Asia-Pacific Power List 2024: Rvisra Chirathivat, Central and Robinson

Rvisra Chirathivat 

Chief marketing officer
Central and Robinson
Thailand
Returning member

Re-entering the Power List for 2024, Rvisra Chirathivat’s influence in the retail sector in Thailand is evident. As the chief marketing officer of Central and Robinson department stores, Chirathivat has driven digital transformation at the organisation in recent years, implementing comprehensive omnichannel strategies that have significantly enhanced customer engagement across various platforms.

In 2023, Chirathivat was involved in leading several key campaigns across the efforts of sustainability, customer engagement and brand visibility. These include Central and Robinson’s ‘Love the Earth 2023’ campaign—the latest iteration of the environmental initiative done in collaboration with the Royal Forest Department across Thailand by planting 100,000 trees across nearly 200 acres to revive environmental balance in the most direct and sustainable manner. The initiative was an extension of Central’s ongoing efforts to bolster sustainability efforts, something Chirathivat is personally passionate about. These include four existing missions: Eliminating the use of plastic bags at their locations, promoting the use of eco-friendly materials across their shopping centres nationwide, collaborating with Central Tham to provide retail space for local communities to display and sell their merchandise in support of eco-friendly production process, and contributing to Central Group’s mission in expanding green spaces by 50,000 rai (20,000 acres) within 2030.

Additionally, Chirathivat also built on the success of Central’s Cannes-worthy ‘Black Midnight Sale: Shop Unfriend’ campaign from 2021, a creative endeavor to engage customers during the end-of-year sales period. Themed ‘Gift it Yourself’ in 2023, the initiative encouraged customers to create personalised gift baskets, emphasising self-reward and personal choice—with the store utilising influencers to inspire shoppers by showcasing personal favourites. The Central Midnight Sale is amongst the department store's most successful campaigns, having won numerous awards both domestically and throughout Southeast Asia including the 'Action Hero (SEA)' award from the YouTube Works Award 2023. It has also significantly improved the social media profile of Central on YouTube along with all other platforms, achieving a customer reach of up to 10 million views using calls-to-action, in-stream ads and YouTube in-feed video ads, which according to the store, has resulted in a 1.4% increase in buying options, and up to 30% in increased sales after the launch of the campaign.

A passionate advocate for women’s issues, Chirathivat also had a hand in the "ShePossible" campaign for the department store in 2023 to empower women. The campaign, which was done in partnership with Mirror Thailand, was highlighted by Thailand's first AI-driven digital art exhibition aimed to inspire and empower women through four themes of readiness: Breaking stereotypes, futuristic vision, the ethos that age is just a number, and a sustainable lifestyle. The campaign also featured a significant event that convened leading females from various industries to share their life experiences and perspectives, with each AI portrait submission through the campaign contributing monetary and in-kind donations to the Friends of Women Foundation and Equitable Education Fund. Chirathivat's advocacy for gender representation is also amplified by her role as a jury member for the 2024 Gerety Awards, recognising excellence in advertising through a female lens. She was also selected as a member of Prestige’s ’40 under 40’ list in February 2023.

Chirathivat’s leadership, alongside her industry prowess, continues to shape Central and Robinson as a forward-thinking retailer that stays relevant through a blend of traditional retail practices and innovative marketing strategies.