Exploring the success of Thai advertising: historical perspective

Purpose This paper aims to provide a comprehensive record of the development of Thai advertising, which started as being heavily influenced by the West and subsequently evolved with a unique style that fits well with the global advertising trends. Design/methodology/approach The analysis was done based on literature review and content analysis of Thai advertising. In addition, ten in-depth interviews were conducted with executives of the Advertising Association of Thailand and academics. Findings Thai advertising progressed from being influenced by the growth of transnational advertising agencies. This resulted in strong creative foundations that blended well with the unique Thai emotional flair. In addition, consumer protection has grown in importance, leading to a strong commitment in pushing for self-regulation. Research limitations/implications Examination of Thai advertising shows that the strength of Thai advertising lies in its human resources. This exploration of challenges and success of Thai advertising has shed light on how the advertising industry can be developed for creativity leadership in the global arena. The limitation is that the paper misses interviews with digital agencies. Practical implications This paper provides a comprehensive presentation of Thai advertising history in terms of agency development, creativity, and self-regulation. Originality/value This paper aims to provide a better understanding of the Thai advertising industry based on agency ownership and growth, creativity development leading to the unique Thai emotional advertising and self-regulation.

Off the Books: Oral History and Transnational Advertising Agencies in Southeast Asia

This article reflects on the contribution that oral history can make to business historians by examining the Australian advertising professionals’ experiences of working in Southeast Asia from the 1960s to the 1980s. Interviews with these advertising professionals examined the processes by which they entered the region as well as their experiences of working there. In addition to documenting information and insights that are altogether absent from official records, the interviews offer an opportunity to reflect on broader social, cultural, and economic contexts and the degree to which they impacted on interviewees’ actions. By illustrating the transmission of business cultures through advertising agency networks as well as their impact on global business, this article also demonstrates oral history’s capacity to connect personal experience with business history.

The Globalisation of the Korean Advertising Industry: Dependency or Hybridity?

This study aims to examine how globalisation has moulded the identity and structure of the Korean advertising industry, and to analyse its transformations through the conceptual lens of hybridity: whether it is an industry dominated by global power, represented by transnational advertising agencies and transnational corporations, or one hybridised through globalisation. The Korean advertising industry was officially opened to foreign investment in 1987 as part of a trade pact with the United States. While transnational advertising agencies (TNAAs) have become well established in Korea over the past 20 years, local interests have come to coexist with the TNAAs through both competition and cooperation. Advertisers in the Korean market still maintain strong in-house agencies as a counterbalance to the growth of TNAA forces, simultaneously providing insight into the nature of globalisation and regionalisation. The analysis thus indicates that the Korean advertising industry represents a ‘hybrid’ rather than a ‘dependent’ mode of existence.

Agency Participants in Multicountry Advertising: A Preliminary Examination of Affiliate Characteristics and Environments

While much attention in the international advertising field has been given to message standardization-adaptation, the scope of multicountry campaigns has been a neglected area. In this 15-agency/344-affiliate survey of transnational advertising activities, smaller, regional campaigns were found to be the most popular form of transnational advertising. Agencies executing these types of campaigns had smaller client bases and implemented fewer multi-country campaigns than those covering more extensive major market or global campaigns. Agency affiliates participating in globally comprehensive campaigns were more likely to be wholly owned than those involved in regional or major market advertising efforts. Parent agencies exercised little influence over affiliate participations in multimarket campaigns.