly looking for ways to develop the brand's identity, seeing opportunities and potential to help promote both in terms of marketing and branding, to have clear ideas and directions in creating a more memorable product character.

• JOLA (Instant Jelly Mix for Dogs): Started with the desire to create a brand that can deliver joyful, nutritious moments to elderly dogs, who are important members of the family. The brand sees an opportunity in the 2.7 billion baht market for elderly dog treats in Thailand and has developed JOLA, which provides vitamins, prebiotics, and increased daily water intake, suitable for sick dogs because it is low in calories, low in protein, and low in fat. It is easy to eat by simply adding warm water and refrigerating for 20 minutes. The brand can reflect the story of bonding very well, which can be used as one of the main selling points. Also, it can adjust communication strategies to make customers love the brand even more.

• Five Stars Fish Brand: A tapioca flour and sago brand founded in 1985. Currently, the 3rd generation heir has continued the business and wants to expand the export market and develop a new brand for the foreign market, specifically targeting foreign consumers. That is the brand Sunny's Farm, which will meet different target groups. As each regional market has different preferences, which directly affects brand design and communication, the brand is starting to look for directions and develop a new brand identity, both in terms of concepts and various elements, to communicate with consumers more directly, including developing CI and designing a new brand image to align with future marketing strategies.

IDEA LAB Season 8 is a platform that provides opportunities for Thai entrepreneurs to develop their potential and build strong and sustainable brands with the support of DITP. However, discovering a clear direction for the brand towards developing an effective branding strategy is only the beginning of brand development. What is important is to apply and build on the strategies to create tangible results. Entrepreneurs interested in participating in the IDEA LAB project in the coming year can follow news and more information on Facebook: DITP Value Creation.