AD AGENCIES "NEED TO ADOPT HOLISTIC APPROACH"

       Local advertising agencies need to adopt a holistic approach to cope with the challenges in this new era of integrated marketing communications, experts said last week.
       "It's downhill for mainstream media advertising as vendors have shifted part of their budget to other communications activities, such as public relations, event marketing, seminars and the use of IT, such as Twitter, blogging, message boards and Web communities," said Seri Wongmontha, a marketing communications professional.
       Nowadays, the image of advertising is that of manipulative, intrusive and misleading, he told a seminar on "Advertising and Social Responsibility in the Business Sector" held by the Thai Soap, Detergent and Personal Care Manufacturers' Association.
       Advertising is also low in taste, vulgar and a victim of zapping. Many works are unethical and interested only in getting sales. They have no responsibility to society, he said.
       "The popularity of mainstream media advertising among business vendors will decline gradually and be shared by other channels of marketing communications," he said.
       Public relations firms for instance would play a larger role in brand and marketing communications, as they can provide messages at less cost, but with greater complexity and credibility.
       "Business vendors need to find PR agencies that are creative, and doing communications things beyond just giving press releases or hosting press conferences," he said.
       To deal with the new challenges, ad agencies need to adjust to provide, not only advertising work, but fully integrated marketing communications to their clients, he added.
       Niwat Wongprompreeda, secretary-general of the Advertising Association of Thailand, said most local ad agencies had adjusted their business portfolio by moving up to brand agencies.
       No ad agency provides a purely advertising service in the marketplace anymore, he said.
       "The way of marketing communications has been changed substantially. Ad agencies now have become companies that can provide full marketing communications services. All communication tools have been used by them to build brands," he said.
       Niwat, who is the managing director of The Searcher, a local marketing research house, said that all ad agencies would no longer do advertising spots and spend money. They have created holistic approaches to make those products successful in the market.
       "I myself however believe that mainstream media advertising will not totally disappear and business vendors still allocate a certain level of budget to mainstream advertising," he said.
       To promote ethics among business organisations, including in advertising, all vendors should group together to monitor all of the ethical issues and such self-regulating activities, he added.