BlueFreeway Limited (ASX:BLU), a global digital marketing company, today announced the launch of its Asian operations with Thailand as the regional nerve center.
Their Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong operations will allow BlueFreeway to begin providing Southeast Asia with software and communications technologies for the digital design and development of new modes of interactive communication.
Bill Emden, group managing director of BlueFreeway Southeast Asia, says “BlueFreeway is on a mission to become the world’s largest and most highly regarded independent global digital marketing communications company. We have expanded our services into the Southeast Asian market so that our customers here can have access to our end-to-end solutions for state-of-the-art digital and interactive marketing.”
With a population of more than 500 million, economies that are growing at up to 13% annually and internet use booming, Southeast Asia was the next logical target for the company. Mr. Emden says “BlueFreeway has decided to make Bangkok its regional centre because clearly, Bangkok has emerged as the leading city in the region in terms of economic growth. The economic stability over the last year along with the growth in disposable incomes gives a multinational great confidence in investing in Thailand. The presence here of the regional offices of many major international consumer products companies, combined with the dynamic Thai companies, was another decisive factor. ”
Digital media is in its infancy in Thailand, but with the country’s well-trained IT professionals, BlueFreeway is confident that the field will grow rapidly. “Thai consumers are well versed at using the internet as a beneficial tool in their day to day life” says BlueFreeway Thailand’s Managing Director, Michael Poonpipat. “The importance of the Thailand market stems from not only the emerging economic growth potential, but also from amount of digital growth and high speed penetration in work places and at home.”
In addition to this, Mr. Emden also said that “The friendly welcome that foreign nationals receive from Thais added to the confidence we felt about settling here. It is the crossroads of the region, with easy access to our other markets of Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh and Jakarta.”
According to Mr. Emden, digital media currently only represents about one percent of advertising spending in Thailand, but a growth rate projected to be 40% annually for the foreseeable future gave BlueFreeway management the confidence to invest. “For the BlueFreeway office in Thailand, I have a targeted to have 25% of the market share for digital advertising in 2008. The number looks high being that it is our first year in this market, however I feel that our overseas digital campaign tools and our Thai employment expertise from traditional agencies, coupled with my knowledge of digital landscape in Thailand, are our core capacities.”
When asked about BlueFreeway Thailand’s plan for 2008, Mr. Poonpipat says “We want to empower marketing for one company in each industry by providing the best and most effective digital execution that not only gets “talk of the town” recognition, but elevates their sales and shows that online can be so much more effective, in terms of Return on Investment, than traditional advertising.”
BlueFreeway has more than 540 employees servicing over 1,500 advertisers and publishers in every continent. BlueFreeway recently acquired complimentary companies: Media Synergies, PlanetUtech and Reflexible – all leading digital advertising firms in Thailand.
For inquiries please contact:
Pannawat or Kalayapas Emerald Ridao
Spark Communications BlueFreeway
+66 2 6532717-9 +66 2 610 3694
pan@spark.co.th, Emerald.Ridao@bluefreeway.com
kalayapas@spark.co.th www.bluefreeway.co.th
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