REPORT: MEDIA-CNBC Asian advertising industry poll - Happy days are here again as region readies for better times ahead

<p>Everything is relative, as the saying goes, but the good news is </p><p>that 92 per cent of respondents in the latest MEDIA-CNBC Asian </p><p>Advertising Industry Poll believe that the year 2000 is looking better </p><p>than 1999. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Of course, last year saw some of the biggest ructions and lay-offs the </p><p>advertising and marketing industries have experienced in Asia, coming as </p><p>the long-term effects of the recession which began to bite in late </p><p>'97. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The general mood is one of cautious optimism, tinged with resignation - </p><p>in other words, few believe that things could get much worse. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Nonetheless, a proportion of respondents from Hong Kong (two per cent) </p><p>and the Philippines (17 per cent) did, however, forecast that the next </p><p>12 months were likely to bring even worse hardships. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In terms of growth, 80 per cent of respondents were confident that </p><p>clients' business would increase, with the majority (56 per cent) </p><p>tagging this at a rate of between 10-20 per cent. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Across the region, creatives and agency media were the least bullish </p><p>when asked how much they anticipated their existing business to increase </p><p>this year, with 20 per cent in each of these two sectors forecasting no </p><p>growth whatsoever. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>China was seen as the market with the greatest promise for growth in </p><p>2000, with 32 per cent of respondents anticipating that the mainland </p><p>would have the fastest growth in the region. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Eleven per cent pinned their hopes on Hong Kong, followed by Indonesia </p><p>(10 per cent) and Korea (six per cent). </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In terms of category growth, it came as no surprise that 56 per cent </p><p>said that information technology and related areas would boom, with </p><p>banking/finance trailing a distant second, taking just 20 per cent of </p><p>the vote. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>With the boom in new media and the way in which clients sought </p><p>alternative advertising media during the slump of the last two years, </p><p>questions of how media owners could attract clients have arisen. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Nearly 50 per cent of respondents, interestingly enough, said they were </p><p>looking for innovative ideas and packages which could add value to an </p><p>otherwise straightforward media buy. Just 12.6 per cent cited discounts </p><p>as the way to go. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>How the MEDIA-CNBC Asian Advertising Industry Poll was conducted ... </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The MEDIA-CNBC Asian Advertising Industry Poll was conducted on behalf </p><p>of MEDIA and CNBC by Asia Market Intelligence via the Internet. Select </p><p>respondents were contacted by email and asked to participate. Main </p><p>results will be featured every month in MEDIA, as well as on Storyboard, </p><p>CNBC's weekly programme covering advertising, media and marketing. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>