Facebook has launched its first Authorized Sales Partner (ASP) program in the country in a bid to expand its presence in the Pakistan market. Viral Edge, East River, Starcrest Communications and Httpool have been shortlisted for the program according to reports, with network agencies being purposely left out to prevent abandonment of the site.
An ASP offers geographic support, strategic guidance, and experience around the Facebook product family as an extension of the sales teams at Facebook. Facebook investigates, trains and educates ASPs to ensure quality service while providing a credit line to major advertisers and the possibility to pay locally.
Without the ASP in place, marketers and agencies rely on Singapore-based account managers to assist and troubleshoot, with the three-hour time difference having an effect on speed and timing of issue resolutions. Of the three shortlisted companies locally based and locally operated, Starcrest Communications has been around the longest and operates in both the digital-first ATL and BTL markets, unlike Viral Edge and East River.
Starcrest Communications, which was founded in 2006, has strategic relations with the Pakistan Super League because of Z2C, Pakistan’s largest international contact, advertisement and trading holding company.
The ASP program enables Facebook to acquire a trusted partner in providing advertisers with in-country support while not bearing any of the liabilities and risks that come with operating in a violated unfamiliar or undeveloped market.
Extracted from City42 News
