Minor Food continues to cement its position as Asia’s leader in the restaurant industry, aiming to become a global organisation. Recently, it was awarded the ‘Asia’s Best Marketing Organisation in Marketing 3.0’ by the Asia Marketing Federation (AMF). This recognition reflects its strategic policies and vision for delivering exceptional experiences while creating a positive impact on consumers and stakeholders. The company focuses on product and service development to enhance dining experiences, expanding distribution channels, and communicating with customers in diverse ways. Additionally, it utilises digital technology to analyse consumer data and places significant importance on business and environmental sustainability, demonstrating its commitment to being a truly comprehensive leader in the food industry.

Thunyachate Ekvetchavit, Chief Operating Officer at Minor Food Group Public Company Limited, stated that the restaurant business is a major sector within Thailand’s economy, valued at over 400 billion baht. As a significant part of daily life and consumer lifestyle, Minor Food aims to become a global organisation. Currently, it is the largest restaurant business in the Asia Pacific region, with over 2,600 outlets in 24 countries, under various brands such as The Pizza Company, The Coffee Club, Riverside Mala, Poulet, Bonchon, Swensen’s, Sizzler, Dairy Queen, and Burger King, among others. The company operates with a vision and mission to deliver outstanding experiences in all aspects and ensure maximum satisfaction while creating positive impacts for consumers and all stakeholders involved.

“Consumer needs and drive the organisation towards its goals. The most important aspect for Minor Food is the consumer experience, as current trends show a preference for convenience in services. Each brand must respond to such consumer behaviour, for instance, by guaranteeing faster delivery speeds, expanding distribution channels through omnichannel approaches to make products and services more accessible, and creating new unique experiences like pop-up stores offering special menus. Another key focus is creating clear brand identities by using consumer data to develop and present products and services that meet their needs, such as modernising brands, varying store atmospheres to create new experiences, and continually introducing new menus. Simultaneously, the company emphasises social and environmental responsibility, such as using eco-friendly packaging, supporting local communities, and continuously developing staff skills to enhance service quality and consumer satisfaction.

Due to these dedicated efforts, Minor Food has received the "Excellence in Marketing 3.0" award at the Asia Marketing Excellence Award 2024 by the Asia Marketing Federation, which recognises organisations with outstanding marketing strategies in all dimensions, considering the positive impact on consumers, communities, and the environment beyond business success. This award proves and reinforces Minor Food’s status as a global organisation,” said Mr. Thunyachate.

Nongchanok Stananonth, General Manager of The Coffee Club; a subsidiary of The Minor Food Group Pcl., stated that as a representative of Minor Food presenting policies and strategies at the Asia Marketing Excellence Award 2024, it emphasises the company’s approach as a ‘responsible marketing-preneur,’ blending social responsibility with an entrepreneurial spirit. This approach focuses on three main aspects: customer-focused entrepreneurial spirit, ensuring consumer convenience such as expanding service channels through applications, and improving quality of life, such as making pizza menus accessible to children in schools located along Thailand’s border through reading promotion campaign, with over 2 million children participating, delivering food to medical teams during the CoVid-19 pandemic, and supporting various public shelters and half-way homes.

The second aspect is creating positive socio-economic and environmental impacts, with clear targets such as reducing plastic usage by 75% from the high usage year of 2018 and reducing carbon emissions. Brands like Sizzler promote using organic rice from farmers in Amnat Charoen province and sourcing salad vegetables from communities that are not engaged in deforestation. Swensen’s supports mango farmers by developing ice cream from the rare but delicious ‘Ok Rong Tong’ mango strain. The Coffee Club develops edible coffee cups made from whole wheat flour, reducing plastic use, and sources cage-free eggs.

The third aspect is enhancing people’s potential by promoting age and gender equality among staff, allowing everyone opportunities for career advancement, and hiring employees over 60 years old, supporting their skills to contribute to the business’s growth and strength in Thailand. These efforts make Minor Food a deserving participant in this competition, showcasing its dedication and success in not only focusing on business performance but also creating positive social and environmental impacts, aligning with the ‘Marketing 3.0’ award’s concept of creating value among businesses, consumers, and society.

Somchat Visitchaichan Vice President and Chief of Learning Architect & Marketing Innovation at the Marketing Association of Thailand (MAT), stated, “The Marketing Association of Thailand (MAT), a member of the Asia Marketing Federation (AMF) with over 18 member countries in Asia, aims to elevate marketing professionalism for both individual marketers and organisations. Each year, the Asia Marketing Excellence Award honours outstanding marketing achievements in two categories: ‘Marketing 3.0’ and ‘Marketing Company of the Year’. This year, Thailand achieved victory in both categories for the first time, with Minor Food Group Public Company Limited winning the ‘Marketing 3.0’ award.

Minor Food’s strong performance met the association’s criteria, including double-digit growth over three consecutive years, clear marketing strategies driving the organisation, and innovative marketing creating societal and global value, aligning with the principles of the Marketing 3.0 award. This recognition not only enhances the Thai business and marketing image internationally but also fosters the exchange of good marketing practices and inspires other organisations to develop sustainable marketing strategies, benefiting the industry and society in the long term. Therefore, this award signifies more than recognising a single organisation’s success; it drives the Thai marketing standard forward on a global scale,”