OMD outguns pair on Standard Chartered

<p>HONG KONG: OMD has beaten off Maximize and Zenith to win the </p><p>consolidated US$20 million Standard Chartered Hong Kong media </p><p>buying account. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The appointment comes just months after the bank, which also runs a </p><p>credit card operation under the Manhattan brand, realigned its global </p><p>creative assignment with J.Walter Thompson, which left FCB and Leo </p><p>Burnett out in the cold. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Because of the realignment with JWT, fellow WPP agency Maximize had been </p><p>expected to win the buying agency or record account. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But OMD, part of the Omnicom network, is no stranger to the banking </p><p>group, having handled the Manhattan Cards business since it was set up </p><p>in Asia three-and-a-half years ago. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The planning side of the assignment remains unchanged, with OMD handling </p><p>Manhattan Cards, and Standard Chartered serviced by Maximize. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>OMD Greater China managing director, Maggie Choi, discounted the </p><p>possibility of conflict with Maximize. "We will work closely with them </p><p>in the interest of furthering the client's business," she said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The media buying account is only for Hong Kong, Standard Chartered's </p><p>biggest market, but Choi added: "We hope to develop the relationship to </p><p>include other markets in the region in future." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>She said OMD won "through a demonstration of cost efficiency and a </p><p>commitment to the business and that included coming up with concrete </p><p>examples of the savings we could deliver". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>FCB will continue to handle some media and creative work for the bank, </p><p>but only until the end of the month when its contract expires. This work </p><p>included the recent launch of the InvestPro television and print </p><p>campaign to promote Standard Chartered's consumer investment </p><p>division. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Standard Chartered began moves to reorganise both its creative and media </p><p>accounts earlier in the year, with the aim of consolidating resources to </p><p>improve overall cost-efficiencies amid the global economic slump. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>