The majority of Thais are willing to pay more to support local brands, as more than 90% feel proud seeing Thai brands in the international market, according to a survey by VML Thailand, a marketing and communications agency.
The 2024 VML survey "Super Brands in APAC" covered eight countries in Asia-Pacific (APAC): China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand.
Ekaluck Charanvas, analytics strategy director and BAV APAC Champion, said the latest survey results revealed super-brands that are powerful and beloved among Thais are Google, YouTube, Samsung, True Money and 7-Eleven.
However, among the top 10 brands in terms of brand power and brand love, eight are global brands, with only two local brands such as True Money on the list.
"This proportion is relatively small compared with other APAC countries such as China, Japan and South Korea," said Mr Ekaluck.
He said a sense of national pride and connection is a crucial factor in enabling local brands to increase their competitiveness with global brands.
"This trend suggests a growing opportunity for Thai brands to capitalise on national sentiment and pride, potentially closing the gap with global brands in the Thai market," said Mr Ekaluck.
People in Asia-Pacific often have strong affection for their country's brands, ranking them higher than global brands, he said.
To become a super-brand in Asia-Pacific, Mr Ekaluck recommended local brands use the pride tactic to strengthen brand connections with domestic consumers and support the country's reputation in global trade.
For global brands, partnering with local brands is key to penetrating markets with high national pride, he said.
Global brands can also participate by helping local communities, said Mr Ekaluck, blending global innovation with local cultural understanding, which creates a win-win situation for both brands.