McCann a winner in Caltex roster cut

<p>Caltex has consolidated its regional business with McCann-Erickson, </p><p>which will manage the USdollars 30 million account from Singapore where </p><p>Caltex has its global headquarters. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The petrol retailer moved from having four agencies in seven countries - </p><p>Singapore (TBWA), Malaysia (FCB), Hong Kong (Bates), Thailand (TBWA </p><p>Next), Philippines (McCanns), South Africa (FCB) and New Zealand (Bates </p><p>Palace) - to a single agency network to ensure consistency in brand </p><p>communication. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Caltex also wanted to move away from commissions to a fee-based </p><p>remuneration system "so there are the right kind of incentives and to </p><p>remove any bias towards buying TV," said Mr Glenn Weckerlin, Caltex </p><p>general manager of brand development. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>McCann will handle all mainstream advertising and some direct marketing </p><p>work, while Universal McCann has won the media buying and planning </p><p>account. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The first major task is to create a brand campaign that works across all </p><p>of Caltex's product lines and markets. Caltex wants to become a </p><p>marketing-driven company and is serious about branding, said Mr Ray </p><p>Dempsey, McCann's area manager Southeast Asia. He added that the review </p><p>was the longest that McCann Singapore had ever been involved in. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The six agencies completed a 350-page questionnaire and presented </p><p>credentials last April. Dentsu Young & Rubicam, McCann and TBWA were </p><p>then short listed for a creative, strategic and media pitch. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>McCann Singapore used other Asia-Pacific agencies in its network to come </p><p>up with creative concepts. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>McCann agencies in the seven markets covered by the review also gave </p><p>feedback. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"It was pretty candid," said Mr Don Norris, McCann's business </p><p>development director. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We'd show them concepts and they'd say that's crap or that won't </p><p>translate well in this market." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>McCann then put the best concepts into research before presenting three </p><p>to the client, along with the research to show it would be </p><p>effective. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Even when it became clear McCann would win, Caltex procrastinated. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Weckerlin said: "Some agency people argued we should make a decision </p><p>based on whether the agency has the ability to do good creative </p><p>work. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"But we waited until we saw creative concepts that would be used for the </p><p>upcoming campaign. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We also had to do a lot of internal selling before we came out and </p><p>announced our decision," he added. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Brian Fisher, McCann's worldwide account director, will head up the </p><p>account, along with Mr Scott Brazil, McCann's regional creative </p><p>director, who is currently in Malaysia filming the Caltex brand campaign </p><p>that launches in the coming months. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>