Pacharee Pantoomano, Managing Director, BrandNow.Asia
Pacharee Pantoomano is a marketing and communications expert based in Thailand. Pachareee shares her insights with The Industry Leaders and tells us how she created her own thriving marketing and communications agency.
How did you end up sitting where you are today?
When I was younger, I thought I wanted to have a career in the foreign service or be part of an organisation like the United Nations. While in university, I worked to support myself financially. At my part-time job for a US east coast office furniture chain, the Managing Director of the company allowed me to try different roles. I toggled between bookkeeping, telemarketing for a business referral program, coding Fortran to manage a database, and other projects where he wanted a helping hand to grow the business. This job showed me that I was capable of many things.
After university, I got a contract with the US Department of Commerce based in Bangkok. The plan started with me heading in the career direction I thought I would go, and then the universe guided me to another path. This path took me towards the private sector, where I served as head of marketing for several Fortune 500 companies during the first half of my career, plus a role in a WPP agency. This laid the foundation for me to start my own agency, and Brandnow.asia was launched in 2008.
What kind of work does your role involve?
My role involves listening to my clients to understand their brand challenges and other issues. We take a holistic approach. Once we have the brief, I discuss it with the team, and we brainstorm. If the client has market research and other data, this can give us insights, improving the planning and the recommendations.
What gets you excited about your industry?
Technology has evolved, and we have more online tools available to us. It gives us more insights and helps make our work better, ultimately yielding better results for the client's campaign. I am fascinated by the innovation shown by Gen Z.
What's the best advice anyone ever gave you?
The best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Delay is not Defeat'. In personal and professional life, we all will encounter obstacles that can derail us. This detour can make us feel that we failed to achieve our goal, but, in reality, it's not the end. Sometimes it is simply the ebb and flow of life. The 'Tao' if you will. It is the universe's divine way of giving you what you need, not what you want. Somehow, it works out the way it is supposed to if you allow it.
How do you support aspiring leaders in your field?
I firmly believe in 'paying it forward'. I regularly do random acts of kindness because it has a butterfly effect. From my point of view, life is a series of lessons. We gain insights and wisdom from each of the experiences, and I feel that we are to pass our gift of knowledge on to others who can benefit from it. People will value that differently. For me, I feel like I have at least done my part.
How do you keep up to speed with what's happening in your industry?
I think we all suffer from information overload. I ask a lot of questions. Also, I read and surround myself with people who are savvy and in the know.
What's the most challenging project or situation you've overcome?
The most challenging situation for me is motherhood! I am a mom to two teenage girls. This is offset by the three 4-legged girls who love me unconditionally.
You finish work today and step outside the office to find a lottery ticket that ends up winning $10 million. What would you do?
Every time I buy a lottery ticket, I have this fantasy, which happens about 4 or 5 times a year.
I would use part of the winnings to help build up the current business. For the family, I will buy a place in Paris and New York City.
For my retirement years, I want to live by the sea. I like the idea of a container house, though I do not know how they would hold up against the salty air. I would help animal rescue and foundations. I also have this idea of popularising Thai cooking sauces in Europe and the USA. I love Thai food, and I want to share it with the world! So perhaps, a startup is on the cards for me.
How do you define failure?
It's a sign that you are trying. Learn why it happened and use it as a stepping stone to do better next time.
If you had one wish for the future of your industry, what would it be?
This is a good question. I'm excited to see development in Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG).
What book or podcast should everyone know about?
In the field of communication, it is essential to understand how influence works. I love the book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr Robert B. Cialdini because he gives many practical examples. I have found that it works consistently across many cultures.
I also feel that to understand friends, family and other important people in your life, the book The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts by Dr Gary Chapman helps identify what is important to them.
How should people connect with you?
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