Public relations agency Text 100 wins Expedia India

The decision follows a three-way pitch. Other agencies involved were not disclosed.

Text 100 is charged to provide public relations consulting to Expedia India, and to build awareness of the Expedia.co.in portal. Their remit also includes media and non-media activities.

Rowan Benecke, current regional consultancy director at Text 100 APAC, said: "One of the biggest challenges for the online travel industry in India is the low internet penetration level."

He also highlights that according to the Internet & Mobile Association of India and IMRB International for 2009, the country is adding 14 million internet users a year as opposed to 15 million mobile users on average per month.

However, Benecke noted that considering the "inherent nature of the Indian consumer, it becomes difficult to establish a brand by limiting the consumer engagement to the virtual world alone."

The Asia-Pacfic headquarters of Expedia is based in Australia with a presence in Japan, New Zealand and most recently India.