Bangkok, 27 January, 2022 – Central Retail Corporation, or CRC, has welcomed the Year of the Golden Tiger by unveiling its new ‘Retailtainment’ strategy, elevating its branding efforts through entertainment-based formats and music marketing. The campaign features the collaboration between Gulf Kanawut Traipipattanapong and Ajarn Chang Tosaporn Sritula, the expert in Thai horoscope and Feng Shui. Under the “New Year New Start” concept, the campaign features karaoke and dancing to a song of happiness spells, which acts as a shareable new year’s e-card. The campaign has received positive feedback and was a resounding success with the video surpassing 16 million views within 3 days and trending as the #1 hot topic on Twitter in three countries, including Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia within the first hour of the launch. Central Retail builds on this success and introduces the “New Year New Luck” campaign to welcome the Chinese New Year, which aims to wish everyone a good start to their year through a spell of happiness, good fortune and fulfillment. The campaign uses a ‘Retailtainment’ strategy that resonates with all consumer groups, especially the young generation such as Gen Y and Gen Z.

Ms. Piyawan Leelasompop, Head of Corporate Marketing, Central Retail Corporation Public Company Limited (CRC), commented “This is considered another success for Central Retail in using a ‘Retailtainment’ marketing strategy to create new experiences for consumers through music marketing with its ‘Ka-ta-O-ke’ campaign during the new year’s. The campaign has resulted in positive engagement with Thai consumers as well as extended to new customers who are fans of Gulf Kanawut in international markets. This has opened opportunities for Central Retail to reach new customer groups and drive brand awareness to a larger scale. We have been moving in the right direction with this new marketing strategy that resonates well with customers, and during this Chinese New Year, Central Retail has launched another ‘Ka-ta-O-ke’ campaign under the concept of “New Year New Luck” as a continuous series. The campaign has adapted its lyrics to fit the festivities and allows everyone to sing, play, dance, enjoy and share auspicious blessings and happiness with each other during the Chinese New Year.”

“The ‘Ka-ta-O-ke’ campaign has gone viral rapidly and has helped in building brand love for Central Retail. By bringing in a talented star like Gulf Kanawut into the campaign, his personality and representation of the young generation reflects the Central Retail brand. The creative and catchy lyrics also made it a song filled with good meaning, which is a great way to pass on blessings, happiness and good fortune to others. The final factor that has made the campaign a resounding success is by integrating beliefs in luck and fortune into the campaign, which resonated greatly with Thai consumers, especially during Chinese New Year. Central Retail has invited Ajarn Chang Tosaporn Sritula, the expert in Thai horoscope and Feng Shui, to help pass on auspicious blessings and good fortune and take part in designing the e-card, which comes in 8 designs to represent different types of blessings: Wealth, Love, Prosperity, Luck & Happiness, Auspiciousness, Good Fortune, Health, Contentment. Consumers can select the type of blessing they wish to share, and these Chinese New Year e-cards will be sent out on January 28. Stay tuned and look forward to another surprise from Gulf and Ajarn Chang during the upcoming Valentine’s Day,” added Ms. Piyawan.

Ajarn Chang Tosaporn Sritula commented “For the ‘Ka-ta-O-ke’ campaign during Chinese New Year, Gulf Kanawut Traipipattanapong and I are still representing happiness and passing on good fortune through songs that are fun, catchy and easy to dance to. We have adjusted the lyrics and choreography to fit the festivities, but the songs are still words of blessings that passes on good fortune to everyone, bringing you luck and wealth during Chinese New Year, which is considered New Year’s Day for Thai-Chinese people. And that’s why it’s important to have a good start to the year with words that encourage you to think and do positive things, which will bring in only good fortune into your life for the entire year. Central Retail’s campaign under the concept of “New Year New Luck” was also created to wish everyone good fortune during Chinese New Year. Gong Xi Fa Cai, I wish everyone wealth and luck! But if you’d like to add onto your good fortune, we have e-cards that you can download for free and pass on blessings and good luck to your loved ones.”

For those who are interested, you can view the video of blessings, singing and dancing from the ‘Ka-ta-O-ke’ campaign featuring Gulf Kanawut and Ajarn Chang #NewYearNewLuck at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CentralRetail and on Central Retail YouTube channel. You can also join in on the fun and pass on happiness and positive energy to welcome the Year of the Golden Tiger by downloading our e-card on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CentralRetail