New president of marketing group reveals 3-year plan

Supattra Paopiamsap, who is also chairwoman of Unilever Thailand, presented her three-year vision under which there are four key issues to be addressed in order to create a sustainable business environment in the Kingdom.
The first issue is related to talent development for the industry through a training programme for chief marketing officers. This programme will provide extensive knowledge from experts in the marketing industry, particularly in online and digital media business, from leading global companies such as Line, Google and Facebook.
Supattra stressed that amid a fast-changing economy, companies needed CMOs who were equipped with a number of marketing weapons to manage the fragmented demands in the digital era. It is very important for any company to gain deep knowledge to seize opportunities in an age of digital revolution, she said.
The second mission is that the MAT will help empower Thai SMEs and start-up companies to access better sources of knowledge and new frontiers. The association will provide “SME clinics” to train those companies that need to increase their capacity to be more competitive.
“Through our overseas networks in Asean countries, Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, we hope to help Thai SMEs that participate in this programme to share their experience and ideas in order to improve their core competency and skills,” she said.
“After the implementation of the Asean Economic Community early this year, it is very crucial for Thai entrepreneurs to seek further opportunities beyond their home country. So under the third mission, the association aims to create and strengthen regional networks with Thai marketers.”
This strategy will help Thai companies grow their business abroad as well know how to build their brands in overseas markets.
Supattra said insight and foresight in business were also key as the fourth mission. The MAT will put more focus on acquisition of marketing data and intelligence to support its members and the industry.
“We will collaborate with the Thailand Marketing Research Society to ensure that the industry gets updated marketing insights and is able to predict future trends,” she added.