BANGKOK: Thailand's Boon Rawd Brewery is playing giant killer with a 20
million baht (USdollars 450,000) campaign for its new Super Lion beer
attacking the business practices of its market-leading competitor, Beer
Chang.
The campaign exposes what Boon Rawd, maker of Singha and Leo beers,
considers unethical business practices of the Beer Chang brewer.
According to Pirat Sirikwanchai, Spa Advertising account manager
handling the campaign, Thai Beer (which makes Chang) has been abusing
its monopoly in white whiskey by "bundling".
The practice requires vendors to buy Beer Chang with whiskey
purchases.
Although legal, this practice discourages vendor choice, and thus
consumer choice, Pirat said.
"It's getting worse. Thai Beer has raised its whiskey prices to cover
its beer discounts, and is now forcing vendors to buy its soda and water
too," said Pirat.
"We feel that consumers should know about the companies they buy
from."
The campaign has so far featured three television commercials, the first
of which shows a rural water vendor discussing how he's being driven
under by Beer Thai's bundling practices. A second features a talking
monkey chastising Beer Thai for hurting small businesses in the country,
and a third mocks Beer Chang's famous jingle melody. Campaign creative
has been adapted for radio and POP banners. More creatives are planned
for the campaign's second phase which is expected to extend through
June.
Thai Beer has been dismissive in its response. "Our response is to
ignore them," said Thanit Thamsukati, adviser to Thai Beer. "We have a
better beer and that's why we sell better. They're trying to distract
from this issue but it won't work."
Thanit insisted that Beer Chang breweries are running at full capacity
and that demand had not faltered.
