The pitch was called mid-last month, with presentations completed at the end of January. The contract is for one year.
This win came after Bates' rebranding exercise last year that saw the agency dropping the ‘141’ from its name. It also adopted a ‘changengage’ philosophy and corporate identity to underline its new agency model.
Shubho Sarkar, chief executive of Bates Southeast Asia, noted that the Singapore office acts as a digital hub under the rebranding exercise.
“Changengage is our new mantra – studying change to engage people with brands and it is not about digital only. It is about using technology on tha back of strategy to engage people," he told Campaign.
Shubho Sarkar was promoted to the role of chief executive officer, Southeast Asia, as part of the new ‘changengage’ structure for the region. Bates Jakarta has also handed the main account for Buavita for four years, and the new appointment will see the agency launching strategies in line with the main account.