The campaigns, which were rolling out as Media went to press, focus on the Government’s bid for inclusion in the United Nations, with the second, ‘Taiwan inspiring’, seeking to boost tourist numbers.
Industry experts noted the two campaigns were broadly aimed at improving Taiwan’s international standing, with experts pointing to plunging advertising spend in television - it has dropped almost 20 per cent for the last calendar year - and other channels reflecting the market’s increasing isolation.
One media agency source said: “Clients who are MNCs have given us a clear order that they need to cut spending in Taiwan to support their marketing in China.
Will it recover? It’s hard to say, because consumer brands appear to be reducing their budgets here.”
TH Peng, McCann Erickson mainland area director, noted: “Adspend is dropping because the economy is struggling, the credit card crisis and a shifting focus on China.
This ‘China syndrome’ is hitting Taiwan strongly - and it will become stronger in 2008 because of the Beijing Olympics.”