We speak to Asia Pacific CEO Mike Amour to give you an insight into the trends, opportunities and challenges facing digital marketing in Asia.

iMedia: We keep hearing that digital marketing platforms are going to take over traditional media. Do you think this is really happening, and if so, taking place quickly enough?

Amour: It depends on the client and the country. It is not a question of whether it is happening quickly enough; neither is it about digital versus traditional. It's more about how brands and agencies are thinking and acting. Digital is not a department or function; it is a way of working and thinking that transcends across everything.

iMedia: Do you think digital advertising has taken off in Asia?

Again, it depends on the market. Korea and Japan are two of the most advanced digital markets in the world. Other rapidly growing economies in Asia are less developed at this point in time, for obvious reasons -- but are catching up. This has been called the "Asian Century" with good reason. This points to a trend where many Asian brands are fast becoming global household names. Those brands are conquering their local market first, then moving internationally at a speed many Western observers cannot yet comprehend. This will have huge implications for using new media channels in new ways.

iMedia: What are the main obstacles to growth in digital spend and how can they be overcome?

Amour: Practical and attitudinal. Practical, because in more remote parts of say, China or India, the primary source of receiving broadcast messages for now might be a TV set shared amongst 10 people. Attitudinal, because in more developed environments, there needs to be more focus on how digital enhances the total brand experience, rather than on the technology itself.

iMedia: In your opinion, what is the next big thing in the advertising world?

Amour: The big challenge is how brands will come to terms with perfecting the art of truly one-to-one, personalised communications. A brand needs to deliver messages in a seamless manner at the right time throughout a consumer's day and in a way that will be accepted as adding to the total brand experience.

iMedia: Is the fragmentation of the agency market an issue? What challenges do this present to the advertiser?

Amour: I strongly believe in being world-class in each of the communications discipline we are in. That's certainly the goal for us with Grey and G2. Clients want total communications solutions, and a small team of senior, highly specialised agency people at the core who can understand their business needs. Fragmentation is a non-issue when you put the client agenda at the centre, and not the agency's agenda.

iMedia: How sophisticated are marketers in this region? How can the industry educate marketers and advertisers about the opportunities digital offers?

Amour: Marketers in Asia are becoming far more sophisticated than they used to be. The education focus needs to be on how digital enhances the brand experience, as part of the total brand communications mosaic.

iMedia: I understand that Grey is participating at ad:tech Singapore 2008. What do you hope to get out of the event?

Amour: New business!!

Shirley Lee is editor and content manager of iMedia Asia.