TAIPEI: Batey Taiwan has closed its seven-man media department
after signing up with WPP media dependent Maximize for media planning
and buying services.
Ann Yang, managing director of Batey Taiwan, said: "We're all part of
the same group. All of our media buying now goes to Maximize except for
Singapore Airlines and Mercedes Benz, which are handled globally by
CIA."
Meanwhile, CIA Taiwan Media Network, which soft launched in March, is
getting ready for a grand opening in May. Batey represented CIA in
Taiwan for four years.
CIA Taiwan is headed by George Shen, a sales veteran from Formosa
TV.
Shen will report to Greater China director Caroline Foster in Hong
Kong.
Directly under Shen are two of Batey's former top media department
staff.
Batey's former associate media planning, Sky Hsiao, and former media
group head, Amber Chang, have joined CIA Taiwan as client service
director and media buying director, respectively. Two other Batey media
staff made the move with them.
Batey's Yang said the move reflected a "general industry trend" rather
than the need for more "media buying power".Yang added: "As an
independent ad agency, we lacked resources, for example, the best
software. That made it hard to attract top people for media positions."
