On a day when your product is indistinguishable from competitors', how do you make customers choose yours?
Rawis Hanutsaha, CEO of Srichand Sahaphot Co., Ltd. and founder of Mission to the Moon, shared insights under the topic “The Power of Branding in Ecommerce: The Secret Weapon for Growth in the E-commerce World” at the event “Thai Mart x Thairath: Build Brands, Build the Nation.”
Rawis revealed that the skincare and cosmetics market he operates in has as many as 11,000 competing brands. In this vast sea of competitors, the only tool he can use to compete is “branding,” which is not just advertising for short-term sales but building a customer base to create long-term brand recall.
Rawis cited an example of jam sales in supermarkets: one supermarket offered only 5 flavors of jam, while another offered as many as 60 flavors.
The sales outcome was that the supermarket with only 5 jam flavors, despite attracting fewer viewers, generated nearly half the sales compared to the one with 60 flavors. This phenomenon illustrates that when the human brain faces too many choices, decision fatigue sets in — similar to scrolling through a streaming app for half an hour unable to pick a movie before finally giving up and going to sleep.
Rawis provided data showing that modern consumers are exposed to 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements daily. Thus, branding is more than just a marketing strategy; it is:a “choice-cutting helper” that creates differentiation.
He also explained the difference between “marketing” and “branding”: marketing typically focuses on short-term sales with the goal of selling as quickly as possible, whereas branding reflects how the brand connects with customers — how customers remember the brand and for how long.
L1: Look — the external image.
When people meet for the first time, the first thing they see is the “appearance” or external look. The same applies to brands: appearance and design are the first impression that shows who the brand is and its taste.
Rawis cited two Thai brands he admires that exemplify the L1 concept clearly.
L2: Language — communication, stance, and problem-solving.
The “conversation” or language a brand uses to communicate with customers and its stance on whom it serves.
Rawis recounted a pivotal moment in rebranding Srichand 20 years ago when he returned to continue the family business at age 27. At that time, Srichand was merely an old herbal medicine shop owned by his grandfather. Initially, his sole motivation was to get rich, but over time, he aimed to drive sustainable business growth.
A key event was a conversation with a Japanese friend, asking how Japanese people feel about the national brand Shiseido. The friend said Japanese people take pride in having Shiseido. This sentence became the organizational goal: Srichand wanted to be a brand that Thai people could be proud of.
Moreover, understanding the true language of customers is reflected in the creation of the sub-brand “Sasi,” a cosmetic brand for teens aged 13-20. Rawis shared that he led a team conducting six months of market research and conversations with high school students, discovering that the reason teenagers wear makeup to school, despite rules against it, is not superficial vanity but rather “a long-term investment in their future.”
With this understanding, Sasi’s stories and products genuinely addressed teenagers’ problems and achieved remarkable success.
L3: Long-term Relationship.
“Look” attracts interest, and “Language” builds liking, but what sustains a brand in the long run is “Long-term Relationship.” In business, retaining existing customers costs five times less than acquiring new ones.
At Srichand, Rawis pays attention to this long-term relationship, such as sending New Year’s gifts with handwritten greeting cards to the top 200-300 VIP customers by purchase volume. The outcome was customers sharing images of these handwritten cards on social media, expressing greater appreciation for the sincerity they conveyed than the gifts themselves.
Additionally, tracking dormant customers—such as those who typically buy skin cream every 45-60 days—if absent for over three months, the brand reaches out with special coupons or inquiries to understand any issues, thereby preserving its customer base. This long-term relationship also includes turning customers into brand advocates who add value.
Beyond the 3L strategy, Rawis highlighted significant trends expected over the next 20 years, presenting opportunities for new-age brands by comparing past and present behaviors:
Humans have always sought social acceptance and comparison. As phones and cars lose their status-signaling power, younger generations invest in themselves—health, body, sleep, and lifestyle.
Brands like Alo Yoga and Lululemon exemplify this understanding. They recognize that athletic wear is not just gym clothes but must be comfortable and contribute to the image of self-care, while also building a global community to reinforce brand identity.
Ultimately, business strategies in e-commerce do not hinge on who can offer the lowest prices or highest advertising budgets but on how your brand embeds itself in customers’ minds and solves their problems.
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