MindShare has made a record-breaking start to the year by notching
up more than US$100 million in new business billings across
Asia-Pacific in the first quarter of this year.
This takes the media dependent's regional billings to more than
US$5 billion across the region, including Japan.
The new wins consist of about 70 separate pieces of business including
7-Eleven, Yahoo and Tom.com in Hong Kong; software solutions company SAP
in Singapore; Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical affiliate Xian Janssen
and household appliance firm Guangdong Kelon in China; and President
Foods and BAT in Taiwan.
MindShare regional business director, Chris Walton told MEDIA, "The
gains have been mainly in the dotcom, pharmaceutical, food, finance and
babycare categories.
"But the major issue is that more local clients are following the
multinational lead and unbundling media."
The fact that more local clients are coming on board shows that the
discipline of media specialism is fast being recognised, Mr Walton
said.
And he expected media specialists to be in charge of more than 50 per
cent of the media and planning spend in Asia-Pacific within two to five
years from about 30 to 40 per cent currently.