Electrolux aims to modernise image, lure young buyers

“We plan to expand the product line-up to include those with prices at an affordable level,” Sutti Manokitjarunman, general manager of Electrolux Thailand Co, said yesterday.
Electrolux introduced the rebranding in its home market at the beginning of last year and is now rolling it out in many overseas markets, after the change of its logo in the middle of last year.
The company will give all its stores in this country a facelift in line with the new, younger image. 
It will boost its advertising budget for digital media by 50 per cent this year to reach younger consumers and the growing population of digital citizens.
After almost 40 years in Thailand, the brand has earned the trust of local consumers, Sutti said. Now it will enhance its brand by coping with changing lifestyles. 
The home-appliance market is expected to expand by 5-6 per cent this year, up from growth of only 2-3 per cent last year.
The faster sales will be driven by improved economic circumstances and the government’s spending on infrastructure projects, which has been allocated since the middle of last year, he said. 
This instils higher confidence in the private sector, especially developers, who are ready to invest in the development of their own real-estate projects. 
The prices of agricultural products also look to be better this year.
“The local home-appliance market was Bt50 billion to Bt60 billion last year. The market bottomed out last year and started picking up in the beginning of this year,” he said.
This year, Electrolux Thailand plans to underscore its leading position in premium appliances with an emphasis on quality and innovation.
It will focus on bringing about inspiration and creating stories and experiences to attract customers, as well as differentiating the brand, Sutti said. 
Its products are divided into three main lines – Taste for kitchen appliances, Care for fabric-care products and Well-being for products such as air-conditioners, air purifiers, vacuum cleaners and water heaters.
“Last year, Electrolux continued to generate consistent growth. Our microwave products were a big success and contributed towards greater sales growth as compared with the year before. 
“For 2017, Electrolux will focus particularly on kitchen appliances, which make up about 20 per cent of all products under our brand.” 
The company recently launched the campaign “Tastier Together ... Taste of Happiness”, which features actress Phiyada “Aom” Akkaraseranee and her cute little girl Patcharanan “Nava” Jutharattanakul. 
The campaign begins with reflections on familial bonds that pass from generation to generation, and the company is sure it will put a smile on people’s faces and create a big impression. 
It is followed by an online campaign that allows viewers to share their most memorable dishes as well as tag their friends to participate in the cooking challenge. 
“We will upgrade our home-appliance products featuring ‘inverter’ technology,” he said.
The penetration of inverter technology in the local electrical-appliance market, including washing machines, refrigerators and air-conditioners, was at about 25 per cent last year and is expected to reach 30 per cent this year. 
“In many developed markets, the penetration rate of products featuring inverter technology is about 50 per cent,” he said.
Inverters vary the speed of electric motors including air-conditioning compressors to maximise efficiency.
Electrolux will also pay greater attention to the “Well-being” category, with a focus on improving the quality of life for consumers in terms of both physical and mental health, Sutti said. 
“This can be achieved if we look at the home environment as not limited to only cleanliness and comfort, but also in terms of providing happy experiences that residents can enjoy while spending time at home. 
“The Electrolux philosophy includes solution-based technology in line with today’s digital lifestyle.
“Apart from products designed to cater to consumers’ changing needs, one thing we never forget is to deliver the 360-degree experience to customers. 
“Beginning even before a customer decides to buy a product, we have a team that will provide information and recommend the right product to suit their needs. 
“This is done both on online platforms and other channels, to ensure that the customer is well informed with relevant options and to help them make the right decision,” he said.