One popular United States-based news website is currently offering the Thai language translation rights to its original stories, simply in return for branding and links in/from the Thai partner.
This site is huge, and for any Thai publisher this possible tie-up can only be good for business. Sadly I can't tell you the name of the site because I am trying to negotiate the rights on behalf of my Thai language stock news and information website.
While some publishers are trying to charge in one case close to 2 million baht for one years' rights to translate five stories per day into Thai, others are happy to extend their brand awareness by allowing publishers here free access to their content and brand image.
In many ways, the exchange of content for access makes more sense, simply because Thailand is an emerging market, web-wise. The numbers of internet savvy Thais is small, but will increase as the economy allows. Attempting to levy costs according to a western schedule would fail because the market is unable to sustain the cost.
ReplyDeleteDavid, thanks as always for your contributions.
ReplyDeleteThe payments or guarantees demanded by overseas publishers do make it impossible for any company here to make it work financially. That's why this new approach in allowing rights merely in exchange for links is really new and, for me anyway, really exciting.
It gives me, with my publishers hat on, valuable content (though we do have the translation costs to consider) and valuable brand association with overseas media. For the overseas media it provides brand awareness to a new audience.