HONG KONG: Bates Asia has set up Strategy School for senior
executives across the region in a drive to boost the agency's overall
strategic and creative abilities.
The move follows an initiative last year, when Bates encouraged staffers
to take up a distance learning programme on internet marketing offered
by the University of British Columbia. That effort was intended to
expand web marketing expertise across the network rather than
concentrate it within a single division.
Strategy School, which contains training courses developed by the
agency, attempts to provide executives with a big-picture view of
marketing communications, which now needs to take into account a
fragmented media landscape, a more empowered and sophisticated consumer
and the increasing importance of integration in campaigns.
The move is being backed up by the hiring of high-level strategic
planners in Hong Kong and Singapore.
The most recent hire was Josephine Tsai who was appointed Taiwan
strategic planning manager - a newly-created position. That appointment
was a long time in coming, the agency said, because the number of people
capable of thinking in strategic terms is few and far between.
Meanwhile, Bates' programme involves four off-site training workshops
each held in a different location.
The first multinational group of 25 Bates executives - who were
hand-picked based on their potential - recently returned from a workshop
in Bali. All are scheduled to complete the series of courses by
December.
Bates Asia regional president, Jeffrey Yu, said: "A creative agency is
only as creative as its people. Strategy School aims to hothouse our
best talent, enhance Bates' regional network, encourage new ways of
thinking and foster client relationships."
Bates Asia regional planning director, Ayesha Walawalkar, added: "The
course brings together some of Bates Asia's brightest young talents from
different cultures and backgrounds, creating an atmosphere that allows
true networking and team bonding."
The first contingent of students have come from Bates' offices in Hong
Kong, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, China, the
Philippines and IndoChina. When they return to their home office, they
have to pass on what they have learned to their account service
teams.
"In this way, Bates Asia's entire regional creative and account
servicing network of more than 1,000 people will benefit from the
agency's investment in training," Walawalkar said.
