Carat expands inland to secondary cities in China

<p>Carat has expanded its media-buying network in China to include </p><p>secondary cities in the inland areas of the country. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It is the first media specialist agency to set-up a network of offices </p><p>outside the main hubs of Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Carat has also established a presence in Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, </p><p>Chengdu, and Fuzhou as part of a US$12 million investment. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The expansion is in reaction to the fact that China is one of the most </p><p>fragmented media markets in the world. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Alex Abplanalp, the agency's regional director, told MEDIA that the </p><p>move to expand was also client driven. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"China is not a single market, more a region. Our core business is to </p><p>deliver advertising messages to consumers efficiently and effectively </p><p>across a huge and fragmented geography," he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"On-the-ground execution is essential. It directly reflects the changing </p><p>requirements of clients whose distribution channels have been extended </p><p>across the whole of China." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Abplanalp added that clients have for some time now been pushing for </p><p>media agencies to set up offices in the inland areas of the country. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The geographical coverage of the main media dependent agencies is still </p><p>predominantly concentrated in Shanghai and Beijing, and reflects the </p><p>infrastructure of their creative agency parents rather than the </p><p>requirements of delivering on media," he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Clients have been questioning this for years, since they themselves </p><p>have distributors and sales people on the ground (in secondary and </p><p>tertiary cities)." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Ms Winnie Lee, former executive media director of Leo Burnett China, was </p><p>appointed Carat China managing director in July last year and will </p><p>oversee the expanded network. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>