CAREERS MEDIA: Bates boosts 'Net knowledge

Bates Asia is moving to become a truly multimedia agency after more than 30 staffers, including regional president Jeffrey Yu, completed a six-month University of British Columbia post-graduate diploma course on Internet marketing and e-commerce. The effort, which was spearheaded by Mr Yu, was not the precursor to setting up an independent interactive unit; it was aimed at allowing a broad cross-section of agency staffers - creatives, account handlers, planners and strategists - to be able to function in the New Economy environment independently and effectively irrespective of which department they worked in. As such, it was the largest undertaking of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region by any agency. The student ranks were made up of creatives, account handlers, senior and junior suits. Even affiliates CCG.XM, Zenith and 141 participated. Mr Yu said that Bates was pushing towards being a truly multimedia agency, where people were well-versed in all aspects of on and offline media. "The Internet is a new medium and it should be treated as part of the whole media. What I don't want to see is our creatives or account people talk to a client about television and print and then when they get to the Internet say, 'Sorry we have to refer you to our interactive guys'," Mr Yu said. Mr Yu said a similar initiative would be conducted in 2001 and that the agency would again pay the course fees. However, he warned that those who failed to complete the course might have to reimburse the agency. "This year, about 60 people signed up for the course. But only 33 passed. For those who failed they must give a good explanation or they will have to refund the agency," he said.

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