In this weekly segment, ExchangeWire sums up key industry updates on ad tech from around the Asia-Pacific region – and in this edition: AU online ad spend climbs 33%; Kantar inks Thai TV ratings deal; Dentsu acquires Philippine media agency; Optimise opens Singapore office; and Lotame hires new APAC head.

AU online ad sales climb 33%

Online advertising in Australia climbed 33% in the third quarter over the previous year to hit almost AUD$1.57bn.

According to the latest IAB/PWC Online Advertising Expenditure Report, General Display ads led the overall market, growing 53% year-on-year. Classifieds increased by 28% while Search & Directories grew 21%.

Mobile ad spending climbed to AUD$418.9m in the quarter, ending September 30, in which mobile display accounted for 55%, while mobile search accounted for 45%. Smartphones also accounted for 67% of the device category, while tablets had a 33% share of the segment.

Video ad spending grew 107% year-on-year, to hit AUD$128.9m, fuelled by the FMCG sector, which accounted for 17% share of overall expenditure, compared to its 6.3% share of the General Display segment.

IAB Australia CEO Alice Manners said: "In a time when other advertising mediums are challenged, there is no doubt that consumer adoption of interactive screens is driving advertiser optimism and, thus, interactive ad budget growth.

"These figures definitively cement interactive advertising's position as the largest ad segment in the Australian marketplace and confirm marketers' confidence in using digital to reach consumers", Manners added.

Kantar inks Thai TV ratings deal

Kantar Media has secured a five-year contract with Thailand's Media Research Development Association to deliver the country's multi-platform TV ratings. Commencing in 2017, the deal was the result of a process that also included GfK and Video Research.

The TV ratings service will encompass a representative panel of 3,000 households to measure TV viewership across multiple platforms in Thailand and deliver the country's official TV ratings currency.

When launched, the service will include viewing metrics for the TV set, or Core TV, tablets, smartphones, and PCs, also called Extended TV. This will provide a "complete picture" of actual TV consumption in Thailand, the two organisations said in a joint statement.

Richard Asquith, Kantar Media's global CEO of audience intelligence, said: "From 2017, the industry will benefit from an independent, audited trading currency for television in all of its evolving digital forms, which meets the highest international standards for audience measurement."

Kantar Media's Richard Asquith

The Thai Media Research Development Association's members comprise major broadcasters, TV operators, including satellite, cable, and free-to-air, as well as media agencies. It noted that the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission was expected to closely cooperate with the association to support the implementation of the TV rating service.

President of the Media Agency Association of Thailand, Wannee Ruttanaphon, said in the statement: "This appointment marks a significant investment for the media industry in Thailand. We will have accurate and audited audience measurement for viewing across platforms reflecting consumers viewing habits. Advertisers can spend their media budget with efficiency. With full access to information, broadcasters can improve their programming continuously."

Kantar Media and its sister company, TNS, would put together a specialist audience measurement team in Bangkok. Kantar also offers its audience metrics service in Singapore and Malaysia, as well as will soon extend its digital ad monitoring services to Vietnam and Indonesia.

Dentsu acquires Philippine media agency

The Japanese agency group has purchased a 70% stake in JaymeSyfu Group, with a further option to acquire the remaining 30% stake at a later date.

The Philippine company was founded in 2005 and currently comprises three agencies, namely, creative agency DM9 JaymeSyfu, digital creative agency Digit DM9 Interactive, and brand activation specialist agency DNA.

Following the share purchase, JaymeSyfu will be merged with Dentsu Philippines and rebranded, Dentsu JaymeSyfu. Any overlapping expertise within the two organisations will be "integrated", the agency group said, with the goal to "optimise operations" and boost overall capabilities in creative, digital, and brand activation.

Citing statistics from its subsidiary Carat, Dentsu noted that ad spend in the Philippines climbed 12.8% last year and is projected to clock a 10.2% increase this year, as well as 12.3% in 2016. The country is the sixth-largest ad market in the Asia-Pacific region, after China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, and Indonesia.

Optimise opens Singapore office

The performance marketing company now has an office in Singapore, adding to its current network of six outfits, that also include Sydney and Delhi.

In October, Optimise's global monthly transactions crossed one million for the first time, said CEO Richard Syme, who added that this reflected the company's growth in India, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Its investments in fast-growing channels, such as mobile, also had paid off.

Its Asia-Pacific clientele include online e-commerce brands Redmart, Lazada, and Agoda. Optimise's group strategy director Stephen Rumbelow said: "Internet adoption in Asia-Pacific is skyrocketing, driving national GDP and e-commerce. That represents huge growth potential for digital advertising.

"By drawing on our know-how and expertise, and focusing on technology, delivery, and service, we believe we can attract more tier-one advertisers and build out the affiliate market further in upcoming markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand", Rumbelow added.

Describing Asia-Pacific as the "only truly mobile-first region", he noted that Thailand already was ahead of the US and China in online mobile penetration rates. "Some advertisers receive over 50% of their traffic from mobile apps, while others have abandoned desktop e-commerce completely", he said, adding that Optimise's new Singapore office would enable the company to better tap these growth opportunities.

Syme also revealed that the company might set up additional offices in the region in 2016, focusing on markets that show growth potential and where establishing a local presence would help boost Optimise's market play.

Lotame hires new APAC head

The DMP has appointed Alex Sibois as its Asia-Pacific managing director, where he is responsible for driving the company's sales and growth plans across the region.

Based in Singapore, Sibois reports directly to Lotame's chief revenue officer Kevin Kohn. "Alex will be instrumental in accelerating our very aggressive development plan, especially with marketers and agencies in Asia-Pacific", Kohn said.

Sibois has more than a decade of experience in driving revenue for ad tech companies in EMEA, North America, Latin America, and other developing markets. His previous stints included Liverail and Ooyala, where he helped with their global expansion.