According to Natalie Lockwood, group head of regional marketing for MasterCard in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, the company is reviewing its digital agency relationship globally, with its global digital and procurement teams running the pitch out of its headquarters in New York.
Lockwood said several agencies manage MasterCard’s digital account in Asia-Pacific on a market-by-market basis, including RMG Connect. She added that the region has never had a digital agency-of-record.
MasterCard currently works with MRM in Western markets such as the US, Europe and Latin America as part of the company’s global alignment with McCann Worldgroup.
Lockwood said that the company has not ruled out that the account may be separated into individual regions.
The pitch process is expected to take between four to six months, with digital agencies in place for the 2010 fiscal year.
“I think it’s fair to say that we’ve been involved in digital marketing for years, and given that the industry, company and digital landscape is changing, we aim to make sure that agency relationships is also evolving,” Lockwood said of the pitch’s timing.
According to reports, the review comes as MasterCard looks to restructure its global digital marketing operations. The company has also reportedly approached roster and non-roster agencies to participate in the review, and aims to produce a shortlist at the end of the month.
