Towson University, MCOM 443 (International Advertising & PR), Thailand Tourism Analysis, Fall 2009

1. Thailand Tourism Nicole Bynum Jessica Fought Morgan Moultrie Ellen Underwood Antonio Viscomi

2. Situation Analysis 66 billion people in 76 Providences Board of Investors Division of Social Groups Central Thai – 36 percent Northeastern or Thai-Lao – 32 percent Northern Thai – 8 percent Southern Thai – 8 percent Ethnic groups include Thai – 75 percent Chinese – 14 percent Other – 11 percent Religious Groups Buddhism – 95 percent Muslim – 3.8 percent Christianity - .5 percent Hinduism - .1 percent (Thailand BOI, July 2008). (Thailand BOI, 2009).

3. Situation analysis High power distance High uncertainty avoidance Tradition is highly valued Collectivistic culture Low context society Feminine country Improving literacy rates Education is the number one goal Male and female roles differ among couples Gone green (Enotes, 2000). (Innovation Platform, 2008).

4. Situation Analysis With economic state many people are turning to overseas medical treatment Thailand offers cost-effective solutions Trend in medical tourism Cosmetic surgery options available Thailand one of the most popular choices for sex reassignment surgery. (Medical Tourism, 2009).

5. SWOT - strengths Advertised as “land of the smiles” Legendary across Asia for hospitality Tsunami hit Thailand Put foreigners first “Thai Way” (Fuller, 2007). (Frankel, 2005).

6. SWOT – weaknesses Not internet savvy Telecommunication infrastructure not where it should be Limitations set by the government on technology Zero-dollar tour Decline of Chinese group visitors from 77.3 percent in 2000 to 75.5 percent in 2004 Increase in Chinese traveling on their own from 22.7 percent to 24.4 percent (Internet World Stats, 2007). (Hemtasilpa, 2006).

7. SWOT – opportunities Government recently loosened restrictions on tourism rules Tourists given a 50 percent discount to national parks and historical sites Amazing Seven Wonders of Thailand Thainess – Experience the Art of Thai Living Nature – Encounter the sheer beauty of Thai nature Treasure – Land of Heritage and History Health & Wellness – Land of Healthy Smiles Beaches – Fun, Sun, Surf, and serenity of Thai beaches Trendy – Excite yourself with the myriad of Thai Trends Festivities – Enchant yourself with international Festivities in Thailand (Tourism Authority of Thailand, 2008). (Seven Amazing Wonders of Thailand, 2008).

8. SWOT – opportunities cont’d World’s largest HIV/Aids trial Potentially effective vaccine Medical investments Receiving healthcare is more affordable Thailand has the potential to be known as the home of the cure for HIV/Aids (The Nation/Asia News Network, 2009). (Business in Asia, 2009).

9. SWOT - threats Economy hit hard after United States recession in 2009 Can support themselves 1st and 2nd quarter but will have difficulty in the 3rd and 4th Tourists with insufficient funds Bird flu sickness (Bovonboriharn, 2009).

10. Target Audience Metrofessionals Caucasian women ages 35 – 44 Graduated college and have pursued post education Professionals who earn $40 – 49K Most Married Live in metropolitan areas in Western civilization Speak English Heavy users of Internet Spend most of their time working Enjoy fashion Heavy purchasers of personal care and cleaning products. (Mediamark Reporter, 2008).

11. Target Audience Cont’d Heavy Newsers Asian men ages 35 – 54 Earn $75 – 149K Graduated college and pursued post education Much does not speak English Use newspapers heavily View professional basketball games Enjoy Sports Illustrated and Business/Finance Heavy purchasers of fast food and electronics Career requires a lot of time (MediaMark Reporter, 2008).

12. Loss of Chinese Tourists Most noticeable loss of income is occurring in China Decreasing due to Thailand’s political upsets and lack of security Crucial to bring the Chinese back to Thailand Chinese men were a huge part of Thailand tourism China is globally ranked as the fifth strongest source market (Xu, 2008).

13. TAT’s Current Campaign Strategy Facilitating charter flights between China and the southern part of Thailand Phuket, Krabi, and Samui Advertising campaign using Chinese media China Central Television (CCTV) Special promotional packages from Guangzhou to Thailand during October – December 2009. (News Room, 2009).

14. TAT’s Current Campaign Strategy Cont’d Recently launched a campaign to target big-spending Chinese tourists. Wonderful Thailand 2008 Trying to eliminate low-priced packages and attract higher spending Chinese tourists Thailand invited a select few of Chinese media to experience high-end offerings in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket Use word-of-mouth to promote. (Tourism Authority, 2008).

15. Communication Objectives Alleviate any qualms Chinese tourists may have of Thailand’s national security Increase awareness among Chinese tourist’s in the wake of its governmental support of outbound tourism Increase awareness of Thailand’s attractions to China’s elite by promoting word-of-mouth advertising To regain Chinese market by encouraging travel to Thailand through TAT Airways

16. Big Idea Promote awareness while minimizing any uncertainty avoidance Close geographically, noted as “neighbors” Slogan: “Wonder what your neighbor is doing?” Wonder Correlates with TAT’s current campaign: Seven Wonders of Thailand Main idea: target wants to have a fun time they do not have to travel far A fun neighbor is just around the corner.

17. Ad 1 - Billboard (Juniperimages, 2009).

18. AD 2 - Print (Juniperimages, 2009)

19. AD 2 - Print (Juniperimages, 2009)

20. AD 2 - Print (Juniperimages, 2009)

21. AD 3 – PR Event Basketball tournament featuring Yao Ming. Enter to win prizes as well as Thailand tour packages Pamphlets and brochures Representatives of TAT Airways available for questioning Informational compact discs Event creates awareness Media Bloggers Word-of-mouth

22. Plan for Evaluation Monitoring Sales Figures Provide early insight to effectiveness of the campaign Chinese Digital Media Corporation Monitors China’s media usage Can monitor Sports Illustrated subscriptions and purchases

23. References Business in Asia. (2009). Thailand Tourism still Favorable. Retrieved on October 9, 2009, from Business In Asia Web site: http://www.business-in-asia.com/asia/tourism_i n_thailand.ht ml Bovonboriharn, C. (2009, January 3). Special Report: Threats to Thailand’s Internal Security in 2009. Retrieved on October 1, 2009, from National News Bureau of Thailand Web site: http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255201030029 Enotes. (2009).Doing Business in Thailand, Retrieved on October 11, 2009, from Enotes Web site: http://www.enotes.com/biz-encyclopedia/thailand-doing-business Hemtasilpa, S. (2006). 'Zero-dollar' tours bad for Thai business. Bangkok Post, Retrieved on October 172009, from Thailand QA Web site: http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10137 Innovation Platform. (2009). Retrieved on October 13, 2009, from Innovation Platform Web site: http://innovationplatform.concordia.ca/thailand/hofstede2.html Internet World Stats. (2007). Thailand: Internet usage, broadband, and telecommunications reports. Retrieved on October 2, 2009, from Internet World Stats Web site: http://www.internetworldstats.com/asia/th.htm Juniperimages. (2009). Stock Images – Royalty Free Stock Photography Images and Photos at Juniperimage. Retrieved on November 15, 2009, from Juniperimages Web site: http://www.juniperimages.com “Mediamark Reporter -Spring 2008 Product: Travel, Foreign Travel - Countries or destinations visited, Last trip Southeast Asia.” (2008). Retrieved on September 30, 2009, from MediamarkRepoter Web site: http://www.mriplus.co m/account/home.aspx News Room of Tourism Authority of Thailand. (2009, October). Thailand seeks China market rebound at PATA Mart 2009 in Hangzhou. Retrieved on September 23, 2009, from Tourism Authority of Thailand Web site: http://www.tatnews.org/tat_release/detail.asp?id=4509 Seven Amazing Wonders of Thailand. (2008, September 18). Welcome Amazing Seven Wonders- Thailand campaign. Retrieved on October 1, 2009, from Amazing Seven Wonders Web site: http://www.amazing7wonders.com/component/content/article/1-amazing-wonders-thailand/1-welcome-to-amazing-seven-wonders-thailand-campaign- Thailand Board of Investment, (2009). Cost of doing business in Thailand: Demographics Thailand: Retrieved from http://www.boi.go.th/english/how/demographic.asp Tourism Authority of Thailand targets affluent Chinese visitors.” (2008, July 28). Retrieved on October 17, 2009, from Asia Travel Tips Web Site: http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news08/287-ThailandTourism.shtml Xu, Y. (2008). Chinese outbound tourism soars. Informally published manuscript, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. Retrieved on October 17, 2009 from the University of Southern California Web Site: http://www.uschina.usc.edu/Show