Additionally, over the past few years, internet and outdoor options have also assumed a greater degree of importance.
However, it is radio - a medium that has been with us the longest - which has experienced difficulty in raising its profile in Asia-Pacific.
This is underlined by the fact that radio ads do not figure prominently in award shows around the region and that the advertising spend allotted to this medium is comparatively low, compared with other media options and with other regions, particularly North America and Europe.
So it is good to see Virgin roll out radio operations in Asia and the Star Group launching into the airwaves in India. No doubt, they will give this medium a much-needed shot in the arm and make planners sit up and take notice.
Indeed, to say that Radio has a great deal going for it, would be an understatement, simply because it is entertaining and informative.
Not many people these days actually sit down in front of their sets to actively listen to their favourite programmes. More likely, they will tune into their favourite channel while travelling to and from their places of employment, at work, doing chores at home, even surfing the internet.
Radio is a medium, which can be around us all the time, fading in and out as a hit pop song is aired, a major breaking news story unfolds or a chat show discusses the social issues of the day. Other media, such as TV, newspapers and magazines, which just about demand your total attention, doesn't have that kind of flexibility.
This abilityof radio to blend in with people's lives is something that marketers should be exploiting much more than they currently are.
