Neilsen Media figures show that China's growth was helped higher by significantly heavier spend by categories such as shampoos/conditioners, professional services, toilet and liquid soaps, skin care, stomach medicine and mobile phones and accessories.
But ZenithMedia Shanghai vice-president of strategic resources, Zoe Tan, described the Nielsen figures as "unrealistically over-estimating the real situation".
"They monitor on ratecard but, because we work with clients, we know how they are spending. We also know how much more creative we have become and how much discounts we can get, she said,adding that the real rate of growth was below 10 per cent.
MindShare China national buying and implementation director, Simon Woodward, also said that 33 per cent was on the high side. "I would estimate that organic growth of main media was between 15 to 20 per cent maximum."
With no real alternative to Nielsen's figures, he added: "The China market is so complex, fragmented and, in some places, so lacking in proper measurements, that it is difficult to get a handle on the real situation. So guidelines are important."
CHINA: TOP 10 CATEGORIES (2002 Q2, USDOLLARS 000S)
Categories 2002 Q2 2001 Q2 YOY %
change
Tonic & vitamin 364,229 351,383 4%
Shampoo & conditioner 224,980 107,305 110%
Chinese OTC 162,403 172,492 -6%
Professional service 152,433 70,028 118%
Residential estate-sale/rental 148,093 119,762 24%
Toilet soap/liquid soap 109,844 37,526 193%
Skin care 101,157 54,269 86%
Stomach medicine 89,374 35,222 154%
Mobile phone & accessories 86,323 42,685 102%
Toothpaste & oral hygiene 85,679 36,138 137%
Source: Nielsen Media Research
