Tinnakorn, 42, founder of Beauty Connect Co, authorised distributor of 1028 Visual Therapy in Thailand, said he got his bachelor’s degree from Kasetsart University and obtained a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Nevada, Reno.
He started his career as a management trainee at Unilever Thai Trading Co and was the sales director for a key modern-trade customer. He decided to leave the company in 2011 after working there for 10 years.
“I was a Thai-born Chinese and was raised in a Chinese family, where managing our own business was a way of life. I remember seeing my father as not just a businessman but also as an entrepreneur. He is my role model.
“He always encouraged me to create something of my own and always told me it would not come easy and I had to work hard to earn [my way]. Therefore, it was always my goal to set up a business of my own one day when the time was right.
“My father is my inspiration. And I always tell myself we have only one life to live, so we better do what we aim to do before it is too late. So it is better to try and fail than never to try [at all].”
Tinnakorn set up Beauty Connect last October to be the first to bring Taiwanese cosmetics brand 1028 Visual Therapy to Thailand.
“There are lots of great beauty products in this world, and it would be nice if we could be a part of something that brings beauty to people’s lives.
“When I had a chance to visit Taiwan, I saw many similarities between Taiwan and Thailand – people, the way of life, food and weather. Taiwan has lots of very good beauty products, especially cosmetics. My friend introduced me to 1028 Visual Therapy, and I knew right away that this brand had potential – and they offer a great product range,” he said.
“I believed Thai people would love the products if they had a chance to try them. So I decided to import this brand for the Thai market.
“The cosmetics market in Thailand is full of Korean makeup [products], so Taiwanese makeup would be a very good news for the market and should excite the market with a new offering.
“Core customers are of course women who love to use makeup and desire to be beautiful. I personally do not want to specify ages, as I believe women of all ages want to be beautiful, so why limit them by their age?”
He said the cosmetics market in Thailand was very competitive. But a strong selling point of 1028 Visual Therapy is its focus on Asian beauty.
“We emphasise understanding the uniqueness of Asian women. So our products are tailored to suit Asian customers to ensure they can bring out the best of Asian beauty [that is within] them.
“We also promote the brand to help women to be beautiful in their own ways, which is to bring the best of what they are born with. Our brand philosophy is ‘Be Beautiful, Be Yourself’.”
He said that as a new brand, the company was selective in choosing its sales channels.
“In our first year, we selected Watson’s as a key chain of stores, and we work with key online shops such as Lazada, Orami.com, Beauitcool.com and Konvy.com to distribute and sell our brand.
“To engage with Thai consumers, we are currently able to reach more than 80,000 fans on Facebook and more than 20,000 followers on Instagram, which is great.
“I hope than in three to five years, 1028 Visual Therapy can make its mark in the market and become one of top cosmetics brands in the consumer mind. It will take a lot of work and there is still a long way to go, but we must believe we will get there.
“We will also need to have a good plan and good execution to ensure the brand can be in every shop where a cosmetics brand should be.
“Personally, I will focus on building a good solid foundation of the brand in Thailand first before considering any market beyond Thailand. I believe being focused is one of the key factors for a successful business,” he said.