As it has been every year, the selection of Media Agency of the
Year for 2000 was a close-run decision.
Other media specialists which came under consideration for the title
were:
Carat Asia-Pacific
- Direct new business track record of over USdollars 210 million across
the region. In addition, not only did Carat win business locally but
managed to develop these relationships into full regional assignments or
appointments in other markets.
- New business success in launch markets of Singapore, China and
Japan.
- Execution of successful campaigns focused on driving client
business.
- Integration of non-conventional communications modes into client
consumer programmes, such as programming, sponsorships, product
placement, PR and promotions.
- Development of effectiveness tracking and modelling systems with the
focus on driving client business.
- Execution of innovative solutions that delivered results while
avoiding gimmicks.
MindShare
- Aggressive investment saw unprecedented growth, strong new business
gains, development of new products and services.
- The launches of MindShare Philippines in February and MindShare
Indonesia in April.
- Staff numbers grew from just 300 staff in 1998 to more than 1,000 and
billings in excess of USdollars 3 billion in 2000.
- Focus on training and development with the 'Driving for Excellence'
programme, a tailored regional training programme designed specifically
for its Asian teams, held in Suzhou, China and Bangkok.
- The appointment of a training and development director for the region,
making MindShare the only Asian media specialist to do so.
- The launch of MindCast in Greater China, focused on creating TV
programming and syndication solutions for clients. Year no. 1 business
plans have been exceeded by more than 200 per cent. MindCast operations
are scheduled to be launched in other markets in the region, including
Japan and Thailand.
- The launch of M Digital, an interactive media consultancy, with
dedicated teams in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and
Singapore.
- The regionwide rollout of MindShare 3D, research that brings together
three WPP Group research products - TGI, Brandz and Futura.com - to
provide the region's only single-source database of consumer-brand
relationships, social attitudes and opinions, and media consumption
habits. Committing more than USdollars 2 million across Asia, MindShare
has now launched 3D in Japan and China, with four additional countries
coming online in 2001.
- New business totalling USdollars 300 million was added in 2000, coming
from a combination of new client relationships and growth from existing
clients.
Optimum Media Direction
- Annual projections exceeded with new business wins of more than
USdollars 120 million across Asia-Pacific.
A significant proportion comes from direct clients, which now represent
up to 30 per cent of OMD's clients in a number of markets.
- OMD's research programme has added a new survey, Roar, which launched
in Asia-Pacific this month.
The agency is working in conjunction with Channel V, Hachette, Fox
Pictures and Dotlove.com.
- Staff at OMD's Singapore office have been named 'Young Media
Strategist of the Year' by the IAS for two consecutive years. In 2000,
the title was bestowed upon Ms Ang Wan Gyn.
Zenith Media
Despite the loss of the crucial Procter & Gamble account in China in
late December last year, Zenith kept its focus firmly on the future.
- In July, the network introduced the Zenith Media MBA to train the next
generation of media directors and general managers.
- A secondment programme was established with the Zenith office in New
York, enabling staff at associate director level and above to spendt one
month in the Big Apple, developing an international perspective on the
company and the industry.
- No staff were laid off; numbers in fact increased from 165 at the
start of the year to nearly 200 today.
- In September, Zenith Taiwan, under the leadership of GM Susan Wang,
won Asia's only Media Lion at Cannes for its breakthrough work for
Nokia.
- Zenith Interactive Solutions was launched in Hong Kong in August,
under the leadership of business director Gary Wong.
- Equinox Communications started up in July, with the brief to deliver
strategic through-the-line media planning.
- Other new specialist divisions set up were Croton, Megavision and
Impact.
- New offices in Vietnam and Japan were opened.
- New business wins worth more than USdollars 150 million were chalked
up across the region.
