FOCUS: AGENCY OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2000 - Media Agency of the Year - CIA stands fast to principles of difference

<p>Category: Media </p><p>Agency of the Year </p><p>Winner: CIA Asia-Pacific </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>CIA arrived in Asia in 1993 when it set up its first Asian office in </p><p>Hong Kong, and followed this with another branch in Singapore in </p><p>1996. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Since its arrival in the region, the network has grown not just in size, </p><p>but in stature. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>CIA Medianetwork has been named Media Agency of the Year 2000 not simply </p><p>because of its many notable achievements in terms of growth and </p><p>innovation, but also because it consistently delivers new, exciting </p><p>media ideas for its clients. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>CIA Medianetwork may not be the biggest media specialist in the region, </p><p>but it is certainly one of the smartest, most creative and most </p><p>challenging media companies operating in the region. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>This year, CIA Asia-Pacific continued its pursuit of setting standards </p><p>through challenging and breaking the long-standing rules and conventions </p><p>of the industry. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Among its innovations are: </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>- The development of CIA International, the region's first and only </p><p>International Media Management (IMM) business. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>- The launch of CIA Medialab, Asia's first dedicated media modelling, </p><p>training and protocol development unit. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>- The appointment of Asia's first and only creative media director, S.T. </p><p>Ang, who won a Certificate of Excellence at last year's Agency of the </p><p>Year Awards in the Media Person of the Year Category. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In addition, CIA created one of the first "client-centric" media JVs </p><p>with the DaimlerChrysler Media Alliance (DCMA). </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The DCMA provides media strategy, planning and buying services to </p><p>Mercedes Benz and Chrysler across Asia-Pacific markets and on a global </p><p>basis. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>CIA attributes its success in part to the fact that it operates as a </p><p>media specialist with absolute independence from any advertising agency </p><p>parent. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>According to regional managing director Mark Austin, this independence </p><p>and freedom empowers the network with the opportunity to challenge, </p><p>develop and grow its service offer to meet the ever-changing demands </p><p>created by the new media environment. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"It is this independence that means that every single client that </p><p>appoints CIA does so because they perceive that our media service is </p><p>more attractive than that of their ad agencies' media department or </p><p>specialist media company," Mr Austin stated. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Each client appointment is not just a decision to appoint CIA, but also </p><p>a decision not to appoint the agencies' media specialist company. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The energy required of clients to make this choice should not be </p><p>under-estimated." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Even more significant than this is the fact that in an increasing number </p><p>of cases, clients are electing CIA as their lead communications agency </p><p>over and above any traditional ad agency. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Such clients include: </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>- LVMH, </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>- Evian, </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>- Sony and </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>- DHL. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>One of CIA's most recent innovations was the introduction of the 'Agency </p><p>of the Future' concept. As Mr Austin has outlined emphatically in past </p><p>issues of MEDIA, the service offer of traditional advertising agencies </p><p>has remained unchanged for more than half a century. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Meanwhile, the consumer, brand and media environments and their </p><p>intra-relationships have changed beyond all recognition. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The need for a radical re-think of the agency service model is, </p><p>therefore, overdue. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>CIA's Agency of the Future model is based around the connectivity of the </p><p>brand, the consumer and the media channels as the first stage of </p><p>strategy development. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It is delivered from a core base of 'Insight' and driven by the </p><p>network's proprietary process, Communications Channel Planning and </p><p>Management. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Within this service model, the creative execution - while still crucial </p><p>to achieving successful communication - is treated just as the </p><p>description says, as "executional", not as the starting point for the </p><p>advertising and communications strategy. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>To enable successful delivery of this model, it must be based on </p><p>intelligent interpretation of qualitative research. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>CIA is in the process of commissioning a research programme in key Asian </p><p>markets to establish insight into the relationship between the consumer </p><p>and all the media channels. The study will be completed early next </p><p>year. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The development of CIA's Insight network for the region saw Japan's </p><p>International Creative Marketing join up to provide the foundation on </p><p>which CIA is building its vision for the future in the world's second </p><p>largest economy. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>This year, CIA has experienced new business growth in excess of </p><p>USdollars 125 million in Asia-Pacific, representing year-on-year </p><p>billings growth of more than 55 per cent. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>New clients which signed up include Evian, Tag Heuer, Danone, JP Morgan, </p><p>Abbot Laboratories and Metro - LVMH in fact re-appointed CIA for a </p><p>record fifth year to manage its 16 brands in 10 Asia-Pacific </p><p>markets. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>CIA also counts among its senior staff some of the region's most </p><p>experienced, respected and creative media specialists. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Stalwarts such as Singapore GM Bertilla Teo, Hong Kong MD Caroline </p><p>Foster, CIA Medialab Asia-Pacific head Stephanie Besse, Malaysia MD </p><p>Margaret Au Yong and creative media director S.T. Ang have been with the </p><p>network for some years - in itself an achievement in this day of </p><p>frequent job-hopping. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>At a time of unprecedented pressure on talent in the region, CIA has </p><p>only lost five staff this year, out of 250 staff operating across 15 </p><p>business units in seven markets. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The network's ability to retain some of the best talent in the industry </p><p>is due in part to its culture, and also in part to the investment made </p><p>in training and personal development. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>New faces include Ms Elaine Quek as head of client services in </p><p>Singapore; Ms Sherrin Loh as client services director (international) in </p><p>Hong Kong; Ms Tess Caven as head of CIA International Asia-Pacific; Ms </p><p>Julia Singleton as manager of the network's Communications Channel </p><p>Planning and Management business; and Ms Cate Sinclair, who manages the </p><p>DCMA across the region. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Other achievements and projects: </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>- The launch of CIA offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Japan, </p><p>Sydney and Melbourne. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>- The beginning of a movement to start up a new industry body, the </p><p>Association of Media Specialists. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>