Nation Group pushes forward in online market, aims at 20-25 million page views annually

Noting that statistics in this technology-driven era show that 69 million Thai people own a total of 92 mobile telephone numbers among them, 51 million are on social media for roughly 3 hours per day and daily average phone use is more than 9 hours, NMG chairman Shine Bunnag said: “These changes in consumer behaviour translate into changes in the media industry landscape. Every citizen can access news sources at any time, or even become a news source themselves. This drives media organisations like us to adapt to the changing market and upcoming challenges.”

The chairman added that in 2020 Nation Group will push forward on the digital content front, utilising its long-established brand to the fullest, coupled with aggressive content development to attract more followers.
“Currently, the online media of Nation Group have around 10 million views per year, which is quite substantial,” said Shine. “We aim to push this number up to 20 and 25 million views in the future.”

 

Marching forward with more TV content
Although online media is becoming increasingly popular, Nation Group will not abandon traditional media like TV, as this still enjoys comprehensive coverage in rural areas. The company will continue to produce innovative, high-quality programmes to attract a wider range of viewers, as well as upgrade its studio with state-of-the-art equipment of international standard.

“With 49 years of experience in the business, Nation Group is one of the longest-standing multimedia organisations in the country,” said Shine. “We have 8 dependable brands and several broadcasting partners that will help us overcome challenges in this evolving industry.”
“Strong brands, interesting content and a substantial following on our online channels will be the key to our success,” he added.
Moreover, Nation Group will also focus on developing new businesses that complement existing ones, such as event organisation, personnel and application training courses, overseas business trips for executives, and also on developing house-brand products to increase revenue from TV and online advertising.

 

Penetrating markets with data
For his part, NMG chief executive Somchai Meesane noted that business today is driven by the data, which organisations need to collect, manage, and utilise in a systematic manner. “Everyone uses data from the moment of waking up,” he said. “For example, buying products online generates an exchange of data between consumers and buyers. You give them your personal preference while they offer you discount and promotion.”
Nation Group will emphasise effective and comprehensive data management. We aim to be one of the country’s top three data management companies,” he added.

The CEO further explained that when it comes to data management, Nation Group stands on three legs. “The first leg is ‘offline data’,” he said referring to the Group’s traditional newspapers, namely Krungthep Turakij, Kom Chad Luek, and the soon-to-join family member Thansettakij. The three papers offer in-depth data and analysis in their respective fields to specific groups of readers.
“The second leg is ‘online data’, which include Nation TV and online news outlets BangkokBizNews and The Nation Thailand. Both will focus on distributing neutral, reliable content in a fast and compact manner. Most importantly, there will be no ‘fake news’ on our outlets.”
The last leg is ‘on the ground’, referring to NMG’s event organisation business that responds to the needs of both clients and society. “We handle all kinds of events: seminar, sports, entertainment, charity, and education,” he said. “In return, these events will provide us with invaluable data on people’s opinions, enabling us to improve ourselves even further as an efficient organiser.”
“Nation Group will keep on improving to stay abreast of the changing world, but our core values will remain the same: being a reliable and socially responsible media organisation,” Somchai added.