Bangkok--23 Mar--PC & Associates Consulting
Local Thai company cited for its innovative use of online search and display marketing to boost sales ROI during economic slump
Amari, part of the Thailand-based ONYX Hospitality Group, won the Campaign of Year Award at the recently announced 2009 Googlies, the first time that a Thai company has won the Googlies' most important prize. Amari was recognized for its highly effective and measurable online marketing strategy that went beyond search ads and incorporated display advertising on Google's Content Network, which reaches 80% of global Internet users.
Google hands out the Googlies awards at the end of every year to thank local customers and partners for their support. These awards are given to agencies and advertisers who have successfully and creatively leveraged Google’s products and advertising solutions to execute sizzling, memorable online campaigns in the past year.
Drum roll please…
The Campaign of the Year Award goes to… Amari (Thailand)! This advertiser has been an extremely strong proponent of combining the power of search and the display network for its online branding campaigns. By displaying ads on Google search properties and the Google Content Network, this advertiser drove room sales and ROI aggressively in a travel market that saw a lot of upheaval throughout the year. All their properties are based out of Thailand but their advertising targets markets globally and effectively.
"We’re thrilled that a Thai company has won the most important award at the 2009 Googlies this year as it reflects the growing enthusiasm for digital marketing among advertisers and agencies in Thailand and in Southeast Asia. Congratulations to Amari for significantly raising the bar in terms of creativity, results and measurability of the online advertising platform from lead generation to brand building. We hope to see many more local companies integrate online advertising into their overall marketing campaigns,” said Julian Persaud, Managing Director, Google Southeast Asia.
Amari has managed to grow impressively in a year that saw a slump in the travel industry due to the worldwide recession. It was unique in going beyond search advertising to promote its brand on the Google Content Network. It also used Google Analytics to track and measure the effectiveness of its campaigns, which resulted in its ability to iterate in response to fast-changing circumstances. Its total sales grew threefold compared to 2008 due to its online marketing efforts alone.
"Amari is delighted to have won the Campaign of the Year Award from Google and be recognized for our innovative efforts in building our brand online," said Chetan Patel, Vice President of E-Commerce, ONYX Hospitality Group. "We continue to use several Google platforms in our online marketing campaigns and look forward to expanding our online presence across Asia to market effectively to our potential customers in the region."
Pornthip Kongchun, Head of Marketing for Thailand, Google Southeast Asia, added, “We’re very excited to see that more local advertisers such as Amari are finding creative ways to integrate online into their overall advertising campaigns for maximum results. We continue to look forward to helping them use our cost-effective, measurable online advertising platforms to grow their businesses and brands."
And the rest of the winners are…
The Advertiser of the Year Award goes to… Malaysia Airlines (Malaysia)! This advertiser has created campaigns that are the most visible and focused on driving sales. This advertiser uses Google very efficiently not only to generate revenue but also to engage its target audience with a great user experience. This advertiser is one of the first in the region to use online aggressively to tap that growing group of customers who are eager to transact online.
The Agency of the Year Award goes to… Group M Search (Singapore)! This agency was chosen not just on the basis of revenue generated, but also on its ability to promote search advertising among all its clients across various verticals. They have managed to get their clients to think big, use search as a sales channel, leverage the power of the Google Content Network, which has resulted in great business results for their clients.
The Creative Award for using Google technologies goes to… BayanTel for their 'Lola Techie' campaign (Philippines)! This advertiser, who sells broadband connections in the Philippines, explored a creative advertising opportunity among search and used multiple Google platforms like YouTube, Google Maps and iGoogle to create an integrated campaign. As a result of their campaign, user enquiries increased seven-fold and their subscriber based increased by 45%. This award was judged by Google along with two external judges: Chris Chiu, Executive Director at Leo Burnett, and James Lim, Regional Creative Director at Patroids.
The Innovative Advertiser Award goes to… Heineken (Singapore)! This advertiser decided to use their high value associations with music and sports events to maximize their online campaigns on both Google search and the Google Content Network to reach out to their customers at the most relevant times. By their own measurement, their online advertising accounts for 99% of the responses they get to their particular product campaign.
The Promotional Campaign of the Year Award goes to… the Singapore Tourism Board for GEMS UP ('Go the extra mile for service') (Singapore)! This advertiser drove what was otherwise a difficult concept--increasing customer service standards among establishments in Singapore--to successful fruition. Using a combination of search advertising as well as aggressive use of the display network, this advertiser, in combination with their agency MEC, generated significant online buzz for the campaign and increased general public awareness.
The SME Agency of the Year Award goes to… eMarketingEye (Singapore)! This agency provides a range of online marketing services including web development, online reputation management and social media for the travel and hospitality sectors in the region. Their clients span several popular names in the industry, especially the travel and tourism industry. This agency have long been championing the benefits of online marketing to the travel and hospitality sector in Southeast Asia and their results driven approach coupled with a relentless focus in developing strong client relationships have earned them a reputation of professionalism and integrity across the industry.
The Integrated Campaign of the Year Award goes to… InSing (Singapore)! This advertiser won for its holistic and consistent campaign messaging across several forms of media, including TV, print, and online. As they were promoting a new portal launch in SG, this advertiser successfully connected the offline with the online messaging and had an 'always on' presence on search advertising so that their users could find specific information about their portal anytime.
The Breakthrough Advertiser of the Year Award goes to… AyosDito (Philippines)! In a short span of 10 months, this advertiser, a buy and sell listings platform in the Philippines, has acquired more traffic than any of its competitors and created a big splash in the market, particularly among influential bloggers. Users love its site for the wide variety of items that are posted.
Note to Editors:
Attached is a photo featuring the awarding of the Campaign of the Year Award trophy to Amari.
Caption for Photo entitled “Advertiser of the Year”
Chetan Patel, Vice President of E-Commerce at ONYX Hospitality Group accepts the Campaign of the Year Award on the company’s behalf from Sajith Sivanandan, Head of Travel, Retail and Automotive, Google Southeast Asia
About Google Inc.
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About Amari:
A part of the Thailand-based ONYX Hospitality Group, Amari’s network of 11 properties spans across the country, from scenic seaside and mountain locations to vibrant urban settings. Amari is a vision of contemporary Asia, a brand that embodies Asian flair, modern perspective, desire and a down-to-earth vibe. The brand caters to both business and leisure travellers, with each property featuring superior quality rooms, facilities and services.
Amari. The Colours and Rhythms of Modern Asian Hospitality.
Media contacts:
Google Southeast Asia, Therese Lim, +65-6521-8194
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