Released on: October 24, 2008, 5:30 am
Press Release Author: TMD Communications
Industry: Marketing
Press Release Summary: Bangkok, October 22, 2008: TMD (The Marketing Department) Bangkok, an integrated marketing and brand development firm, is celebrating its third anniversary on Wednesday as well as its expansion into Japan, with the opening of its new Bangkok office and the launch of its new Tokyo branch.
Press Release Body: While many companies nervously await the impact of the current global financial crisis, some are casting fears aside, already looking for innovative new marketing strategies to not only help them survive, but also forge ahead of their fear-stricken competition. This determination by forward thinking businesses to stay ahead of the curve has increased the demand for TMD’s twenty-first century approach to brand building and marketing.
Economic downturn or period of opportunity?
“Normally, when industries fall into crisis or global markets experience down-turns, marketing budgets are the first thing to go,” says Kirk Bentham, TMD’s Founder and Managing Director. “Ad agencies and media suppliers are always the first to feel the pinch, but TMD is fortunate not to be your typical advertising agency, one that relies on our clients’ big media spending to be profitable. We’ve been the “anti-agency” from day one.”
TMD sees itself as a client’s strategic partner, assisting in business and product development, and most importantly according to Bentham, developing better ways for brands to communicate and utilize their best assets – their people. “Advertising and media buying make up just a very small percentage of what we offer,” he adds.
Comprised of a uniquely experienced talent pool, TMD is able to get beneath the skin of a client’s business and leave nothing un-explored when developing strategies. It’s with this approach that they have been offering top companies something much more valuable than campaign planners and creatives for the past three years.
“Even before the current financial crisis made the headlines, we had been enjoying a new wave of clients looking for a more holistic approach to marketing and branding. We’ve had many clients come to us from big agencies this year, not to cut back on their spending but to get more for what they pay for,” said Bentham.
This
wave has also brought some very high-level talent and new market opportunities
for TMD. Former Interbrand VP Eric Peterson
felt this shift in outlook and left his position as Brand Strategy Director
at local agency In-house to join Bentham, award-winning designer and art director
Jeff Williams, and their new powerhouse team of local project specialists. Peterson
was joined by former Brandcom Sr. PR Consultant Pemika Wongaiyara, who provides
extra clout to TMD’s PR services. The team was rounded
out by Jeff W. Richards, a writer/journalist and Tokyo event
specialist.
“Tokyo has always been a tastemaker market for all things hi-tech,
fashion, and nightlife oriented,” says Richards. “What
TMD has going on in Bangkok – at the corporate level – hits all
the right notes with what companies are looking for now.” He adds that
Japanese businesses are no different. “Japan Inc. is looking for its own
powerful brand stories to energize expanding business and keep the fears of
recession at bay. Many of today’s largest brand conglomerates are Japanese,
instantly recognized the world over. With ever increasing expansion into SE
Asian markets, they can see huge opportunities to move ahead of their competition
if they utilize different ways to communicate – especially with proper
English messaging in new markets.”
Such
is the grip of the global financial crisis that it will be today’s forward
thinking companies – the ones who change the way they think and communicate
– who will see the greatest gains. Working with these visionary businesses,
TMD and its team of innovators aims to sweep away the “ad
pushers” – the weaker and inarticulate competition – to help
them find new ways of thinking and future-investing in the new post-advertising
age.
Web Site: http://www.tmdbangkok.com
Contact
Details: For more information, please contact
Mr.Kirk J Bentham, Ms. Pemika Wongaiyara
TMD Communications Co. ltd.
Sukumvit 23 Ocean Tower 2, 23rd Floor
Tel. 0-2661- 6848
www.tmdbangkok.com