Asus Marketing Thailand, the local operating unit of the Taiwanese computer and mobile handset maker AsusTek Computer Inc, aims for 300% growth in smartphone sales this year, up from 300,000 units in 2017.
If it happens, the expansion will boost Asus's share in the Thai market from 1% to 3-4% by year-end.
The company plans to achieve the sales target by focusing on partnerships in both sales and after-sales service channels, said Alvin Chen, country manager of Asus Marketing Thailand.
Mr Chen says the expansion will boost Asus's market share to 3-4%.
Asus introduced its mobile phones to the Thai market in 2014. This year it ranked eighth in terms of market share.
Mr Chen said the company needs to maintain a 5% market share in the country between 2019 and 2021 before evaluating the market in the long run.
He said Asus began widening its online sale channels through Shopee, a leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, this week. Shopee will start selling the latest model of Asus's Zenfone Max Plus, which was officially launched yesterday.
Asus plans to sell at least 10,000 Zenfone Max Plus handsets through Shopee by April.
Lazada and 11street will also partner with Asus starting in May, according to Mr Chen. "Online channels will generate a new sales stream this year," he said.
Asus has already cooperated with Charoen Pokphand Group through 7-Eleven convenience stores nationwide, which will provide a service drop-point for Asus handsets and notebooks that need to be repaired. 7-Eleven stores will begin providing the service for Asus customers by the end of this month.
Mr Chen said the 7-Eleven stores will widen the company's after-sales service points nationwide. Today, Asus has 52 after-sales customer service points, including dealers across the country.
This year, Asus will begin launching handset promotional packages alongside local mobile operators.
Mr Chen said second-ranked mobile operator True Move H will be Asus's first mobile operator partner. True Move H's package, which is expected to launch next month, will pair the operator's services with Asus handsets.
Asus is also in talks with the country's largest mobile operator, Advanced Info Service, and third-ranked Total Access Communication (DTAC) to establish partnership deals. The company has yet to conclude contracts with either.
"After surveying regional markets for a year, we believe that mobile handset producers must offer end-users three core factors: full-feature specifications, affordable price and easily accessible after-sales services," he said.
Asus holds 5% of the Indian market, a higher share than Oppo and Vivo, because Indian customers prefer affordable devices with advanced specifications over well-decorated dealer stores or brand ambassadors, Mr Chen said.
"I strongly believe that good specs, affordable prices and convenient after-sales services will be the real contributors to success, including in the Thai market," he said.
Asus's latest smartphone model in Thailand, the Zenfone Max Plus, is targeted to meet customers' need for on-mobile research.
The compact Zenfone Max Plus includes a larger screen, dual rear cameras, convenient face- and fingerprint-recognition security and a high-capacity 4130-milliampere-hour battery. It retails for 6,990 baht.
