Further proof that times are volatile and are likely to get more so
as the year progresses for the advertising industry in Hong Kong. A
recruitment consultancy has predicted that marketing talent will cost
more. If this is indeed the case, then advertising agencies can expect a
spillover into their industry.
Juxtaposed against this is the fact that Hong Kong's first quarter
single-digit adspend growth looks sluggish next to the blistering pace
China has set. The biggest fear is that Hong Kong can't bank on a
second-half spending spurt that rescued bottom lines last year. The
internet bubble has burst and the telecoms and insurance climate is
noticeably cooler.
