Regional - Ahead of the launch of AdFest today, Saatchi & Saatchi's APAC chairman and CEO, Ian Rowden said Asia is leading the way in new media and interactive marketing and called for agencies to embrace integrated new media strategies. Saatchi's worldwide CD, Tom Eslinger chairs on the festival's Cyber Jury.
“Internet users have topped 160 million in China and 50 million in India and the numbers of minutes online via fixed or mobile lines are double what they are in the US. With those numbers, old agency models have to be radically rethought," Rowden said.
According to Rowden, in many key areas, Asia was far ahead in the acceptance of new media as a platform for ideas-driven marketing in comparison with traditional markets.
"We’ve got over 44 million mobile web users in China alone, and huge numbers in more embedded countries like Japan, Korea and Singapore. Our clients know this, and are asking for relationships that are based around new media and interactive strategy,” he said.
Look out for Marketing’s AdFest Fresh a dedicated newsletter featuring our onsite coverage from Pattaya which starts tomorrow morning.