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Published on July 25, 2007

Chief executive Vichai Suphasom-boon said the sector in the second half would benefit from election advertising, despite the industry's negative growth of 0.48 per cent in the first half.

He added that the global advertising industry this year was expected to see growth of 5.8 per cent, while China was forecast to register the highest growth of 20.9 per cent and the whole Asian market 7.8 per cent.

Carat, which is part of the UK-based Aegis Group, expects its billing value to grow 15 per cent this year to Bt6.5 billion.

It will open four new departments in the second half of this year for communications planning, research, digital media and out-of-home media. The latter department will be transformed into a subsidiary next year.

Half of Carat's customers are international firms.

Its parent company established a second media agency in Thailand, Vizeum, early this year to capture the fast-growing group of mid-end customers.

Vizeum expects to gain billing value of Bt1 billion this year.