Ogilvy scoops SilkAir after drawn-out pitch

<p>SINGAPORE: Regional carrier Silk Air has appointed Ogilvy & Mather </p><p>to its advertising account, while Ogilvy One will handle online </p><p>marketing. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The media account is expected to move from Maximize to either CIA or </p><p>MindShare. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The carrier has taken nearly a year to reach a decision on the agency </p><p>appointments. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>There was originally a long list of advertising agencies in the running </p><p>for the account before O&M and the incumbent Batey Ads were invited to </p><p>the creative pitch. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It is understood that the pitch process became a long and drawn-out </p><p>affair because the airline was forced to change its creative brief to </p><p>appease its board. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Industry sources claimed there were differences of opinion between the </p><p>board and Silk Air management on how the airline should be </p><p>positioned. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It is understood that the original brief positioned Silk Air as a </p><p>low-cost airline for adventure seekers. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The positioning came from Silk Air's operation to secondary cities in </p><p>Asia, which are too small for its parent company Singapore Airlines, to </p><p>operate into. Silk Air's main target is the leisure travel segment. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The smaller airline is also grappling with how to grow its business in a </p><p>way that complements Singapore Airlines and avoids cannibalising its </p><p>parent company's traffic loads. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Subhas Menon, Silk Air chief executive, recently told the regional trade </p><p>title Travel Weekly East that: "Silk Air has been around for about 10 </p><p>years, operating as an airline to service the needs of Singapore </p><p>Airlines." Menon said the carrier needed to refine its role now that "we </p><p>have reached the point where we can be called the second airline of </p><p>Singapore". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>O&M's first work will be a press campaign to announce Silk Air's new </p><p>routes to Sumatra, Indonesia and southern India. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The agency will then launch a rebranding campaign in the lead up to </p><p>Christmas and Chinese New Year, the peak period for air travel out of </p><p>Singapore. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Ogilvy One's main task is to redesign Silk Air's website so customers </p><p>can book online. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>David Ho, Silk Air marketing manager, said the airline consolidated the </p><p>online and offline account to ensure consistency in branding. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He said O&M won because the airline preferred its creative concepts. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>O&M has a two-year contract and, according to Ho, the airline has a </p><p>policy of putting its account out to pitch every two to three years. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>A media agency will be appointed in the coming weeks with Silk Air </p><p>deciding between CIA - which handles the media for Singapore Airlines - </p><p>or MindShare, O&M's media shop. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Ho said appointing CIA would give Silk Air some buying clout as their </p><p>media account would effectively be bundled in with Singapore </p><p>Airlines. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He said Silk Air's media spend is quite small because it only advertises </p><p>in Singapore as all its services are routed through the city. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>