Yahoo eyes Philippine online advertising market

MANILA - Yahoo has appointed three online resellers to handle its advertising sales in the Philippines, a country it has earmarked for its long-term market potential.

The web giant, which has no direct sales force in the Philippines to date, has hired AdMax Network, Yehey and Havoc Digital Media to strengthen its position as the partner of choice for the Philippine’s online advertisers.

Under Yahoo’s ‘Authorised Reseller Programme’, the three companies will offer display, search and mobile advertising. “Yahoo’s resellers will help reduce uncertainty about the internet industry by promoting standards and best practices for businesses to manage cost-effective advertising solutions in the Philippines,” said Jojo Anonuevo, general manager of Yahoo Philippines.

“Yahoo’s strategy is to use its global expertise to make it simple for advertisers to leverage the internet and as a means to positively transform opportunities for their business and grow the local economy,” he added.

One in five Filipinos have internet access, mostly through internet cafes, according to research from IDC.

Yahoo claims to reach 85 per cent of Filipinos online, according to comScore. Yahoo has struck a partnership with Intel in Vietnam to build its internet cafe network, known as Yahoo Advantage.

It reaches the majority of Vietnamese web users who do not have internet at home.

Vietnam is forecast to double internet penetration by 2010, to 35 per cent.