We view the rush to advance digital marketing in China as a key example of how the forces of interactive advertising are being deployed globally. China is more than a “test-bed” for broadband and mobile advertising campaigns, given the growth of its Internet connected population. But we should be concerned about the impact of such marketing campaigns. Here’s an excerpt from a story appearing in Advertising Age China on Procter and Gamble’s (P&G) work there:
“The battleground now is branded entertainment and media innovation,” said Alfonso de Dios, P&G’s Guangzhou-based associate director for media in Greater China. “Globally, we are focusing on digital marketing to build long term and meaningful consumer relationships. We’ve escalated the spending and the quality of what we do online.”
That means going beyond web pages to internet protocol TV, known as IPTV, as well as mobile phones, social networks, search marketing and other high-tech applications. China has become a “learning lab in an ecosystem of providers and platforms,” he said. “We’re following a directive set by [P&G’s Global Marketing Officer] Jim Stengel, who wants the company to go beyond telling and selling, i.e. the 30″ spot, and go towards building more meaningful consumer relationships.”
source: China is P&G learning lab. Normandy Madden. Ad Age China. June 2008 [sub required]
