Marketing Strategies of Alcohol Business in Thailand : A Case Study of Below the Line Strategies

Abstract

 The intention of the Thailand Alcohol Beverage Control Act B.E. 2551 (2008) is to protect young children and adolescents, especially from the attractive alcohol marketing communication tools. But there is evidence that shows the alcohol industry develop the marketing strategies to comply with the Code and lend many opportunities to circumvent the existing regulations. The method employed for this study comprised content analysis and ethnographic research by surveying and analyzing actual marketing events organized by the alcohol beverage companies. This included studying entertainment venues, pubs and bars located in city red and yellow zones situated around Rajabhat University campuses located in the Bangkok metropolitan area. The results showed that the alcohol beverage companies’ special Below the Line marketing activities fell under three classifications: 1. Pull Strategies aim at attracting customers to buy and drink alcohol products visit retailers and also all trade channel. 2. Push Strategies focus on the distributors, to encourage them to push the sale of alcohol beverages. And 3. Profile Strategies emphasize the companies’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The survey of the data relating to the entertainment venues, pubs, and bars revealed that Rajabhat students did not like to travel far to find entertainment and would look for venues within the university neighborhood. The venues’ decorations and atmosphere fall under ‘place strategy’. When surveying ‘price’ and ‘promotion’, it was found the prices were relatively inexpensive and mixers will be sold for less expensive prices than at other entertainment venues, and these prices will be announced at the front of the venues using large posters, signs and banners.