It is believed, however, that BatesAsia and David - which are both overseen by Ogilvy - will remain separate in Hong Kong and Singapore. "There have been some talks, but nothing is definite yet," said David regional CEO Digby Richards (pictured).
At present David is present in eight Asian markets, including Indonesia, China, India and Japan. Its Thailand operation was merged into Bates in that country in late 2005, prompting speculation that a similar process may occur in other markets. Richards declined to comment on this and other speculation, including whether he has already taken on regional operational responsibility for both Bates and David, reporting to BatesAsia president Jeffrey Yu.
"It's part of the evolution of the Bates group into WPP," said a source. "It's a much more considered approach to try and find the best fit brands and also retain as many people, clients and integrity as possible."
