BANGKOK: Despite the moribund figures from most of the world,
online ad space seller TopSpace said Thailand's online advertising scene
is still growing wildly.
Glen Poff, vice-president of operations at TopSpace's parent MWeb
Thailand, said Thailand's online ad business nearly doubled over the
last year as Thai marketers and ad agencies began to take advantage of
the internet as a marketing tool.
Over the last 12 months, Poff said advertisers in Thailand spent about
80 million baht (USdollars 1.8 million) on online ads and sponsorships,
doubling the 30-40 million baht spent in the same period the year
before. Large multinationals made up the bulk of local online ad
spending, with Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble and Unilever taking
the lead. Heavy Thai advertisers include wireless operator rivals TAC
and AIS.
Most of the online spending went towards brand building, increasing
traffic and positioning, with only a small amount going directly towards
sales or encouraging purchases, Poff said. A TopSpace survey of
companies that advertise online found that these companies allocate an
average of 250,000 to 300,000 baht a month to internet ads, with many
planning to increase that figure to at least one million baht a month.
