Not Much Action on NAFTA

Everybody’s talking about the North American Free Trade Agreement, but is there as much activity as it seems?

A recent survey by Western International Media in Newport Beach turned up only one Orange County ad agency that is planning to advertise in Mexico in the next year. Letters were mailed to 48 agencies, but only one responded, said John Vrba, senior vice president of Western’s Newport Beach office.

The survey, however, did not include the several Spanish-language agencies that are based in the county.

Western is a media-buying service, which works with ad agencies to purchase space in newspapers and magazines and air time on television and radio for its clients. It is planning to open a Mexico City office by year’s end, Vrba said.