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Google is by far the most popular search
engine among Thai internet users but it has yet to catch on as a medium
for advertising.
Pornthip
Kongchun, the first representative of Google in Thailand
, said in a seminar on online advertising last week that there was less
competition among local operators for advertising on Google's Sponsored
Links facility, reflected by lower bidding prices than in other
countries.
She explained that firms had to compete to
get space on the Sponsored Links list, a prime spot for advertising, by
bidding for keywords. Google worldwide has set an initial bidding price
of one US cent, or about 40 satang, per click.
"There
are two or three competitors [for
each keyword] here, compared to more than 100 in America
. So the successful bidder [in
Thailand ] will win with a price only slightly higher
than the starting price," said
Miss Pornthip.
However, the hotel and jewellery-export
industries were exceptional cases, she said, because they mainly
targeted the international market, and so were familiar with Google and
were willing to compete for prime advertising space.
According to www.truehits.net ,
operated by Thailand 's National Electronics and Computer Technology
Center , Google had a market share of 88.4% out of about eight million
internet search users in Thailand as of August, followed by Sanook with
9.75%, Yahoo 0.85% and MSN 0.61%.
Miss
Pornthip said her mission in Thailand was to promote brand
awareness and educate Thais about the efficiency of online advertising
and marketing.
She said the country was ready to embrace
new media tools due to its rapidly growing number of Internet users,
more advanced facilities such as broadband, and lower Internet access
fees.
Advertisers can download a program called
Google AdWords to post an ad with the search engine.
"[Google's] business here is
getting better and better," she
said.
Jatupol
Tanaruthai, the CEO of Globlet Co Ltd, an online
advertising agency, said Globlet's business outlook was also promising,
with three-digit growth last year, in line with bright prospects for
online advertising and marketing in Thailand.
The
company, which hosted the seminar to promote online business, claims to
currently provide services to 300 clients.
Mr
Jatupol said
the US-based website emarketer.com had reported that American marketers
spent US$907 million for online advertising in 1997, then $12.5 billion
by the end of 2005.
Popular interactive marketing channels for
US marketers include: search engines, e-mail, online auctions, blogs,
forums, and online classified advertising.
"We
project this kind of trend for Thailand too," he said, adding that the
industry in Thailand had lagged four or five years behind that in the
US .
Kanokporn
Nitheranont, managing director of OgilvyOne Worldwide,
also saw huge prospects for online advertising and has been encouraging
clients to try it.
Mrs
Kanokporn said that clients were amazed with the great
potential and cost-efficiency of online advertising technology.
Nielsen Media Research Thailand attempted to
collect figures for online advertising spending a few months ago, but
failed as website operators were reluctant to co-operate.
A source at the research firm said it
planned to resume the survey as agencies were now eager to find out the
full potential of online marketing.
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