Zenith leaps to top of Recma rankings

HONG KONG: Zenith has knocked MindShare off the top of the totem pole in the Recma Institute's Asia-Pacific media agency rankings for 2000, but its rise to the top has sparked a dispute. The Paris-based organisation, which is no stranger to controversy having been at the receiving end of numerous challenges over the years, put Zenith in pole position based on billings of US$1.78 billion. However, MindShare, the frontrunner in 1999, was a close second with $1.73 billion, while Starcom MediaVest placed third with $1.5 billion. Critics said they were surprised by Zenith'a rise to the top, which was helped by billings in China soaring a hefty 169 per cent from $172 million to $464 million. This was reportedly achieved despite the loss of the $160 million Procter & Gamble buying account in January 2000. Zenith regional chief executive officer Antony Young said the figure for 1999 was never as low as $172 million. "It was a lot higher than that, but Recma conducted its 1999 research without consulting us." Recma international sales manager Stephanie Cooper acknowledged that the Asia-Pacific rankings have repeatedly generated controversy. However, she said that Recma had made attempts this year to improve the final product. It has been persuading agencies to submit income figures. But she claimed that the move had been resisted by the majority of agencies. The organisation's chief editor Eudes Delafon said he would be using ACNielsen numbers from next year to verify the accuracy of information submitted by agencies. The rankings are currently compiled on claimed and unaudited numbers. But Recma does attempt to verify the figures through research. - See analysis, p13.

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