The Acquisition Represents the First Step in Datamax-O'Neil's Long-Term External Growth Strategy to Gain Market Share and Strengthen Its Leadership Position in the Global Auto-ID Market by Broadening Its Product Offerings and Global Presence
Datamax-O'Neil, part of Dover Corporation's (NYSE: DOV) Product Identification Platform and global provider of label and receipt printing solutions, has acquired Extech Instruments' Data Systems Division, one of the world's leading developers of portable printers for enterprise-wide applications. Extech Instruments, based in Waltham, Massachusetts is a subsidiary of FLIR Systems. The acquisition expands Datamax-O'Neil's portable printer portfolio, and strategically positions the company to gain market share and significantly grow its global customer base.
"This acquisition is an early example of our goal to distinguish Datamax-O'Neil as the clear leader in the auto-ID marketplace, with the industry's most complete product range and an aggressive plan for global marketshare growth," said Christian Lefort, president of Datamax-O'Neil. "I'm pleased to welcome Extech's portable printing division into Datamax-O'Neil and believe that this addition positions us and our combined channel partners to be more competitive and achieve greater success."
"Datamax-O'Neil has completed its unification and has now begun to implement its long-term strategy for sustained growth," said Omar Kerbage, president and CEO of Dover Corporation's Product Identification Group (PIDG). "The opportunity to better service our customers is now expanded with this acquisition, and I have confidence that the Datamax-O'Neil management team can execute an effective plan that will lead to market leadership with a superior suite of products, unmatched service, and the support and extensive resources available from Dover's PIDG."
Extech Instruments' portable printer division offers a diverse line of thermal and dot matrix portable printers that are sold worldwide through an expansive network of distributors and marketing partners. The division will be fully integrated into Datamax-O'Neil over a four month period, and the printers will be marketed under the Datamax-O'Neil brand. The printers will complement Datamax-O'Neil's premium portable printer portfolio with the addition of a full line of high-value, cost-competitive printers for mobile requirements, including Point-of-Sale (POS), hospitality, route accounting and field service. The printers will appeal to price sensitive applications, and are available in 2, 3 and 4 inch configurations.
About Datamax-O'Neil
Datamax-O'Neil is a trusted global provider of stationary and portable label and receipt printing solution products that enable manufacturing and supply markets to capture the benefits of automated product identification and automated legal and financial transactions. Datamax-O'Neil is the barcode and mobile printing business group of Dover Corporation's Product Identification Group (PIDG), a global platform entity with products and services covering all the leading marking technologies and applications. The company's products address a wide variety of applications, including those in the industrial, healthcare, retail, automotive and ticketing market sectors. Datamax-O'Neil is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, and maintains key facilities in California, Illinois, and France, as well as sales and technical support offices around the world.
About Dover's Product Identification Group (PIDG)
Dover Corporation's Product Identification Group (PIDG) is a world class business group with products and services covering all of the leading marking and labeling technologies and applications. PIDG is comprised of two industry leaders --Markem-Imaje and Datamax-O'Neil. The goal of PIDG is to help its customers integrate optimal product identification solutions into their supply chain operations to increase productivity and operating efficiencies. The PIDG is unique in several ways: it provides a global understanding of key account applications throughout the supply chain; a continuously updated global expertise; and worldwide best-in-class service and support.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Phuket International Boat Show To Generate Over 7 Billion Baht For Marine Tourism
Phuket is Asia’s Marine Hub and to become Monaco of Asia.
The organizers of the Phuket International Boat Show together with the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TECB) today announced plans for the 2010 event to be held 7-10 January in Phuket at Royal Phuket Marina.
Now in its seventh year, the Phuket International Boat Show continues to grow and expand, promoting marine tourism and attracting more international exhibitors and visitors each year.
Launched in 2003 at a time of rapid growth in marine tourism in the region, the Phuket International Boat Show now leads the way in promoting Phuket’s marine facilities to the world. Through business-generated by exhibitors, the Phuket International Boat Show contributes over 7 Billion Baht to Phuket’s marine tourism industry each year.
Phuket has five operational marinas, over 1,000 ‘resident’ yachts, and attracts approximately 300 international yachts and over 30 superyachts each year. Combine some of the most modern marina facilities in Asia and the growth in multi-million dollar properties on the Island, and it’s clear to see that Phuket has become the Asian playground for the wealthy and cements Phuket’s reputation as the Monaco of Asia.
The Phuket International Boat Show is a key contributor driving the growth of Phuket’s marine tourism by approximately 10% year-on-year. The Phuket International Boat Show is the biggest marine show in the region and has a proven track record with sales successes and strong visitor numbers for seven consecutive years.
Mr. Andrew Dowden, General Manager of Informa Yacht Group, the organizer of Phuket International Boat Show said that the show is the biggest international boat show in terms of the on-water display and that despite the global economic downturn, the show continues its popularity with confirmation of many new brand yachts exhibiting, increased international exhibitor presence and two superyachts attending from Europe - a 32 metre Mangusta and a 26 metre Pershing.
”Marine tourism in Asia continues to grow with many international marine businesses now looking to expand into Asia. Phuket is ideally located geographically, has good support structure and many modern marina facilities, which will combine to make Phuket the Marine Hub of Asia,” Mr. Dowden said.
“Phuket is perfectly geared to the needs of the yachting industry and tourists alike, and offers an unmatched diversity of leisure opportunities to suit everyone. With pristine natural beauty and two
brand new marinas, Phuket is ideally positioned as a hub for regional marine events such as Phuket International Boat Show 2010,” said Supawan Teerarat, Exhibition Director, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau. “TCEB is proud to be able to lend our support and backing to this premier regional
marine and lifestyle content and we are confident that this will fortify and enable Phuket to host large-scale events in the future.”
The 2010 show is expected to attract over 90 local and international exhibitors and over 5,000 visitors and international High Net Worth Individuals.The show’s exhibitors include a large variety of marine tourism products and services as well as yacht brokers, luxury watch makers, luxury real estate and other lifestyle products, from Phuket, Thailand and around the world.
The Phuket International Boat Show is an example of a successful international event hosted in Thailand that contributes to and helps to drive Thailand’s MICE industry. “This year, Thailand’s MICE industry is expected to attract half a million business visitors, with projected revenues of approximately THB 41 billion, and in 2010 we expect the sector to grow by up to 15%, demonstrating the buoyant long-term prospects,” said Supawan.
An exciting new development in 2010 for the Phuket International Boat Show is a series of seminars on maritime safety. Organized by the Human Development Forum Foundation, a number of international speakers will chair discussions on various aspects of maritime security issues.
A Bangkok Preview of the Phuket International Boat Show will be held 6 – 8 November 2009 at the Pan Pacific Hotel in the White Room. This will include a select number of exhibitors and give Bangkok residents a small taster of what will be on offer at the Phuket International Boat Show in January next year. The Bangkok Preview is open to the public and entry is free.
The Phuket International Boat Show is supported by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau with support and enthusiasm from the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Sports Authority of Thailand. Co-Sponsors include the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Horus Watches, with Pan Pacific Hotel as Official Supplier. Media Partners include 91.5FM, Asia Pacific Boating, Asia Spa, China Boating, Director, International Herald Tribune, Jet Asia Pacific, Luxury Properties, Millionaire Asia, Newspaper Direct, Phuket Gazette, Prestige Thailand and The Nation.
The Phuket International Boat Show will be held January 7-10, 2010 at Royal Phuket Marina.
For more information, visit www.phuketboatshow.com.
Notes to editor
About Phuket International Boat Show
The inaugural PIMEX took place in December 2003. Phuket, with its rapidly expanding marine industry and a healthy property market was already established as one of the world’s prime leisure destinations and a favourite with those seeking to relocate to a better lifestyle. Shortly after this first show the import duty on boats was reduced to zero as the government quickly realised the potential of this high end sustainable tourism.
The show will display on 2,500 square metres of air-conditioned exhibition space and around 45 on-water displays in a “working” marine environment. There are over 2,000 trade visitors and 2,000 members of the public – all the main players from the marine industry, property and lifestyle industry to exhibit at the show each year.
About Informa Yacht Group
Informa Yacht Group a leading events organizer recently acquired PIMEX from Andaman Marine Consultants and has appointed AMC as the management company for the show. Informa also own The Monaco Yacht Show, The Superyacht Cup in Palma and in Antigua, Abu Dhabi Yacht Show, and the World Yacht Racing Forum. Its parent company, Informa PLC, also organizes over 10,000 exhibitions and conferences worldwide through its subsidiary IIR Exhibitions.
The organizers of the Phuket International Boat Show together with the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TECB) today announced plans for the 2010 event to be held 7-10 January in Phuket at Royal Phuket Marina.
Now in its seventh year, the Phuket International Boat Show continues to grow and expand, promoting marine tourism and attracting more international exhibitors and visitors each year.
Launched in 2003 at a time of rapid growth in marine tourism in the region, the Phuket International Boat Show now leads the way in promoting Phuket’s marine facilities to the world. Through business-generated by exhibitors, the Phuket International Boat Show contributes over 7 Billion Baht to Phuket’s marine tourism industry each year.
Phuket has five operational marinas, over 1,000 ‘resident’ yachts, and attracts approximately 300 international yachts and over 30 superyachts each year. Combine some of the most modern marina facilities in Asia and the growth in multi-million dollar properties on the Island, and it’s clear to see that Phuket has become the Asian playground for the wealthy and cements Phuket’s reputation as the Monaco of Asia.
The Phuket International Boat Show is a key contributor driving the growth of Phuket’s marine tourism by approximately 10% year-on-year. The Phuket International Boat Show is the biggest marine show in the region and has a proven track record with sales successes and strong visitor numbers for seven consecutive years.
Mr. Andrew Dowden, General Manager of Informa Yacht Group, the organizer of Phuket International Boat Show said that the show is the biggest international boat show in terms of the on-water display and that despite the global economic downturn, the show continues its popularity with confirmation of many new brand yachts exhibiting, increased international exhibitor presence and two superyachts attending from Europe - a 32 metre Mangusta and a 26 metre Pershing.
”Marine tourism in Asia continues to grow with many international marine businesses now looking to expand into Asia. Phuket is ideally located geographically, has good support structure and many modern marina facilities, which will combine to make Phuket the Marine Hub of Asia,” Mr. Dowden said.
“Phuket is perfectly geared to the needs of the yachting industry and tourists alike, and offers an unmatched diversity of leisure opportunities to suit everyone. With pristine natural beauty and two
brand new marinas, Phuket is ideally positioned as a hub for regional marine events such as Phuket International Boat Show 2010,” said Supawan Teerarat, Exhibition Director, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau. “TCEB is proud to be able to lend our support and backing to this premier regional
marine and lifestyle content and we are confident that this will fortify and enable Phuket to host large-scale events in the future.”
The 2010 show is expected to attract over 90 local and international exhibitors and over 5,000 visitors and international High Net Worth Individuals.The show’s exhibitors include a large variety of marine tourism products and services as well as yacht brokers, luxury watch makers, luxury real estate and other lifestyle products, from Phuket, Thailand and around the world.
The Phuket International Boat Show is an example of a successful international event hosted in Thailand that contributes to and helps to drive Thailand’s MICE industry. “This year, Thailand’s MICE industry is expected to attract half a million business visitors, with projected revenues of approximately THB 41 billion, and in 2010 we expect the sector to grow by up to 15%, demonstrating the buoyant long-term prospects,” said Supawan.
An exciting new development in 2010 for the Phuket International Boat Show is a series of seminars on maritime safety. Organized by the Human Development Forum Foundation, a number of international speakers will chair discussions on various aspects of maritime security issues.
A Bangkok Preview of the Phuket International Boat Show will be held 6 – 8 November 2009 at the Pan Pacific Hotel in the White Room. This will include a select number of exhibitors and give Bangkok residents a small taster of what will be on offer at the Phuket International Boat Show in January next year. The Bangkok Preview is open to the public and entry is free.
The Phuket International Boat Show is supported by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau with support and enthusiasm from the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Sports Authority of Thailand. Co-Sponsors include the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Horus Watches, with Pan Pacific Hotel as Official Supplier. Media Partners include 91.5FM, Asia Pacific Boating, Asia Spa, China Boating, Director, International Herald Tribune, Jet Asia Pacific, Luxury Properties, Millionaire Asia, Newspaper Direct, Phuket Gazette, Prestige Thailand and The Nation.
The Phuket International Boat Show will be held January 7-10, 2010 at Royal Phuket Marina.
For more information, visit www.phuketboatshow.com.
Notes to editor
About Phuket International Boat Show
The inaugural PIMEX took place in December 2003. Phuket, with its rapidly expanding marine industry and a healthy property market was already established as one of the world’s prime leisure destinations and a favourite with those seeking to relocate to a better lifestyle. Shortly after this first show the import duty on boats was reduced to zero as the government quickly realised the potential of this high end sustainable tourism.
The show will display on 2,500 square metres of air-conditioned exhibition space and around 45 on-water displays in a “working” marine environment. There are over 2,000 trade visitors and 2,000 members of the public – all the main players from the marine industry, property and lifestyle industry to exhibit at the show each year.
About Informa Yacht Group
Informa Yacht Group a leading events organizer recently acquired PIMEX from Andaman Marine Consultants and has appointed AMC as the management company for the show. Informa also own The Monaco Yacht Show, The Superyacht Cup in Palma and in Antigua, Abu Dhabi Yacht Show, and the World Yacht Racing Forum. Its parent company, Informa PLC, also organizes over 10,000 exhibitions and conferences worldwide through its subsidiary IIR Exhibitions.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
MORE BANG FOR BUCK
For hundreds of diners in Taiwan,22-year-old Sheena Tsai is the billboard for Carlsberg, a Danish beer vying for a slice of Asia's competitive lager market.The university student brings beer straight to tables at packed Taipei seafood restaurants with handy facts about Carlsberg's origin and flavour.
"Some don't know about it," said Tsai, who wears a beer-branded blouse to local seafood joints."They like to meet sellers face to face. This kind of promotion is useful."
Carlsberg isn't the only one in Asia.As major companies see growth potential in the region, many more are seeking a marketing strategy to suit it,giving new clout to the ages-old tool of bringing products directly to consumers.
Dozens of companies, from consumer goods maker Hindustan Unilever Ltd to delivery firms such as Fedex, are now using direct marketing methods to sell their products in increasingly crowded and competitive markets.
Direct marketing, broadly defined,covers any sales technique from popup stores and commercial gift bag giveaways to free sample handouts that puts sellers directly in touch with target customers, compared to indirect marketing such as advertising, product placement or sponsorships.
Asian consumers, long accustomed to doing business with trusted family or friends to avoid scams, see contact with direct marketers as safe avenues to get to study a product in a world of commercial uncertainty, experts say.
"People still reply to direct mail. They want to be marketed to," said Dominic Powers, Asia-Pacific senior vice-president with marketing firm Epsilon International."Relationships are very strong, more so than in America, and they get things done."
Every major firm active in Asia uses both direct and indirect marketing, with the direct portion growing.
Last year direct sales in Asia increased 5% to $40 billion, up from a 0.4% increase in 2007, largely due to expanding markets such as China and India, according to data from market research firm Euromonitor International.
Big in Asia's direct marketing are alcoholic beverages such as Carlsberg and Glenmorangie Scotch whiskey, CocaCola Co's Glaceau Vitamin Water, delivery firms such as Fedex with preexisting address databases and common household goods sold by the likes of Amway.
And there's still room for more.Consumption and savings are expected to grow throughout Asia from a rate of 3.1% in 2002 to 4.6% next year, according to an HSBC Global Research report.
About 48% of the $150.3 billion spent globally on direct marketing will go to Asia by 2012, according to estimates by the Grey Group marketing communications firm.
"Companies have to adapt to Asian situations," said Dibyo Haldar, a strategy analyst with marketing agency Euro RSCG Worldwide in Singapore."Direct marketing as a percent of budgets is increasing. Everyone wants to try it out.
Direct marketing costs far less than mass advertising - and marketing officials say gives them more bang for their buck.
The 300-member trade organisation Sri Lanka Apparel has reached 100,000 people, spending only $150,000, by joining online communities such as student activist groups with an interest in garments made in safe, legal working conditions.
The same outreach via conventional advertising would have cost at least $20 million.
"We get a lot of bang out of our buck,"said Sri Lanka Apparel global marketing chairman Kumar Mirchandani.
Amway Global, a major US-based direct marketing firm, saw 25% growth in greater China in 2008 and generated 30% of its worldwide business from the region.
"An Asian specialty is that personal relations are more emphasised. In the West, they think the Internet can solve all kinds of problems," said Shirley Chen,GM with Amway Taiwan.
Dave Poh began selling Nu Skin products in 2005 after a friend in Singapore introduced them to him following a sale to that friend by another friend. He has recruited about 80 members in his new hometown Taipei, largely by making friends with them.
Almost 70%of consumers in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka bought something in a door-to-door sale last year,said Steve Yi, chief strategy officer for the Grey Group in Seoul.
And a once obscure foreign cigarette brand gained 10% of South Korea's market share in 2002 by handing out samples to bar hostesses who then passed them on to clients, who eventually began buying the brand, Yi said.
Taking advantage of the popularity of door-to-door sales in India,10 years ago Hindustan Unilever Ltd began a direct-sales scheme in rural areas with populations of less than 2,000. About 100,000 villages are involved.
Some 45,000 women go door-to-door with Unilever hair oil, soap, shampoo and cream in baskets or cardboard cartons on bicycles. They bought Unilever inventory worth 4.5 billion rupees ($94 million) in 2008, said Hemant Bakshi,an executive director.
A boom in electronic marketing is expected as Asian consumers adopt the latest technologies faster than peers elsewhere and welcome ads via mobile phone messages or online communities.
About 60% of Internet users in the Asia Pacific region have made purchases based on e-mail advertisements, compared with less than half in North America and just over 40% in Europe, Epislon has found.
By 2012, the Asia Pacific will lead other regions in mobile marketing spending at $7.7 billion versus the global figure of $16 billion, according to a study by ABI Research.
"Direct plus digital is growing, while conventional advertising is definitely not,in terms of budgets and activity," said Haldar of Euro RSCG.
"Some don't know about it," said Tsai, who wears a beer-branded blouse to local seafood joints."They like to meet sellers face to face. This kind of promotion is useful."
Carlsberg isn't the only one in Asia.As major companies see growth potential in the region, many more are seeking a marketing strategy to suit it,giving new clout to the ages-old tool of bringing products directly to consumers.
Dozens of companies, from consumer goods maker Hindustan Unilever Ltd to delivery firms such as Fedex, are now using direct marketing methods to sell their products in increasingly crowded and competitive markets.
Direct marketing, broadly defined,covers any sales technique from popup stores and commercial gift bag giveaways to free sample handouts that puts sellers directly in touch with target customers, compared to indirect marketing such as advertising, product placement or sponsorships.
Asian consumers, long accustomed to doing business with trusted family or friends to avoid scams, see contact with direct marketers as safe avenues to get to study a product in a world of commercial uncertainty, experts say.
"People still reply to direct mail. They want to be marketed to," said Dominic Powers, Asia-Pacific senior vice-president with marketing firm Epsilon International."Relationships are very strong, more so than in America, and they get things done."
Every major firm active in Asia uses both direct and indirect marketing, with the direct portion growing.
Last year direct sales in Asia increased 5% to $40 billion, up from a 0.4% increase in 2007, largely due to expanding markets such as China and India, according to data from market research firm Euromonitor International.
Big in Asia's direct marketing are alcoholic beverages such as Carlsberg and Glenmorangie Scotch whiskey, CocaCola Co's Glaceau Vitamin Water, delivery firms such as Fedex with preexisting address databases and common household goods sold by the likes of Amway.
And there's still room for more.Consumption and savings are expected to grow throughout Asia from a rate of 3.1% in 2002 to 4.6% next year, according to an HSBC Global Research report.
About 48% of the $150.3 billion spent globally on direct marketing will go to Asia by 2012, according to estimates by the Grey Group marketing communications firm.
"Companies have to adapt to Asian situations," said Dibyo Haldar, a strategy analyst with marketing agency Euro RSCG Worldwide in Singapore."Direct marketing as a percent of budgets is increasing. Everyone wants to try it out.
Direct marketing costs far less than mass advertising - and marketing officials say gives them more bang for their buck.
The 300-member trade organisation Sri Lanka Apparel has reached 100,000 people, spending only $150,000, by joining online communities such as student activist groups with an interest in garments made in safe, legal working conditions.
The same outreach via conventional advertising would have cost at least $20 million.
"We get a lot of bang out of our buck,"said Sri Lanka Apparel global marketing chairman Kumar Mirchandani.
Amway Global, a major US-based direct marketing firm, saw 25% growth in greater China in 2008 and generated 30% of its worldwide business from the region.
"An Asian specialty is that personal relations are more emphasised. In the West, they think the Internet can solve all kinds of problems," said Shirley Chen,GM with Amway Taiwan.
Dave Poh began selling Nu Skin products in 2005 after a friend in Singapore introduced them to him following a sale to that friend by another friend. He has recruited about 80 members in his new hometown Taipei, largely by making friends with them.
Almost 70%of consumers in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka bought something in a door-to-door sale last year,said Steve Yi, chief strategy officer for the Grey Group in Seoul.
And a once obscure foreign cigarette brand gained 10% of South Korea's market share in 2002 by handing out samples to bar hostesses who then passed them on to clients, who eventually began buying the brand, Yi said.
Taking advantage of the popularity of door-to-door sales in India,10 years ago Hindustan Unilever Ltd began a direct-sales scheme in rural areas with populations of less than 2,000. About 100,000 villages are involved.
Some 45,000 women go door-to-door with Unilever hair oil, soap, shampoo and cream in baskets or cardboard cartons on bicycles. They bought Unilever inventory worth 4.5 billion rupees ($94 million) in 2008, said Hemant Bakshi,an executive director.
A boom in electronic marketing is expected as Asian consumers adopt the latest technologies faster than peers elsewhere and welcome ads via mobile phone messages or online communities.
About 60% of Internet users in the Asia Pacific region have made purchases based on e-mail advertisements, compared with less than half in North America and just over 40% in Europe, Epislon has found.
By 2012, the Asia Pacific will lead other regions in mobile marketing spending at $7.7 billion versus the global figure of $16 billion, according to a study by ABI Research.
"Direct plus digital is growing, while conventional advertising is definitely not,in terms of budgets and activity," said Haldar of Euro RSCG.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
NU SKIN REACHING OUT TO DISTRIBUTORS
The US-based direct-selling giant, Nu Skin, has launched a regional project in Southeast Asia to support and strengthen its relationships with 100,000 distributors in the region.
The project, called "Hug Our Distributors" is Nu Skin's crucial preparation for a campaign to double its direct-selling business and number of distributors in Thailand and other markets in Southeast Asia within the next one or two years.
"Under the campaign, a set of projects and initiatives will be launched to help improve customer service for our distributors," said Melisa Quijano, president of Nu Skin Enterprises, Southeast Asia, in an exclusive interview with The Nation.
"We are a people business and need to be more conscious about service, which is a very important factor in our direct-selling business. Our success depends on the success of our distributors. We want to keep a strategy to make sure our employees are ready and equipped to serve our distributors very well," she said.
Nu Skin actually started a mindset campaign, called "We Love Our Distributors", last year. The "Hug Our Distributors" project was launched in Thailand and other markets in Southeast Asia earlier this year.
"The mindset campaign is set to remind us that our purpose is to help distributors to become successful," said Quijano.
"It recognises our thinking that the distributors are the centre of our business. Therefore our main job is to help them become successful," she added.
Quijano said that under the "Hug Our Distributors" project, the company would launch programmes and initiatives that enforced the mindset, which would start with training all Nu Skin staff on how they should serve distributors and creating an environment so that distributors would be more effective in what they do.
The programmes will also include awards and recognition to be provided to distributors.
"We are looking at value systems and processes that will improve the way we serve our distributors. It will be easy for them to place orders. And we will remove all barriers to our distributors in signing in and sponsoring," said Quijano.
"When we are able to build trust between the company and our distributors, the relationship will be even stronger. If we serve our distributors well, they will stay active with us. They will enjoy more productivity and bring more people into the business.
"We ourselves want to provide good and consistent services to our distributors," she added. Nu Skin currently operates in six markets in Southeast Asia and has about 100,000 active distributors totally. In Thailand, the company has 30,000 active distributors.
"Our 'Hug Our Distributors' programme also affects hiring employees. We hire new personnel for their attitude and train them for skills. They need to be friendly and service-minded," said Quijano.
She added that the company has a set of behavioural questions to help measure the attitudes of job applicants.
Quijano said that such initiatives created to serve distributors include "101 Ways to Wow Distributors", designed to teach how to greet distributors, and "Customer Recovering", created to provide several steps in addressing and correcting distributors problems leave them feeling happy.
The company in July also launched a new measuring system for its distributors called the "Vote System" aimed at finding out the satisfaction level of its distributors.
"We will do a distributor survey in the near future to find out their satisfaction levels. We want to be known as a company that know how to really take care our distributors," said Quijano.
Nu Skin achieved 14 per cent year-on-year growth in the first eight months of this year. The company expected to achieve Bt2 billion in sales this year, which is up between 10 per cent and 15 per cent over last year.
Quijano said that the company posted 14-per-cent growth in sales in the Southeast Asia region in the first eight months of this year compared to the same period last year. The company achieved growth at 18 per cent year on year in the second quarter this year.
The project, called "Hug Our Distributors" is Nu Skin's crucial preparation for a campaign to double its direct-selling business and number of distributors in Thailand and other markets in Southeast Asia within the next one or two years.
"Under the campaign, a set of projects and initiatives will be launched to help improve customer service for our distributors," said Melisa Quijano, president of Nu Skin Enterprises, Southeast Asia, in an exclusive interview with The Nation.
"We are a people business and need to be more conscious about service, which is a very important factor in our direct-selling business. Our success depends on the success of our distributors. We want to keep a strategy to make sure our employees are ready and equipped to serve our distributors very well," she said.
Nu Skin actually started a mindset campaign, called "We Love Our Distributors", last year. The "Hug Our Distributors" project was launched in Thailand and other markets in Southeast Asia earlier this year.
"The mindset campaign is set to remind us that our purpose is to help distributors to become successful," said Quijano.
"It recognises our thinking that the distributors are the centre of our business. Therefore our main job is to help them become successful," she added.
Quijano said that under the "Hug Our Distributors" project, the company would launch programmes and initiatives that enforced the mindset, which would start with training all Nu Skin staff on how they should serve distributors and creating an environment so that distributors would be more effective in what they do.
The programmes will also include awards and recognition to be provided to distributors.
"We are looking at value systems and processes that will improve the way we serve our distributors. It will be easy for them to place orders. And we will remove all barriers to our distributors in signing in and sponsoring," said Quijano.
"When we are able to build trust between the company and our distributors, the relationship will be even stronger. If we serve our distributors well, they will stay active with us. They will enjoy more productivity and bring more people into the business.
"We ourselves want to provide good and consistent services to our distributors," she added. Nu Skin currently operates in six markets in Southeast Asia and has about 100,000 active distributors totally. In Thailand, the company has 30,000 active distributors.
"Our 'Hug Our Distributors' programme also affects hiring employees. We hire new personnel for their attitude and train them for skills. They need to be friendly and service-minded," said Quijano.
She added that the company has a set of behavioural questions to help measure the attitudes of job applicants.
Quijano said that such initiatives created to serve distributors include "101 Ways to Wow Distributors", designed to teach how to greet distributors, and "Customer Recovering", created to provide several steps in addressing and correcting distributors problems leave them feeling happy.
The company in July also launched a new measuring system for its distributors called the "Vote System" aimed at finding out the satisfaction level of its distributors.
"We will do a distributor survey in the near future to find out their satisfaction levels. We want to be known as a company that know how to really take care our distributors," said Quijano.
Nu Skin achieved 14 per cent year-on-year growth in the first eight months of this year. The company expected to achieve Bt2 billion in sales this year, which is up between 10 per cent and 15 per cent over last year.
Quijano said that the company posted 14-per-cent growth in sales in the Southeast Asia region in the first eight months of this year compared to the same period last year. The company achieved growth at 18 per cent year on year in the second quarter this year.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Anti-ageing priority at Nu Skin
Nu Skin Enterprises, the US-based directselling business, will redefine itself as anti-ageing company after what it says is the biggest discovery in its 25 years,with new products to meet the needs of the rising population of older people globally.
Dan Chard, the company's president of global sales and operations, said during a Bangkok visit last week that Nu Skin had been defined as a supplement and personal-care products company. But from now on it will be known as an "anti-ageing firm".
Despite the poor economy and rising unemployment, the business of Nu Skin remains healthy with global sales up 4%to US$322 million in the second quarter of this year. This is because more people have turned to direct selling to earn additional income.
"There are many places that have a big opportunity for us including Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and even the US market where average purchasing rate has continued to increase over the past five years," Mr Chard said.
In fact, he maintains that the only thing preventing direct-sales companies from growing steadily is failure to develop innovative products.
He said Nu Skin next month would announce the introduction of "ageLoc",a new ingredient to be put into all Nu Skin anti-ageing lines, as well as its new anti-ageing strategies to grow in the long term. The new products will be launched in the US early next year and in Thailand in the middle of the same year.
"The new product platform will [help]double sales of Nu Skin in Southeast Asia over the next three years, faster than its original plan," said Melisa Quijano, president of Nu Skin Enterprises,Southeast Asia.
Currently, anti-ageing products are among the best-selling items of many skin-care and beauty firms, along with food supplements.
Mrs Quijano said birth rates worldwide over the next 10 years would continue to drop while the number of ageing people is expected to grow significantly.Such customer groups also have high purchasing power, so companies such as Nu Skin will benefit.
ageLoc, Nu Skin's new patented technology, is based on a research discovery that slows the effects of ageing sign on the skin.
"We grew from nothing in the past 25 years to US$1.25 billion in 2009. With the newest anti-ageing discovery, it will help us to accelerate our growth faster than in the past," Mr Chard said.
He said the company was highly confident of the growth potential of Thailand's direct selling business because it exceeded the sales target last year despite the economic downturn and political uncertainties.
Currently, Nu Skin operates in 48 countries and will open another two new markets, in Colombia and Turkey.
Dan Chard, the company's president of global sales and operations, said during a Bangkok visit last week that Nu Skin had been defined as a supplement and personal-care products company. But from now on it will be known as an "anti-ageing firm".
Despite the poor economy and rising unemployment, the business of Nu Skin remains healthy with global sales up 4%to US$322 million in the second quarter of this year. This is because more people have turned to direct selling to earn additional income.
"There are many places that have a big opportunity for us including Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and even the US market where average purchasing rate has continued to increase over the past five years," Mr Chard said.
In fact, he maintains that the only thing preventing direct-sales companies from growing steadily is failure to develop innovative products.
He said Nu Skin next month would announce the introduction of "ageLoc",a new ingredient to be put into all Nu Skin anti-ageing lines, as well as its new anti-ageing strategies to grow in the long term. The new products will be launched in the US early next year and in Thailand in the middle of the same year.
"The new product platform will [help]double sales of Nu Skin in Southeast Asia over the next three years, faster than its original plan," said Melisa Quijano, president of Nu Skin Enterprises,Southeast Asia.
Currently, anti-ageing products are among the best-selling items of many skin-care and beauty firms, along with food supplements.
Mrs Quijano said birth rates worldwide over the next 10 years would continue to drop while the number of ageing people is expected to grow significantly.Such customer groups also have high purchasing power, so companies such as Nu Skin will benefit.
ageLoc, Nu Skin's new patented technology, is based on a research discovery that slows the effects of ageing sign on the skin.
"We grew from nothing in the past 25 years to US$1.25 billion in 2009. With the newest anti-ageing discovery, it will help us to accelerate our growth faster than in the past," Mr Chard said.
He said the company was highly confident of the growth potential of Thailand's direct selling business because it exceeded the sales target last year despite the economic downturn and political uncertainties.
Currently, Nu Skin operates in 48 countries and will open another two new markets, in Colombia and Turkey.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Magnificent seven
In the most important, most revered event since the invention of the brontosaurus trap,Microsoft shipped the most incredibly fabulous operating system ever made; the release of Windows 7 also spurred a new generation of personal computers of all sizes at prices well below last month's offers.The top reason Windows 7 does not suck: There is no registered website called Windows7Sucks.com
Kindle e-book reader maker Amazon.com and new Nook e-book reader vendor Barnes and Noble got it on; B&N got great reviews for the "Kindle killer"Nook, with dual screens and touch controls so you can "turn" pages, plays MP3s and allows many non-B&N book formats, although not the Kindle one;Amazon then killed the US version of its Kindle in favour of the international one, reduced its price to $260(8,700 baht), same as the Nook; it's not yet clear what you can get in Thailand with a Nook, but you sure can't (yet) get much, relatively speaking, with a Kindle;but here's the biggest difference so far,which Amazon.com has ignored: the Nook lets you lend e-books to any other Nook owner, just as if they were paper books; the borrowed books expire on the borrower's Nook in two weeks.
Phone maker Nokia of Finland announced it is suing iPhone maker Apple of America for being a copycat; lawyers said they figure Nokia can get at least one, probably two per cent (retail) for every iPhone sold by Steve "President for Life" Jobs and crew via the lawsuit,which sure beats working for it -$6 (200 baht) to $12(400 baht) on 30 million phones sold so far, works out to $400 million or 25 percent of the whole Apple empire profits during the last quarter;there were 10 patent thefts, the Finnish executives said, on everything from moving data to security and encryption.
Nokia of Finland announced that it is one month behind on shipping its new flagship N900 phone, the first to run on Linux software; delay of the $750(25,000 baht) phone had absolutely no part in making Nokia so short that it had to sue Apple, slap yourself for such a thought.
Tim Berners-Lee, who created the World Wide Web, said he had one regret:the double slash that follows the "http:"in standard web addresses; he estimated that 14.2 gazillion users have wasted 48.72 bazillion hours typing those two keystrokes, and he's sorry; of course there's no reason to ever type that, since your browser does it for you when you type "www.bangkokpost.com" but Tim needs to admit he made one error in his lifetime.
The International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations, which doesn't sell any phones or services, announced that there should be a mobile phone charger that will work with any phone; now who would ever have thought of that, without a UN body to wind up a major study on the subject?;the GSM Association estimates that 51,000 tonnes of chargers are made each year in order to keep companies able to have their own unique ones.
The Well, Doh Award of the Week was presented at arm's length to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; the group's deputy secretary-general Petko Draganov said that developing countries will miss some of the stuff available on the Internet if they don't install more broadband infrastructure; a report that used your tax baht to compile said that quite a few people use mobile phones but companies are more likely to invest in countries with excellent broadband connections; no one ever had thought of this before, right?
Sun Microsystems , as a result of the Oracle takeover, said it will allow 3,000 current workers never to bother coming to work again; Sun referred to the losses as "jobs," not people; now the fourth largest server maker in the world, Sun said it lost $2.2 billion in its last fiscal year; European regulators are holding up approval of the Oracle purchase in the hope of getting some money in exchange for not involving Oracle in court cases.
The multi-gazillionaire and very annoying investor Carl Icahn resigned from the board at Yahoo ; he spun it as a vote of confidence, saying current directors are taking the formerly threatened company seriously; Yahoo reported increased profits but smaller revenues in the third quarter.
The US House of Representatives voted to censure Vietnam for jailing bloggers; the non-binding resolution sponsored by southern California congresswoman Loretta Sanchez said the Internet is "a crucial tool for the citizens of Vietnam to be able to exercise their freedom of expression and association;"Hanoi has recently jailed at least nine activists for up to six years apiece for holding pro-democracy banners. Iran jailed blogger Hossein "Hoder" Derakshan for 10 months - in solitary confinement.
Kindle e-book reader maker Amazon.com and new Nook e-book reader vendor Barnes and Noble got it on; B&N got great reviews for the "Kindle killer"Nook, with dual screens and touch controls so you can "turn" pages, plays MP3s and allows many non-B&N book formats, although not the Kindle one;Amazon then killed the US version of its Kindle in favour of the international one, reduced its price to $260(8,700 baht), same as the Nook; it's not yet clear what you can get in Thailand with a Nook, but you sure can't (yet) get much, relatively speaking, with a Kindle;but here's the biggest difference so far,which Amazon.com has ignored: the Nook lets you lend e-books to any other Nook owner, just as if they were paper books; the borrowed books expire on the borrower's Nook in two weeks.
Phone maker Nokia of Finland announced it is suing iPhone maker Apple of America for being a copycat; lawyers said they figure Nokia can get at least one, probably two per cent (retail) for every iPhone sold by Steve "President for Life" Jobs and crew via the lawsuit,which sure beats working for it -$6 (200 baht) to $12(400 baht) on 30 million phones sold so far, works out to $400 million or 25 percent of the whole Apple empire profits during the last quarter;there were 10 patent thefts, the Finnish executives said, on everything from moving data to security and encryption.
Nokia of Finland announced that it is one month behind on shipping its new flagship N900 phone, the first to run on Linux software; delay of the $750(25,000 baht) phone had absolutely no part in making Nokia so short that it had to sue Apple, slap yourself for such a thought.
Tim Berners-Lee, who created the World Wide Web, said he had one regret:the double slash that follows the "http:"in standard web addresses; he estimated that 14.2 gazillion users have wasted 48.72 bazillion hours typing those two keystrokes, and he's sorry; of course there's no reason to ever type that, since your browser does it for you when you type "www.bangkokpost.com" but Tim needs to admit he made one error in his lifetime.
The International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations, which doesn't sell any phones or services, announced that there should be a mobile phone charger that will work with any phone; now who would ever have thought of that, without a UN body to wind up a major study on the subject?;the GSM Association estimates that 51,000 tonnes of chargers are made each year in order to keep companies able to have their own unique ones.
The Well, Doh Award of the Week was presented at arm's length to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; the group's deputy secretary-general Petko Draganov said that developing countries will miss some of the stuff available on the Internet if they don't install more broadband infrastructure; a report that used your tax baht to compile said that quite a few people use mobile phones but companies are more likely to invest in countries with excellent broadband connections; no one ever had thought of this before, right?
Sun Microsystems , as a result of the Oracle takeover, said it will allow 3,000 current workers never to bother coming to work again; Sun referred to the losses as "jobs," not people; now the fourth largest server maker in the world, Sun said it lost $2.2 billion in its last fiscal year; European regulators are holding up approval of the Oracle purchase in the hope of getting some money in exchange for not involving Oracle in court cases.
The multi-gazillionaire and very annoying investor Carl Icahn resigned from the board at Yahoo ; he spun it as a vote of confidence, saying current directors are taking the formerly threatened company seriously; Yahoo reported increased profits but smaller revenues in the third quarter.
The US House of Representatives voted to censure Vietnam for jailing bloggers; the non-binding resolution sponsored by southern California congresswoman Loretta Sanchez said the Internet is "a crucial tool for the citizens of Vietnam to be able to exercise their freedom of expression and association;"Hanoi has recently jailed at least nine activists for up to six years apiece for holding pro-democracy banners. Iran jailed blogger Hossein "Hoder" Derakshan for 10 months - in solitary confinement.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
AMWAY FOUNDATION SEEKS MORE BOOK DONATIONS TO HELP RURAL STUDENTS
The Amway for Thai Society Foundation may have fallen short of the mark in its attempt to secure 10,000 donated books for poor rural students, but the campaign has served as a timely reminder to city dwellers about the plight of provincial children.
The One by One: World of Wisdom book-raising event wrapped up last weekend, hosted jointly by the Amway Foundation and Amarin Printing and Publishing.
Philanthropists were invited to attend the Amarin Book Fair 2009 exhibit at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, where they could buy and donate used or new books for the poor.
Through the foundation, donated books will fill the shelves of libraries at schools.
"The books and libraries should provide underprivileged children with a better educational platform from which they can cultivate their intellects into adulthood," said Preecha Prakobkit, president of the Amway Foundation.
At the start, Preecha was optimistic the book-raising exercise would be able to locate 10,000 donated books for the programme to become part of Amway-sponsored libraries upcountry, benefiting 4,500 students.
However, after the five-day event ended on Sunday, Amway foundit had obtained just 4,435 books.
The foundation could not be reached to comment how this would affect its goal.
But it is expected that the project will be continued and te public will have another chance to participate in future campaigns.
The book-raising event is part of One by One: World of Wisdom, a programme that has been graciously supported by three non-profit organisations, the CCF Foundation under the royal patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the Foundation for Child Development and the Mirror Foundation.
These groups are linking with the Amway Foundation in the procurement, construction and development of Amway libraries.
The project was launched to mark the 50th anniversary of Amway's business operation.
Amway in the US has allocated a special fund for its international branches, in order to help poor children in their own countries.
The project is based on the belief that wisdom is built on learning and that the library is one of the best sources of intellectual development that can broaden the view of youths around the world.
The One by One project will build or upgrade libraries for schools in remote areas where educational opportunities appear limited.
Since last year, the Amway Foundation has completed libraries for 10 schools in Thailand: five in the North, two in the Northeast and one in the southern province of Yala.
The foundation will build or upgrade libraries in five schools this year, in Phayao, Samut Sakhon, Buri Ram, Chaiyaphum and Narathiwat provinces.
The One by One: World of Wisdom book-raising event wrapped up last weekend, hosted jointly by the Amway Foundation and Amarin Printing and Publishing.
Philanthropists were invited to attend the Amarin Book Fair 2009 exhibit at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, where they could buy and donate used or new books for the poor.
Through the foundation, donated books will fill the shelves of libraries at schools.
"The books and libraries should provide underprivileged children with a better educational platform from which they can cultivate their intellects into adulthood," said Preecha Prakobkit, president of the Amway Foundation.
At the start, Preecha was optimistic the book-raising exercise would be able to locate 10,000 donated books for the programme to become part of Amway-sponsored libraries upcountry, benefiting 4,500 students.
However, after the five-day event ended on Sunday, Amway foundit had obtained just 4,435 books.
The foundation could not be reached to comment how this would affect its goal.
But it is expected that the project will be continued and te public will have another chance to participate in future campaigns.
The book-raising event is part of One by One: World of Wisdom, a programme that has been graciously supported by three non-profit organisations, the CCF Foundation under the royal patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the Foundation for Child Development and the Mirror Foundation.
These groups are linking with the Amway Foundation in the procurement, construction and development of Amway libraries.
The project was launched to mark the 50th anniversary of Amway's business operation.
Amway in the US has allocated a special fund for its international branches, in order to help poor children in their own countries.
The project is based on the belief that wisdom is built on learning and that the library is one of the best sources of intellectual development that can broaden the view of youths around the world.
The One by One project will build or upgrade libraries for schools in remote areas where educational opportunities appear limited.
Since last year, the Amway Foundation has completed libraries for 10 schools in Thailand: five in the North, two in the Northeast and one in the southern province of Yala.
The foundation will build or upgrade libraries in five schools this year, in Phayao, Samut Sakhon, Buri Ram, Chaiyaphum and Narathiwat provinces.
Political violence takes toll on Giffarine
Giffarine Skyline Unity Co, the multilevel direct-sales firm, estimated that its sales in the first seven months of this year rose by 8% to 2.4 billion baht, below its previous projection of 10-15%.
The company attributed the results to political violence from April to May.
Sales rebounded gradually in June and July with average growth of 11%after the political situation eased.
"The outbreak of H1N1 influenza became a positive factor for us because it encourages people to be concerned about their health, resulting in increased de-mand for food supplements," said president Nalinee Paiboon.
The sales proportion of food supplements climbed to 35% of total sales, up from 31% last year.
In the second half of this year, the company will spend 80 million baht on seven TV commercials that will focus on brand reliability and also invite Thais to join its business.
The company believes the increased marketing and advertising will help it expand sales for the full year by 10-15%to 5 billion baht.
The company attributed the results to political violence from April to May.
Sales rebounded gradually in June and July with average growth of 11%after the political situation eased.
"The outbreak of H1N1 influenza became a positive factor for us because it encourages people to be concerned about their health, resulting in increased de-mand for food supplements," said president Nalinee Paiboon.
The sales proportion of food supplements climbed to 35% of total sales, up from 31% last year.
In the second half of this year, the company will spend 80 million baht on seven TV commercials that will focus on brand reliability and also invite Thais to join its business.
The company believes the increased marketing and advertising will help it expand sales for the full year by 10-15%to 5 billion baht.
Avon names new Thai executive
Avon Products Inc, the US-based direct selling firm, has appointed a new Thai executive to lead its business, aiming to regain leadership in the direct-sale beauty market over the next two to four years.
Wallapa Narunachvanich, a former country director of Herbalife International (Thailand), was appointed country manager at Avon Cosmetics (Thailand)in May. She is the second Thai to reach the top position.
"It is a challenge for me to join Avon,the world's largest direct selling firm.During my term, I want Avon Thailand to return as the market leader in the 20-billion-baht beauty business," she said.
Thailand's direct selling industry is worth about 40 billion baht with half dedicated to beauty products. Ms Wallapa declined to disclose sales figures.
Five million people are in the direct selling market, but the Thai population of about 65 million makes Ms Wallapa optimistic about growth. Avon also offers value products that are popular during difficult economic times.
The Thai market for cosmetic, fragrance and toiletry products is worth about US$3 billion compared to $2 billion in Malaysia and $1 billion in Vietnam.
"With almost ten years of experience in direct sales, I found that when a crisis happens, it creates an opportunity because people will look for extra earnings,"she said, adding that Avon's success was due to teamwork, positive thinking and good leadership on all levels.
The company plans to launch more products in the second half, including the Unscripted brand fragrance with Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey's endorsement.
Wallapa Narunachvanich, a former country director of Herbalife International (Thailand), was appointed country manager at Avon Cosmetics (Thailand)in May. She is the second Thai to reach the top position.
"It is a challenge for me to join Avon,the world's largest direct selling firm.During my term, I want Avon Thailand to return as the market leader in the 20-billion-baht beauty business," she said.
Thailand's direct selling industry is worth about 40 billion baht with half dedicated to beauty products. Ms Wallapa declined to disclose sales figures.
Five million people are in the direct selling market, but the Thai population of about 65 million makes Ms Wallapa optimistic about growth. Avon also offers value products that are popular during difficult economic times.
The Thai market for cosmetic, fragrance and toiletry products is worth about US$3 billion compared to $2 billion in Malaysia and $1 billion in Vietnam.
"With almost ten years of experience in direct sales, I found that when a crisis happens, it creates an opportunity because people will look for extra earnings,"she said, adding that Avon's success was due to teamwork, positive thinking and good leadership on all levels.
The company plans to launch more products in the second half, including the Unscripted brand fragrance with Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey's endorsement.
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