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Thailand Interview: Andrew Clark
 | Andrew Clark Canadian (Victoria BC), living in Thailand 20 yrs. Owner: Q Bar Founder: Creative In-House Ad Agency. |
1. Could you tell us more about yourself and what you do for a living?
I'm Canadian, have been living in Bangkok for 20 years now after 3 years in Tokyo. Worked in Canada as a graphic designer, Art Directed in Japan and started an English city magazine there in 1987. I started my own advertising company (Creative InHouse Co., Ltd) in Bangkok in 1993 which is still going strong. Opened Q Bar Bangkok in 1999, one of the more popular nightclubs in the city. Currently spend 5-6 nights a week running the club, taking care of all marketing. Have always been a pioneer in digital media here in Bangkok with great results.
2. What is the current media scene like in Thailand? More use of Digital media or traditional media? How so?
The media scene in Thailand has always been temperamental. Outside of mass consumer products, print media is king, but word of mouth and direct marketing has traditionally been very effective. Thailand has embraced digital marketing in a big way to target the affluent market segment as it works culturally with the "follow my friends" mentality.
3. Do you know what the current social media trend in Thailand is? (Which is more popular - Hi5, friendster, Facebook etc... Is there any reason why so?)
FaceBook is by far the largest influence in Thailand with Hi5 a distant 2nd. The only reason is it was more popular at the beginning of the social media explosion. It is used by, besides individuals as a social network, by many restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels, travel businesses and event companies to inform their members about current events/promotions.
4. What do you think would be the next big thing in Thailand?
Twitter is gaining popularity quickly. Until recently, Twitter in Thailand was the domain of computer & tech geeks. Lately, many businesses have set up accounts to do the same thing they've been using FaceBook for. My daughter is a pop star and her recording agency has told all their artists to have their own Twitter accounts. This is becoming a trend amongst celebrities to keep in touch with their fan base. So, Thailand is now bucking the international trend and seeing many young Twitter users.
5. We read that in Thailand mobile media is a popular medium for advertisers. We are wondering why is that so as compared to internet media? Any comments?
SMS communication to customers is very active in Thailand. Q Bar was one of the first to employ it as a tool to spread timely info on events 8 years ago. The advantage is that Thais quickly forget about info they read in a magazine on an event weeks in the future. They don't make plans like westerners do. They behave more spontaneously and an SMS on the day of an event is more likely to get notice.
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