New Branding, Same Philosophy: JD Central Emphasizes Customer Experience

by Kelly Dawson

Since launching in 2018, JD.com's joint venture in Thailand JD CENTRAL (JDC) has steadily built trust with consumers, standing apart from competitors with its brand philosophy and slogan 'Authentic Products.' Now, the e-commerce company is updating its branding with a new slogan that expands beyond authenticity, to include guaranteed shopping satisfaction. Loosely translated from Thai, the updated slogan communicates the idea of 'certain joy from a trusted expert in e-commerce.'

'I think the key value proposition here is 'Certain' or 'Sure,'' said JDC's Chief Marketing Officer Korlarp Suwacharangkul. 'We realized that here in Thailand no company is actually capturing a fundamental component of e-commerce: Trust, and the ability for users to be in control. We wanted to strengthen our previous proposition of authenticity, which focused on the product, and expand to focus on the overall consumer experience.'

JDC's Chief Marketing Officer Korlarp Suwacharangkul

While e-commerce usage has grown during the pandemic, the country's overall e-commerce penetration rate is still only 8%. In order to understand why this rate remains so low, JDC conducted quantitative and qualitative research of user behavior, Suwacharangkul said. The study found that a few key pain points hold back the 92% of consumers that continue to make purchases either entirely offline or with a hybrid approach of offline and online.

First, these consumers are afraid that the products won't match the offer, with 79% of respondents indicating that they don't trust e-commerce platforms. Second, 56-57% worry that products will be lost during delivery; and finally, 39% worry that the product will be fake.

'All three of these pain points can be addressed and prevented, and JDC does this very well,' Suwacharangkul said. 'This is our starting point and where we see a big opportunity. Our previous focus on 'authentic products' has served us well, but we've realized that it's limiting our reach.'

Additionally, consumers are quick to associate 'authentic products' with higher cost, Suwacharangkul said, despite the fact that JDC's product prices are highly competitive.

'We've always been focused on the customer experience, so we are excited to update our branding to accurately reflect that focus,' Suwacharangkul said.

JDC will also update its logo with a modern design that aligns with parent company JD.com's branding, and will introduce a cartoon dog mascot called Joy, which it will share with JD.com.

'JD.com has such a strong reputation in China, and we believe that will also play well in Thailand,' Suwacharangkul said. 'As a mascot, Joy represents friendliness and trustworthiness. Also, while other platforms will change its celebrity spokespeople over and over again in the coming years, Joy will stand firm in representing JD Central for many years to come.'

JD Central aims to uplift the whole e-commerce market, Suwacharangkul said. 'We know that with our fundamental beliefs in providing a good experience and authentic products, not only can we increase our own sales but we can also uplift the entire market to be more trustworthy.'

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