The six are believed to be Publicis, Ogilvy, Y&R, Batey, McCann Erickson and DraftFCB. Pauline Cheah, PR manager of Audi Asia Pacific, confirmed that the marque had ended its contract with Bates in December and felt it timely to look for a network agency to handle increasing marketing activity in Singapore.
“We’re looking for a marketing/marcomm partner, not just an advertising agency,” Cheah said. According to sources, the Singapore office is in the process of shifting from a distribution model to a National Service Centre, or a standalone operation managed by its global headquarters in Germany.
Bates Singapore CEO Peter Skalberg also confirmed the contract had ended in December but that, “The contract was for a regional coordination role, and my understanding is that this role no longer exists.”
