BBH brings media back into the fold

<P>BBH Asia-Pacific is bringing media planning back into the creative agency, taking a cue from its London headquarters by launching a regional engagement planning unit.</P> <P>This unit will sit alongside the creative, account planning and account management groups during the communications development process, providing insight into how consumers engage with media content. <BR>The initiative will be driven by Jacob Wright, previously a strategic planner at BBH Asia-Pacific, as engagement planning director. </P> <P>The move marks a shift for the agency, which is often seen as being a creative boutique in Asia. "We are bringing in media knowledge to the creative process," said Charles Wigley, chairman of BBH Asia-Pacific. </P> <P>"Media planning has always seemed to be the last bit of the process, but with engagement planning, it will be right up front. In this part of the world, I think we're the first creative agency to do this."</P> <P>According to Wigley, the unit will work with its clients' media agencies as well as other media agencies for additional insight. He also noted that the unit would eventually conduct proprietary studies. </P> <P>Wright joined the Singapore office in 2003 as a strategic planner. Prior to that, he worked at St Luke's in London. "By thinking more about how consumers use media, and how different media affect the commercial messages we put in them, we hope to create more compelling ideas that are better able to reach our target audiences," he said.<BR>BBH London initiated the 'fourth discipline' last year.<BR>See Media 2, page 14</P> <P> </P> <P> </P> <P> </P> <P> </P> <P> </P>