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Sponsoring major tool to expand presence
PITSINEE JITPLEECHEEP
``Our brand is second to none among Asian athletes,'' says Ms Suchada. |
After building its brand in the domestic market for more than four decades, Grand Sport Group, a producer of sports apparel and equipment, is setting its sight to become a regional brand of athletic apparel.
''Sponsoring sports events is a very effective marketing tool to help us achieve our goal because it gives a brand high visibility, especially during major tournaments,'' said Suchada Nimakorn, the company's president.
Under the scheme, the company became a sponsor for the National Olympic Committee, providing about 2,000 Grand Sport jackets and polo shirts to the committee members and athletes taking part in the Beijing Olympics that open today and run until Aug 24. The company has spent about 50 million baht on the event.
At the same time, Grand Sport will continue its annual ''Grand Sport Young Designer Contest'' to attract young fashion students to design its sportswear.
''The contest provides an opportunity for them to design sportswear while Grand Sport can explore the demand of sportswear among them,'' Ms Suchada said.
As the contest is held throughout the country, Grand Sport can obtain exposure and build brand awareness among 200 to 300 new students and other people including teachers. Ms Suchada said that due to the tough competition, the company had to spend at least 10 million baht every year on research and development to find innovative ways to keep its brand young and protect it from copy cats.
The strategies have helped push its sales, which started at less than 100 baht on the day it opened its first store 47 years ago, to 600 million baht at present, mostly from the local market.
Ms Suchada said that she had thought about exporting for four years. ''An athletic apparel agent in Malaysia threw our products on a table when I asked him to sell our products there, saying it was impossible. But I have never given up. Today, I could prove him wrong,'' she said.
Currently, Grand Sport apparel is exported to many countries in the Middle East, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines and the company will expand into new markets in the near future. ''Our brand is second to none among Asian athletes,'' she said.
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