AIA poised to call Asia media review

Sources close to the pitch say that the RFP for the business will be released in the next few days.

Reports suggest that the insurance company will be pitching the retail/consumer part of the account. It is not clear which agencies will be involved but sources suggest that a GroupM agency and an Aegis Media shop are among those poised to pitch.

A few months ago Universal McCann was appointed AIA’s regional agency-of-record for corporate media communications after a pitch that also included GroupM and ZenithOptimedia.

In February, Carat China was appointed AIA’s Chinese media agency.

Earlier this year AIA hired M&C Saatchi and Leo Burnett to boost its brand image. The company is keen to shake off its association with US parent AIG and present itself as an Asia-only operation.

AIA has more than US$60 billion of assets with 20,000 employees across 13 Asian markets. “It’s not just looking for one group to do all its digital work, but it is looking to create a neater set of roster agencies to work with,” one source said. “There are two or three groups on the table and this is working alongside a wider alignment process going on outside Asia-Pacific.”