Grey Advertising Bangladesh Ltd, a concern of Grey Worldwide Group, is going to launch a unique rural marketing campaign to further expand its market share.

The new campaign will begin within a month and is expected to strengthen the company's position in the local advertising market of around Tk 300 crore, Grey officials hope.

"We have already achieved a sound position in the advertising market in Bangladesh," said Nirvik Singh, chairman of Grey Worldwide Group-South Asia while exchanging views with journalists at the Grey Bangladesh office yesterday.

He said the main objective of the company's new advertising policy is to promote the products at the root level.

Under the new advertising strategy, first of its kind in South Asia, Grey will try to attract rural people by organising traditional Jatra (traditional musical drama), folk theater and puppet show, said Singh.

He said similar campaign has already proved its worth in China that encouraged the company to start this in the South Asia region.

Grey is also planning to launch tele-marketing and direct marketing methods, he added.

Sing informed that the main centre for these campaigns would be set up in Dhaka from where the programme will be conducted in other South Asian countries like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Replying to a question he said there is a bright future for advertising market in Bangladesh, which is expanding rapidly. More and more talented young guys are getting involved in this field, he observed.

"According to a rating of the renowned advertising magazine Ad Age, the New York based Grey Worldwide Group, established in 1917, is the largest advertising agency in the United States," said Singh.

Grey Advertising Bangladesh Ltd Media Group Head Ziauddin Adil said the company was launched in 1996. "Since then we are able to capture third position in the advertisement market of Bangladesh," he said.

He informed that advertising market expanded in Bangladesh by 76 per cent in six years from the year 1997 to 2003. The market which was around Tk 170 crore in 1997 now stands at Tk 300 crore.

According to Adil, Grey Bangladesh has nine per cent market share in the advertising field in Bangladesh.

The company's client list includes British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB), Glaxo Smithkline (GSK), Proctor and Gamble, Coca Cola Bangladesh, Reckitt Benckiser, Novartis, Apex Group, Dhaka Bank, BRAC, Pacific Bangladesh Group, Rahimafrooz Batteries Ltd and Aarong.