日本廣告業巨頭電通被爆過度收費

Japan’s most powerful advertising agency is holding emergency talks with more than 100 clients to try to minimise damage from revelations that it overcharged Toyota for digital media sales.

日本最有影響力的廣告公司電通集團(Dentsu)正在與100多位客戶舉行緊急會談，試圖儘可能地降低其數字媒體業務對豐田(Toyota)過度收費事件曝光帶來的不良影響。

Following a dispute that has played out behind the scenes for months, Dentsu’s other clients have questioned more than 160 possible incidents of overcharging, according to advertising executives in Tokyo.

東京的廣告業高管們表示，在數月幕後爭論之後，電通的其他客戶對逾160宗可能的過度收費事件提出質疑。

Dentsu controls about one-quarter of Japan’s annual $61bn advertising market, with Sony, Honda and Kao among its household-name clients.

在日本每年610億美元規模的廣告市場上，電通集團控制着大約四分之一的市場份額，索尼(Sony)、本田(Honda)和花王(Kao)等家喻戶曉的公司都是它的客戶。

It declined to comment on the total number of complaints it had received from clients, but said: There were some inappropriate operations related to digital media business transactions which have already been reported to the clients concerned.

電通拒絕透露總共收到了多少宗客戶投訴，但是表示：在數字媒體業務交易方面存在一些不適當做法，已知會給相關客戶。

Dentsu added that it was in consultation with those clients over any further steps required.

該公司補充稱，正在與那些客戶就需要採取的任何進一步舉措進行磋商。

Toyota said yesterday that it had been notified by Dentsu of irregularities in some digital media business transactions, but declined to provide details.

豐田昨日表示，電通已向自己告知一些數字媒體業務交易存在不合規之處，但豐田拒絕透露細節。

Though the sums involved are comparatively small, senior advertising executives said the exposure of any -malpractice by Dentsu had the potential to trigger a shake-up of Japan’s tightly-controlled advertising market.

儘管牽涉到的資金總數相對較小，但資深廣告業高管們表示，電通任何不當行爲的曝光，都有可能引發受到嚴格控制的日本廣告市場的震動。

The agency’s influence in corporate Japan means it rarely attracts open criticism from either domestic media or clients.

電通在日本企業界影響巨大，這意味着它很少遭到國內媒體或客戶的公開批評。

Dentsu’s extended empire of advertising agencies, brand consultancies and public relations subsidiaries includes ties with TV broadcasters and Japan’s two biggest news agencies — a network of influence that stretches deeply into corporate and public life, and which many believe gives it too much power.

由廣告機構、品牌諮詢機構和公關業務分支組成的龐大電通帝國與廣播電視機構和日本兩大新聞機構都關係密切——這種影響力網絡深深地滲入至企業和公衆生活當中，許多人認爲這讓該公司擁有了太大的勢力。

Media industry analysts have suggested much of this power arises from Dentsu’s longstanding hold over digital and TV advertising slots — commodities it buys en masse, and resells to clients with a mark-up that often rankles.

媒體行業分析師指出，這種力量很大程度上源於電通對數字和電視廣告檔位的長期把持——它打包購買廣告檔位，然後加價轉售給客戶（這種加價往往引發不滿）。

Although Dentsu refused to name any of the clients affected by the inappropriate operations — or acknowledge that Toyota was among them — people close to the two companies suggested Japan’s largest carmaker had extracted a formal apology.

儘管電通拒絕透露具體哪些客戶受到了不適當做法的影響，也拒絕承認豐田就是其中的一家，但知情人士表示，日本最大汽車製造商豐田得到了正式的道歉。