MAG switches focus to end user

<p>SHANGHAI: Taiwanese internet appliance company MAG Technology has </p><p>awarded its LCD display account to J. Walter Thompson to help it shift </p><p>its market focus in China. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The company is moving its target from the industrial and professional </p><p>segment to end users at home in line with a new strategy to unbundle </p><p>monitors from computers. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>JWT China chief executive Tom Doctoroff said MAG's consumer marketing </p><p>drive coincided with a move away from bulkier terminals to slimmer </p><p>versions offered by the company and its Japanese and Korean rivals, </p><p>including Sony and Panasonic. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The transition is happening. The evolution is significant; it shows </p><p>that computer monitors are becoming less commoditised," he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The move to unbundle monitors is similar to what other technology </p><p>manufacturers have done. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Doctoroff said MAG's China-focused marketing was significant as most </p><p>Taiwanese companies only saw the mainland as a cheap source of </p><p>labour. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Their decision to build a brand in China presages a sea change in the </p><p>mentality of Taiwanese enterprises. The fact that their high-end </p><p>products cost almost US$1,000 is a testament to the growing </p><p>purchasing power of China's new generation." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Doctoroff said the fee-based brief will cover television advertising, </p><p>thematic, product-specific and promotional print and promotions. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>There was no incumbent on the account, which was awarded to JWT without </p><p>a pitch. MAG has yet to decide on the media account. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>