In conjunction with advertising agency McCann Erickson, which it retained last year, Tourism Thailand is believed to be engaged in a hectic scenario planning initiative to assess how much of the US$10 million annual budget will remain in play. At press time, protests were racking the country, shutting down several key airports. The Government has declared a state of emergency.
The situation is complicated by existing media bookings which, said McCann Worldgroup Thailand CEO Mark Ingrouille, are now being shifted.
“Obviously there’s a lot of media bookings that can’t be stopped at short notice, so we’re looking at what creative we can put in their place,” explained Ingrouille.
In addition, the agency is also drawing up plans for a campaign to restore the country’s image once the crisis has died down. “From our point of view it’s very difficult,” added Ingrouille.
The protests are the latest in a protracted battle that has erupted between pro-Thaksin Shinawatra forces on one side, and an alliance of NGOs, state agencies, labour unions and the People’s Alliance for Democracy on the other. The latter camp has proved successful in shifting public opinion against Thaksin, with the ex-Prime Minister fleeing Thailand last month over charges of tax evasion.
