Business
Marketing duo to breathe new life into RPM

PHUKET: A duo of marketing experts have joined the ranks of Royal Phuket Marina to put it back on the Phuket map and in the minds of the island’s residents.
“I had forgotten about RPM,” says Ian Spurdle, the marina’s new Director of Sales and Marketing for Luxury Property. “I’ve been in Phuket for 12 years, and have known RPM since its initial days, since the launch. Most of the developments that I’ve been involved with in Phuket have been on the west coast, and frankly, I had forgotten about RPM. And many other people have as well. But RPM is a hidden gem.”
Jay Walker, appointed director of Marketing and Operations, confirms.

“The initial stage is to promote the Marina back to locals of Phuket, both Thais and foreigners, and we’ll move on from there.”
“We want people to come here and enjoy themselves. I’m not talking about the mass tourism market, but locals who can enjoy a place like this. Take a look at Clarke Quay in Singapore, a place that has got a great atmosphere, where people can go and hang out. That’s what I’m trying to create here,” explains Jay.
And even though he only joined the RPM ranks in August, he has already conjured up some ideas of how to make it happen.
“I think we were pitching ourselves a bit too high and what I want to do is bring it down a step or two. Instead of having brands like Gucci or Prada, we will have something a bit more accessible. Phuket has both the mega-rich people and the not-so-rich people; we need to find a middle ground.”
Ian, who came to RPM to head up the property side of the marina and all of its aspects, believes his work will greatly benefit from Jay’s efforts.
“We will bring more people here, more families, and will remind people what a wonderful place RPM is. Currently, there aren’t many people who are full-time residents here. We have a lot of space for restaurants, but the restaurants are never really fully occupied. So Jay and I are here to get RPM back on the map.”
Both managers have great faith in their product, prizing its beauty, convenience and location.
“It’s beautiful; we’ve got an underground car park, the impressive driveway, the great boardwalk. It’s a stunning place to have as your address,” says Jay.
Ian adds, “Here at RPM we are in a very controlled environment – once you cross the gate and go down our long, sweeping drive, it feels like a little bit of Europe in Phuket. And for people who are past being holiday makers, it’s very attractive,” he adds.
And there is still 150 rai of land, which makes for 75 per cent of the project, waiting to be built up. So Jay regards his task at RPM in the context of the recent changes on Phuket’s west coast and perceives them as a chance not only for RPM, but for the whole of the east coast.
“There are great places to spend time on the east coast. I want to get this place into gear and work to drive business here. I want to promote the east coast as a destination and I’m open to working with other establishments to make it happen,” explains Jay.
“The east coast is a sleeping giant.”
— Maciek Klimowicz
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Business
Governments & old media versus social media – who will win? | VIDEO

We look at the recent changes made by the Australian and Indian governments to except control over the world’s biggest social media platforms. India has issued strict new rules for Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms just weeks after the Indian government attempted to pressure Twitter to take down social media accounts it deemed, well, anti social. There is now an open battle between the rise of social media platforms and the governments and ‘old’ media that have been able to maintain a certain level of control over the ‘message’ for the last century. Who will win?
The rules require any social media company to create three roles within India… a “compliance officer” who ensures they follow local laws; a “grievance officer” who addresses complaints from Indian social media users; and a “contact person” who can actually be contacted by lawyers and other aggrieved Indian parties… 24/7.
The democratisation of the news model, with social media as its catalyst, will continue to baffle traditional media and governments who used to enjoy a level of control over what stories get told. The battles of Google and Facebook, with the governments of India and Australia will be followed in plenty of other countries as well.
At the root of all discussions will be the difference between what governments THINK social media is all about and the reality about how quickly the media landscape has changed. You’ll get to read about it first, on a social media platform… probably on the screen you’re watching this news story right now.
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Business
The social media giants in battle with ‘old’ media and world governments | VIDEO

“The rules signal greater willingness by countries around the world to rein in big tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Twitter that the governments fear have become too powerful with little accountability.”
India has issued strict new rules for Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms just weeks after the Indian government attempted to pressure Twitter to take down social media accounts it deemed, well, anti social.
The rules require any social media company to create three roles within India… a “compliance officer” who ensures they follow local laws; a “grievance officer” who addresses complaints from Indian social media users; and a “contact person” who can actually be contacted by lawyers and other aggrieved Indian parties… 24/7.
The companies are also being made to publish a compliance report each month with details about how many complaints they’ve received and the action they took.
They’ll also be required to remove ‘some’ types of content including “full or partial nudity,” any “sexual act” or “impersonations including morphed images”
The democratisation of the news model, with social media as its catalyst, will continue to baffle traditional media and governments who used to enjoy a level of control over what stories get told.
The battles of Google and Facebook, with the governments of India and Australia will be followed in plenty of other countries as well.
At the root of all discussions will be the difference between what governments THINK social media is all about and the reality about how quickly the media landscape has changed. You’ll get to read about it first, on a social media platform… probably on the screen you’re watching this news story right now.
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Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Business
Turbulence ahead for Thailand’s aviation industry | VIDEO

When the airlines, in particular, were asking the government to put their hands in their pockets for some relief funding in August last year, it was genuinely thought that international tourists would be coming back for the high season in December and January. At the very least local tourists and expats would head back to the skies over the traditional holiday break. And surely the Chinese would be back for Chinese New Year?
As we know now, none of that happened. A resurge in cases started just south of Bangkok on December 20 last year, just before Christmas, kicking off another round of restrictions, pretty much killing off any possibility of a high season ‘bump’ for the tourist industry. Airlines slashed flights from their schedule, and hotels, which had dusted off their reception desks for the surge of tourists, shut their doors again.
Domestically, the hotel business saw 6 million room nights in the government’s latest stimulus campaign fully redeemed. But the air ticket quota of 2 million seats still has over 1.3 million seats unused. Local tourists mostly skipped flights and opted for destinations within driving distance of their homes.
As for international tourism… well that still seems months or years away, even now.
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