Claus Mortensen Principal, IDC Asia-Pacific |
Sunita Rajan VP ad sales, BBC Worldwide Channels |
Melvin Kee Manager, Mobile Behavior |
Manpreet Singh CEO, Universal McCann China |
YES |
NO |
YES |
NO |
“It has undoubtedly been a difficult year for media across the board. We all know that ad budgets have been slashed. As of September 2008 budgets were cut for decretionary items, and advertising was the first to go. This year there have been substantial drops in advertising revenue in Asia. It is the traditional print industry that has felt this most severely - and in turn online ad publishers have benefited. Most companies have looked to online. Google has benefited as search-based advertising has been very popular. Assuming the crisis wears off next year the situation may be slightly better. But I’m afraid in the long term, print revenues will go down, and this is directly related to readership.” |
“To say the media industry has gone backwards in 2009 would be to ignore the fundamental benefits tough times can bring. In political circles it is said that a good recession is a terrible thing to waste, and the same may well be true of media. Of course, 2009 has been hugely challenging, with many advertisers’ budgets evaporating and a distinct air of caution enveloping sectors that have previously been able to spend with alacrity. 2009 has been a year in which media planners have paid much closer attention to schedules, with traditional plans torn up and a much sharper focus on gathering the best mix of media to achieve results (naturally, at the best price) for a campaign. But there is also a sense that perhaps, for some, these lessons needed to be learned. Attention to careful planning, to approaching a communications problem from a media-neutral standpoint and to delivering value is no bad thing. It actually indicates a new maturity for the industry. A focus on ROI can be stifling, but it is also undeniably sensible, as long as it doesn’t smother innovation.” |
“I think we have had a great year in mobile. Being a part of the community, I have personally experienced much higher levels of excitement and creative energy surrounding mobile plans and strategies. Digital has taken on a new face this year with brands moving from ‘integrated’ digital strategies to simply strategy. This year mobile has taken a step forward with the introduction of branded applications and measurable marketing. From a new business perspective, this has opened up a lot of doors for evangelists to challenge the norm and showcase strong collaborative efforts. More importantly, we have shown results with these campaigns. Not just in Asia, but worldwide, many campaigns are being documented daily that show tremendous results in the mobile area. All we need to do is observe the number of new ways ads are now part and parcel of an active mobile internet user’s experience to appreciate how far we have come in a short space of time.” |
“This year the media hasn’t regressed. In fact, we have seen progress as new developments and innovative thinking enters the industry. In 2009 we saw media spend drop in some markets in Asia. The media industry is now faced with the challenge of being more accountable as clients’ budgets are tighter. The industry has moved forward as technology now allows information to flow faster through social media, search and data performance. The platform of the media industry is changing from covering a single screen to multiple screens. Brands are using different ways to leverage on this and we have to find new solutions to deliver.” |
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This article was originally published in 17 December 2009 issue of Media.