November 12, 2009

Marketing In Bangkok

Marketing in Bangkok is a unique experience when compared to many other cities and certainly when compared to American cities. First, the Asian culture is completely different from the west. Second, although the overwhelming majority of people in Bangkok are Thai, there are also sizable communities of people who speak Japanese, English and Chinese. This means that trying to reach people through Traditional media can be difficult since there are Thai, English and Japanese newspapers here and radio stations in Thai, English and Chinese. And the mass market TV stations are all in Thai.

Since reaching people through traditional media is difficult many forward-thinking marketers are turning increasingly to the internet. There are many Thai language websites here in Thailand but many Thais also use English-language sites to a certain degree. Therefore, many marketers that are trying to reach local audiences for different products have quite a number of options.  YouTube and Google, for example, get large numbers of Thai visitors and there is also a Thai-language versions of Google.

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November 5, 2009

Expedia’s Outrageous Behavior Spells Trouble for Hotels

The Prisoner’s Dilemma, the Stockholm Syndrome, or a Case of Both?

(This article comes from HeBS at www.hospitalityebusiness.com)

Does Expedia believe the hospitality industry has forgotten the tremendous damage done by online wholesale discounters (now called Online Travel Agencies – OTAs) in the period following 9/11? Has the current state of the economy revived hospitality “Stockholm Syndrome” in which the abused (hoteliers) feel such allegiance to their kidnappers (OTAs) that they will accept Expedia’s new anti-industry terms and conditions? (more…)