Maxis account win puts BBDO on winning streak

With increasing signs that Malaysia has finally turned the corner on the Asian recession, BBDO has chalked up a number of new business wins - including the US$14 million Maxis account - that has put the agency well on the road to leading the recovery. According to BBDO Malaysia chairman Jennifer Chan, the economic slump of the late '90s affected all categories in terms of spend, but things began picking up "dramatically" in the last half of 1999. "And adex was already 10-16 per cent up in the first half of this year, over the same period last year," she told MEDIA. The agency's most recent win was the Drypers diaper account, which may be extended at a later date to cover the Singapore market as well. Drypers, a US brand less than a decade old, has its Asia-Pacific factory in Malaysia, but only recently appointed a marketing director to begin work on promoting the brand locally. Other wins include two key brands from New Zealand Milk, The Carat Club, JobStreet.com, John Hancock and Livita. Total estimated billings for all these wins is in the region of RM33 (US$9 million) for year 2000 (not including the Drypers business; account billings were not disclosed). It is, however, the Maxis account which has had the most significant impact on BBDO's bottom line, and the agency has already released a rush of promotional and tactical campaigns for the telecommunications provider. According to Ms Chan, the battle between Malaysia's major telecoms companies is being fought on products and services, rather than rates. "The rates war may come later; right now, the distinction being drawn between the different operators is on products and services - for example, the quality of the networks or more superior, relevant services for the target market," she said. BBDO has also been working to help Maxis generate a more warm, caring image. "As a brand, Maxis had always been seen as very efficient, professional and successful, but perhaps somewhat 'distant'," Ms Chan said. "While we don't believe we should reproject an image of Maxis as 'your friend next door', we are working to soften the company's image." BBDO won the Maxis business from incumbent McCann-Erickson Malaysia, which had held the account since the inception of Maxis five years ago. Nine agencies were called to present their credentials, and by late April, Maxis had awarded the bulk of its business to BBDO, leaving McCann to handle the prepaid services portion of the account. There have been a number of new appointments at BBDO since the Maxis win, including the hiring of hot young creative directors Lee Szu Hung and Huang Ean Hwa, who had spent the last six years with Leo Burnett. In addition, Burnett Malaysia chief Peter Wilken has also moved to BBDO, taking on the role of regional managing director, based in Hong Kong.

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