Suntory PepsiCo Beverage (Thailand) Co, the distributor of Pepsi-Cola in Thailand, recently launched Boss café in an effort to enhance the brand's recognition and promote coffee consumption in the country.
Anawat Sangkhasap, the company's chief marketing officer, said Boss café opened earlier this month on the ground floor of Siam Center and would be operating until Aug 31.
Thailand is only the second country outside Japan to operate a Boss café after the first one was launched in Australia.
This minimalist café offers a wide range of refreshing drinks and bakery items, aimed at working people, new-generation coffee lovers and café enthusiasts.
"The introduction of Boss café is part of a comprehensive marketing campaign aimed at increasing brand awareness and stimulating coffee consumption among coffee lovers. It also takes advantage of the growing trend of premium coffee in Thailand," Mr Anawat said.
Moreover, the establishment of a Boss café would contribute to establishing strong brand recognition for Boss ready-to-drink coffee, which was introduced to the Thai market in 2021 as a premium coffee brand from Japan.
The coffee market in Thailand is valued at around 10 billion baht, with an average annual growth rate of 10%. Within this market, the premium coffee segment accounts for 300-400 million baht. The continuous growth of premium coffee can be attributed to an increasing number of individuals who enjoy drinking coffee in cafés and leisure destinations, as well as growing demand for premium coffee options.
The entry of new players in the coffee industry is also expected to revitalise the ready-to-drink coffee market. At the same time, coffee shops and cafes that possess a unique style and identity are experiencing steady growth, driven by the popular trend of café hopping in Thailand.
According to Mr Anawat, the current market features 3-4 premium coffee brands, with Boss, Amazon, and Arabus among the leading brands. Boss stands as one of the top three brands in this category.
Junichiro Takata, the company's head of marketing, said there is still an ample business opportunity for premium coffee, noting that Boss café addresses a common consumer concern as it offers a convenient and affordable solution to the challenges of time and expense associated with daily coffee consumption.
Boss café aims to reinforce real-life experiences and raise awareness and the brand's image in the mind of consumers that Boss coffee is a premium ready-to-drink coffee brand that consumers can easily find every day.
According to Mr Takata, the company plans to launch integrated marketing activities to enhance the Boss coffee brand's awareness as well as engage with target consumers by improving its taste and launching new packaging designs for its three ready-to-drink Boss coffee variants to be more modern, attractive and aspirational.
Boss coffee also plans to launch a new television commercial featuring Sean Jindachot and the HYBS vocal duo James Alyn Wee and Kasidej "Karn" Hongladaromp. The duo will be the first presenters for Boss coffee in Thailand, adding a fresh and dynamic element to the brand's advertising efforts.
Additionally, the firm has partnered with 7-Eleven to launch the "Boss Coffee: Buddy for Every Good Morning" campaign, aiming to promote coffee consumption at breakfast time. This campaign would offer ready-to-drink Boss coffee and Ezy sandwiches at both Boss café and 7-Eleven outlets.
