Ostensibly, the appointments represent more hands on deck at a time when Bates needs to significantly strengthen its client offer against the giants now walking the agency landscape. Smith, for instance, will be fully responsible for Bates, its PR and interactive offer and cross-selling its various disciplines, something that hadn't merited full attention in the past.
LEADER: Will Bates' new layer enhance its sell?
The executive reshuffle at Bates Worldwide, including the appointment of Ian Smith as regional president for Asia-Pacific, is clearly an attempt by Cordiant Communications to clean up its house following its misfortunes in North America, not least lead by the loss of one of its largest accounts.
