Ocean Glass to tap Korean films

Executives of Ocean Glass Plc did not believe that a glass with a simple strawberry motif could sell half a million pieces in a few days in Japan. The 28-year-old SET-listed company is congratulating itself for displaying the glass in the Japanese film hit Nana..

Now, the company is building on that success by showing its glassware in Korean movies in the hope that audiences will see and buy its products.

Sumed Prasongpongchai, the company´s regional marketing manager, did not disclose details about the Korean film because the company is negotiating with its sole distributor in Korea to seek a product placement strategy.

´´We were very successful after implementing this strategy by allowing the star of Nana to carry our strawberry design glassware. We had sales of about 500,000 to 600,000 pieces of Ocean glassware during the time the film was shown. More than that, we also got a corporate brand image,´´ said Mr Sumed.
Sumed: Product placement works

He said the company was interested in expanding in Korea this year because Korean people were seeking quality products and one large glassware manufacturer is closing its plant.

Mr Sumed said sales of Ocean glassware in Korea last year grew by 18%, compared to only 4-5% growth in 2005, with the improvement due to a change in the ownership of its Korean sales agent last year.

He expects sales in Korea this year to grow by 10%. Apart from Korea, the company plans to appoint a new agent in Cambodia this year.

In China, it established Ocean Glass Trading (Shanghai) Ltd last year as a marketing subsidiary, replacing its sales agent. Having its own office allows the company to better study local demand and market information.

The company has also appointed a representative in Vietnam, where Mr Sumed is optimistic given the increasingly affluence of its consumers.

On the financial side, the company plans to quote prices in euros instead of US dollars in some countries to balance risks due to the strong baht. It expects export sales this year of 1.65 billion baht.

Shares of Ocean Glass (OGC) closed yesterday at 46.25 baht, up 25 satang.