Batey cuts deal with Maximise and shuts media

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