OCBC confronts claims of unprofessionalism, Euro and Y&R make shortlist

In response to a story that ran in Media yesterday (July 21), Koh Ching Ching, head of group corporate communications, stated: "In June, OCBC Bank invited several agencies to participate in a pitch to select a creative agency to support our marketing efforts in Singapore and the region.
 
"The invited agencies were provided with a clear brief of what was required in the first credentials presentation meeting and the time-frame provided. The agencies who accepted our invitation to pitch in June, presented to us on 7 July."
 
"At the end of our evaluation, only two agencies were short-listed, as they presented good creative ideas and strong credentials. The selected agencies are Y&R and Euro RSCG. The agencies that were not selected were informed of our decision last week, by mail."
 
These agencies were Bates141, which was pitching with 10AM Communications, BBDO and McCann Erickson.
 
However, some participants claim they had withdrawn from the pitch before they had been informed of the short-list, tempted by R3’s creative review for Maybank. Others insist that the pitch has been "shoddily managed", but declined to go on record.
 
Koh added: "We are looking for an agency that has proven talents and capabilities in the areas of planning and creative work, who can support our strategic brand and marketing communications programmes in Singapore and beyond."