Phuket Marketing. Are We Targeting the Wrong People? Why Nationality Might Not Be the Best Way to Market Your Business

British, Australian, German, Russian, Chinese, Thai. We spend a lot of time talking about where our customers come from. But perhaps we should spend more time asking why they're here.

In my last blog, I explored something that genuinely fascinates me: behavioural science, psychology and how our cultural backgrounds can influence the way we respond to marketing.

Having worked in Antigua, Turkey, Greece, Spain, France, Wales and now Thailand, I've seen firsthand how different cultures can influence people's expectations, communication styles and buying decisions.

And Phuket is probably one of the most interesting places I've worked when it comes to this.

We've got people from all over the world living here, working here, retiring here and coming here on holiday.

Different nationalities. Different languages. Different religions. Different cultural backgrounds.

But I've been thinking about something since writing that last blog.

Are we actually targeting people in the right way?

Because while nationality and culture certainly play a role in consumer behaviour, I'm starting to wonder whether we sometimes put far too much emphasis on where someone comes from and not nearly enough on why they're buying.

Let me explain.

The German Tourist vs the Australian Tourist

Let's imagine you run a private boat tour company in Phuket.

You're planning your next marketing campaign.

You know you get lots of Australian customers and lots of German customers.

So you decide to create two campaigns.

One aimed at Australians.

One aimed at Germans.

Sounds logical, doesn't it?

And perhaps it is. There may be differences in language preferences, travel planning habits and the channels people use to research holidays.

But let's look a little deeper.

Your first Australian customer is a retired couple in their late 60s.

They're visiting Phuket for three weeks. They've been here several times before. They want a comfortable, relaxing day on the water, away from the crowds, with a lovely lunch and a chance to enjoy the scenery.

Your second Australian customer is a family with three children.

They're visiting Phuket for the first time. They want snorkelling, swimming, adventure and something their kids will talk about for years.

Same nationality.

Completely different motivations.

Now imagine a German family with three children who want exactly the same things as that Australian family.

Who should you be targeting together?

The two Australians?

Or the Australian family and the German family?

I'd argue that the two families probably have far more in common when it comes to this particular buying decision.

And that's where things get interesting.

We Love Putting People Into Boxes

In marketing, we love segmentation.

We divide audiences by age, gender, nationality, income, location and all sorts of other demographics.

And there's nothing inherently wrong with that.

Demographic information is useful.

But demographics tell us who somebody is.

They don't always tell us why somebody wants something.

And understanding that 'why' is where behavioural science and psychology become incredibly valuable.

Think about it.

Two people can be the same age, earn similar salaries, live in the same country and still make completely different purchasing decisions.

One might value luxury and exclusivity.

Another might value adventure and excitement.

Another might care most about safety and reliability.

Another might be driven by price.

Another might want something unique they can share on social media.

And here's the important bit.

Those motivations aren't exclusive to any particular nationality.

A German tourist can love adventure just as much as an Australian tourist.

A British family can prioritise safety just as much as a Chinese family.

A Thai customer can appreciate luxury just as much as an American customer.

So why do we sometimes build our marketing campaigns as though nationality is the most important thing about a person?

Welcome to Phuket. Where Everyone Wants Something Different.

This is where living and working in Phuket makes marketing particularly fascinating.

Let's take a restaurant as an example.

Imagine you've got five customers walking through your door.

One is a British expat who's lived in Phuket for 15 years.

One is a Thai family celebrating a birthday.

One is an Australian couple on their honeymoon.

One is a German tourist who's been travelling around Thailand for a month.

And one is an American family visiting Phuket from a cruise ship.

Now, you could create five different marketing campaigns based on nationality.

But what if you segmented them by motivation instead?

The Experience Seekers

They want atmosphere, something special and a memorable evening. Perhaps the honeymoon couple, but potentially anyone celebrating an occasion.

The Family and Social Diners

They want good food, space, comfort and somewhere everyone can enjoy themselves. They might be local Thai families, expats or holidaymakers.

The Explorers

They want to discover something new, try local dishes and experience the food culture of Thailand.

The Comfort Seekers

They want somewhere familiar, reliable and welcoming. Somewhere they know they'll have a good meal without any surprises.

Now look at those four audiences.

They're not defined by nationality.

They're defined by what they're looking for.

And suddenly, your marketing becomes much more interesting.

Instead of creating an advert saying, "Welcome German Tourists," you could create a beautiful video showing a couple enjoying a romantic sunset dinner.

Instead of targeting British expats with a generic restaurant promotion, you could build a campaign around Sunday lunch, friendships and community.

Instead of targeting every tourist with the same food reel, you could tell the story of your chef, your ingredients and the experience of discovering something new.

Same restaurant.

Different motivations.

Different stories.

And potentially a much stronger emotional connection.

Behavioural Science: Why We Buy What We Buy

One of the things I've been learning about is the difference between demographic segmentation and psychographic or behavioural segmentation.

Demographics describe characteristics such as age, nationality and income.

Psychographics look at things like values, interests, attitudes and lifestyles.

Behavioural segmentation looks at what people actually do, including their purchasing habits, loyalty, booking behaviour and responses to marketing.

And I think businesses in Phuket could benefit enormously from understanding the differences.

Because when you start looking at motivations, you begin to uncover the psychology behind buying decisions.

For example, consider three people booking a luxury resort in Khao Sok.

One wants to escape the noise and stress of everyday life.

One wants to take their children on an adventure and get them away from their screens.

One wants a romantic getaway with their partner.

All three might book exactly the same room.

But the emotional reason behind their booking is completely different.

The first person is buying peace.

The second is buying family memories.

The third is buying connection.

You're selling the same product, but you're solving three different emotional needs.

That's a pretty powerful thing to understand when you're creating marketing content.

But Surely Nationality Still Matters?

Absolutely.

And I don't want this blog to suggest otherwise.

Culture, language and nationality can have a real influence on consumer behaviour.

If you're targeting a market where people prefer to research holidays in their native language, that's important.

If your customers use different social media platforms, payment methods or booking channels, that's important too.

Cultural traditions, religious requirements, school holidays and national holiday periods can all influence what people buy and when they buy it.

For example, marketing around Ramadan or Eid may be relevant to particular audiences.

Chinese New Year can influence travel patterns.

European school holidays can influence when families visit Phuket.

And a restaurant offering halal options should absolutely communicate that clearly to customers for whom it's important.

But there's a difference between understanding cultural needs and making assumptions about individuals.

Nationality should be one piece of the puzzle. Not the whole puzzle.

And the importance of that piece will change depending on what you're selling.

For a multilingual booking website, language and country of origin might be incredibly important.

For a romantic restaurant experience, the occasion and emotional motivation might matter far more.

For a family attraction, the age of the children and the family's interests could be the deciding factors.

It's about understanding which information is actually useful for the decision you're trying to influence.

The Cruise Ship Passenger Is a Perfect Example

Here's another example that I find particularly interesting.

Imagine two American families visiting Phuket.

One family is staying in a resort for 14 days.

The other family has arrived on a cruise ship and has six hours to explore the island.

Same nationality.

Potentially similar family demographics.

But their buying behaviour could be completely different.

The resort family might spend days researching activities, comparing options and deciding what to do.

They might book a private boat trip, visit an elephant sanctuary or explore different restaurants.

The cruise ship family has a very different challenge.

Time.

They need something convenient, reliable and organised around getting back to their ship.

They're potentially much more concerned about transport, timing and reassurance.

So what should your marketing focus on?

Not necessarily the fact that they're American.

But the fact that one family has two weeks and the other has six hours.

Sometimes the situation someone is in tells us far more about their buying decisions than their nationality ever could.

So Why Aren't More Businesses Marketing This Way?

I think part of the problem is that demographic targeting is easy to understand.

You can look at your customer data and say:

"Most of our customers are British, Australian and German."

That's useful information.

But then what?

You create an advert targeting those nationalities and hope it works.

What you haven't necessarily discovered is why those people chose your business in the first place.

Was it the price?

The location?

The reviews?

The experience?

The fact that somebody recommended you?

Was it because they were travelling with children?

Was it because they wanted to avoid crowds?

Was it because your business made them feel comfortable and confident?

These are the questions I think we need to ask more often.

And the answers might completely change your marketing strategy.

Phuket Marketing

Stop Planning. Start Doing: Try This With Your Own Customers.

As part of my October Shark 13 marketing series, I want every blog to include something practical.

Something businesses can actually do.

So here's my challenge.

Stop looking at your customers purely by nationality and start looking at their motivations.

Over the next week, speak to ten customers.

Don't just ask where they're from.

Ask them why they chose you.

The Shark 13 Customer Motivation Challenge

7 days

What made you choose our business?

What was the most important thing you were looking for?

Did you consider any alternatives?

Was there anything that nearly stopped you booking?

What made you feel confident enough to choose us?

What were you hoping to get out of the experience?

0 of 6 questions ready Copy questions

Once you've spoken to ten customers, look for patterns.

You might discover that your customers fall into three distinct groups.

Perhaps one group values convenience.

Another values experience.

And another values trust and reliability.

Now create three different pieces of marketing content, each speaking to one of those motivations.

Run them.

Test them.

See which messages get attention, enquiries and, most importantly, bookings.

And don't just judge the results by likes and views.

Look at actual customer behaviour.

Because that's where the real learning happens.

Ten conversations won't give you a statistically representative picture of your entire audience, but they can uncover ideas worth testing.

Perhaps We're Asking the Wrong Question.

The more I think about this subject, the more I realise how much marketing comes back to understanding people.

And I love that.

I've spent years working in different countries, with different cultures, nationalities and communities.

And one of the biggest lessons I've learned is that people are incredibly different.

But they're also incredibly similar.

We all have needs.

We all have desires.

We all want to feel understood.

We all make decisions based on our experiences, emotions and circumstances.

And while culture influences those things, it doesn't completely define them.

So perhaps, instead of starting our marketing strategy by asking:

"Where are our customers from?"

We should start by asking:

"What are our customers trying to achieve, and how can we help them achieve it?"

Then use nationality, language, culture and demographics to help us communicate with them in the most relevant way.

That feels like a much better starting point to me.

I'm Still Learning. And That's the Best Part.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm no behavioural scientist.

I'm a marketer who genuinely enjoys learning about psychology, human behaviour and why people do the things they do.

And the more I explore this subject, the more questions I seem to have.

But I think that's a good thing.

Because one of the biggest dangers in marketing is believing you've already got all the answers.

Thinking you know exactly who your customers are, what they want and how they behave.

Sometimes we need to challenge those assumptions.

Especially in a place like Phuket, where we have such an incredible mixture of cultures, nationalities, lifestyles and reasons for being here.

So my message for this week's Stop Planning. Start Doing blog is simple.

Stop putting your customers into boxes based on where they come from.

Start understanding why they're here, what matters to them and what motivates them to make a decision.

Because the better we understand people, the better our marketing becomes.

And maybe, just maybe, the most important question in marketing isn't who is your customer?

It's why does your customer care?

Got it?

Good

Jay Leshark

Shark 13 Marketing, Phuket

Phuket Marketing