Page 68 - The EDIT | Q2 2017

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My take on Thailand
When you think about 2017 so far, what were the most exciting things that have happened in your market till date?
Firstly, I would say the Mask Singer phenomenon.
The Mask Singer is a TV production imported from Korea and re-produced by Workpoint Entertainment which is the #1 game show production company in Thailand. The Mask Singer is a singing contest show where all the contestants need to wear extremely dramatic costumes and masks to compete during many rounds of singing performances. During each round of performance, one loser is required to reveal their face to the audience. That is where the fun part of the show starts as the audience is extremely surprised who is behind the masks and how capable she/he she is of singing. The content alone is not the key success driver of the program, but how the show integrates both offline and online is fascinating.
I think it is always challenging to apply and integrate
TV content or advertising content directly onto online or mobile platforms, but ‘Mask Singer’ managed to develop a customized experience across many platforms including Facebook Live, Facebook Fanpage, Youtube, Line TV and also Twitter. The program’s audience can easily engage, share, and interact with the show’s customized content via these platforms.
The programs’ success speaks for itself:
• Itcreated5millionsubscribersonYoutube
• It has over 7 million followers on Facebook
• Itcreatedmorethan16.9millionfriendsonLine • Itisthe#1trendingtopiconTwitterinThailand
Secondly, e-commerce in Thailand is getting really intense here! Don’t get me wrong, e-commerce is not necessarily new in Thailand as there are many e-commerce players already present including Lazada or Talad to just name a few – but e-commerce seemed to be for a niche audience only as most Thai shoppers were concerned about privacy issues, payment burdens, and delivery processes. This has changed. Mainly since online penetration is on the rise, but also because e-commerce sites have addressed and partly resolved consumers’ barriers to shopping online.
Early in Feb 2017, a new e-commerce platform from Korea, ‘Eleven Street’, was launched in Thailand — and it had massive media support with spending up to USD 3 million per month via national TV, Bangkok Transits as well as various online channels.
This has given us a strong sign of how e-commerce will become essential in Thailand’s marketing and advertising landscapes.
THE EDIT ISSUE 06 | Q2 2017