The HKJC reviews its media agencies regularly, every two years to be exact, and in a July tender invited Mindshare, UM, ZenithOptimedia, PHD and incumbent OMD to pitch for the club's overall media planning and placement duties. The club acknowledged to Campaign Asia-Pacific that it is now engaging PHD as its media agency.
The length of service is for the next two years, with an option to renew for another two years after that.
According to AdmanGo data, monitored adspend was around HK$150 million (US$19.35 million) in 2013 for the HKJC (based on published rate cards). In practice, media space can be bought with huge discounts ranging from 20 to 95 per cent off published rate cards, depending on the volume of purchase, agency used and package buys.
As the HKJC holds a government-granted monopoly in providing betting services on horse racing, the Mark Six lottery, and football odds, the organisation's representative was quick to point out that the above figure is not actual adspend, probably for fear of public reprisal.
McCann and Weber Shandwick are involved in creative and PR activities for HKJC's 130th anniversary this year, respectively.
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