Dr Sirikul Laukaikul has acquired the label "branding guru" from her experience working to shape and improve many well-known brands. She has worked with government agencies and major Thai companies, employing strategies that focus on the balance between popularity and responsibility.
From March 18-19, the "Sustainable Brandss'15 Bangkok" conference will be held at Plaza Athenee Hotel, and Sirikul believes it will help cement the idea that doing business with a conscience is not just good for society but also good for business. Her ideas around "sufficiency branding" are gaining momentum.
"If you stand up for your principals and are genuine in dealing with others, people will respect your brand for that," said Sirikul, who besides managing her consulting firm BrandBeing Consultant, is also a writer, lecturer and television host. "Popularity, on the other hand, is fleeting. You will eventually realise after a while that pleasing people to gain their favour is short-lived. Our society has become increasingly self-centered. People prefer to do their own thing.
"From my experience, I have found that His Majesty the King's teachings on the sufficiency economy are beneficial in addressing a number of issues facing our society today. This philosophy is founded on sustainability and consideration for others, underlining the need for moderation, rationality and having morals. It teaches you to know yourself — strengths and weaknesses included — so when you are required to make major decisions, you can be decisive."
Sirikul argues the sufficiency economy philosophy emphasises the need for knowledge. Mastering one's market and consumer base is pivotal. Knowledge offers people vision and power to plan ahead. Power, however, is a double-edged sword. If it is used the wrong way it can have devastating effects. Therefore, the need for ethnics is a must. Once people can obtain knowledge and are ethical, they can balance their life and business in a more appropriate way.
It is often wrongly argued, argues Sirikul, that the sufficiency economy model results in a noncompetitive stance in business.
"It is more about realising where you stand as a business, and view your opponents accordingly," said Sirikul. "If you are a lightweight boxer, you compete with a lightweight boxer. If you decide to take on someone from a heavier division, there might be a 10% chance of winning, but there is a greater chance that you will fail and come out more bruised and battered than if you had decided to compete at your appropriate level. So you compete based on your strengths."
Sirikul argues an increasing number of Thai companies are seeing the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR). People view it as a chance to do good. Others have to comply with CSR mandatory standards.
The issue for Sirikul is not just about CSR, but rather about marketing with a genuine and sincere heart. A huge budget is not required to conduct a CSR project. If, for example, you have a food stall and don't throw waste in the sewerage system, that is a form of CSR. She said it boils down to taking responsibility and being ethical.
"The world has witnessed a shift in focus on brand building," she said. "An increasing number of businesses have come to realise that creating a business driven brand alone is no longer enough. Since business, the community and the environment are integral parts of the economy, the notion of sustainability plays an essential part in every organisation. Strong brands are not enough, but sustainable ones are."
Sirikul believes the upcoming conference is a good chance for Thai companies to catch up on branding trends and strategies, and grasp the increasingly important concept of branding as a form of social responsibility.
"Social media has made it possible for consumers to vent their dissatisfaction over anything and everything," she said. "People can take photos on their mobile phones of a dirty kitchen in a five-star restaurant and the next thing you know you have a problem on your hands. We are not living in the days of image making. We are living in the transparency era, so being truthful and honest is required if you hope to be around for while."
