Cities Tap Shops to Aid Post-SARS Recovery

Anticipating life after quarantines and face masks, two of the cities hardest hit by SARS, Hong Kong and Toronto, have selected PR and ad agencies to woo back tourists and businesses once the crisis has passed.

China, which has suffered more than 260 deaths (and more than 200 in Hong Kong alone), chose WPP Group’s Burson-Marsteller, and Toronto has tapped Omnicom Group’s Fleishman-Hillard and BBDO to develop post-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome marketing campaigns. Hong Kong has allocated $130 million for its effort, while Toronto’s budget is nearly $100 million.

Burson has worked for the government of Hong Kong for the past two years; the Washington office recently worked on its “Asia’s World City” promotions.