The stations will offer a number of incentivised offers, including significant bonuses and discounts for committed and uncommitted advertisers.
The move follows a decision last month from the territory's dominant broadcaster, TVB, to pass on a only a small rate increase of around 1.6 per cent in the MU category. Last year, TVB's double-digit rate hike sparked outrage from the city's advertisers and the local 2As organisation.
"TVB, having more than 80 per cent of the viewership share, they can make the call," said Mabel Leung, managing director, Starcom Worldwide Hong Kong. "For these two other stations, which have a lower share of the market, there is not a lot of room for them to manouver."
Leung noted that the unchanged rate cards from ATV and Cable TV, reflect a wider industry forecast that 2007 with provide single digit growth, expected to be around five per cent, down from 2006 monitored adspend levels which demonstrated 8.9 per cent growth.
But she added that the unchanged costs would not neccessairly create an increase in activity from advertisers next year. "Advertisers are diversifying their adspend into non-TV media, and even within television, advertisers are changing the way they use the channel," she said. "Instead of focusing on airing a commercial, they're diversifying into product placement and branded content buys."
