Bangkok--16 Dec--Aziam Burson-Marsteller
- TRUE AIMS TO CAPTURE A CHARACTER LICENSING BUSINESS MARKET SHARE WORTH BAHT 500 MILLION IN THAILAND
True Corporation Plc, Thailand’s convergence lifestyle leader, has collaborated with The Pokemon Company, Japan’s Pokemon brand management company, to strengthen the Pokemon business in Thailand. True iContent, True’s wholly owned subsidiary, will be the master licensee in Thailand to manage Pokemon content. True, The Pokemon Company and their alliance partners have launched the “Pokemon Together” campaign to offer products, services, and hold all kinds of Pokemon-related activities. The partnership is expected to generate Baht 500 million in revenue next year out of the total Baht 3,000-million character licensing business in Thailand.
Mr. Tsunekazu Ishihara, President & CEO, The Pokemon Company, said, “The Pokemon Company manages the Pokemon brand in Japan and global markets. Pokemon has been a successful for 18 years. As of September this year, the cumulative market size of the Pokemon brand in Japan was worth 1.9 trillion yen, while globally it was worth 4.2 trillion yen. The Pokemon universe is most popular among Japanese children, according to a recent survey of Japanese boys and girls aged between 7 and 12 years by Character Databank. Therefore, we looked for a partner who could help enhance the Pokemon business in Thailand. True has that strength and is the most comprehensive partner with a convergent communication platform that includes TV and music businesses. We are confident that True will be able to successfully expand the Pokemon brand and business in Thailand. It is our pleasure to appoint True iContent as the only master licensee in Thailand.”
Mr. Birathon Kasemsri Na Ayudhaya, Managing Director of True iContent Co., Ltd., said,
“It is a great opportunity for us to work with The Pokemon Company. True and Pokemon are a perfect match due to the strong business of The Pokemon Company and True’s convergence leadership. The character licensing business has very high potential, no seasonal effect, and can last for a very long time. In Thailand, the character licensing business is worth about Baht 3,000 million per year. The Pokemon brand is highly successful in Japan and other markets around the world. The characters are always fresh and appropriate for the Thai market as there will be new seasons of Pokemon TV animations released every year after it has been run for 17 consecutive years. As the master licensee, True iContent will be committed to the management and build up of the Pokemon brand ecosystem among Thai consumers. We will be synergizing the potential of all elements of True Group such as TrueVisions, True4U, TrueOnline, TrueMove H and TrueMusic to make Pokemon an integral part of the product design and the collaborations with leading alliance partners, e.g. CP Food, CP-Meiji, CP Ram, Bangkok Toys, KC Toys, Right Beyond and PG Intertrade. Global brands such as Takara Tomy and Bandai are also included. Pokemon will definitely add color to the Thai market and promise excitement for many years to come.”
“True iContent will spend approximately Baht 100 million next year to build up the Pokemon brand in Thailand. There will be all kinds of activities to make the Pokémon phenomenon happen. We are confident that our planned activities and the cuteness of Pokemon will make it one of the most beloved characters among Thai children.”
The first activity will be on Children’s Day under the theme “Pokemon Together, Let’s Meet Pikachu” at Siam Paragon. One of the highlights will be the Pokemon XY movie where children under 12 years are eligible to watch for free during Children’s Day period on January 10 – 11, 2015, at 15 Major Cineplex cinemas in Bangkok.
“Pokemon Together” Campaign’s roadmap also includes:
TV Broadcast 7 days a week on TrueVisions and True4UVDO on demand service on TrueVisions AnywhereSongs from TrueMusicCatch Pokemon application: An app for catching Pokemon, collect and share photos with friends and family, debuting in Pokemon Together: Let’s meet Pikachu Children’s DayRoadshow in various provinces across Thailand
For more information about Pokemon, please visit www.pokemontogether.com and facebook.com/pokemontogether