Pitch fee introduction not being ignored: HK4As head

<p>Hong Kong 4As chairman Jeffrey Yu has denied that member agencies </p><p>and clients were largely ignoring the pitch fee policy, which was </p><p>introduced in March. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Reacting to suggestions that resistance was too great and that </p><p>enforcement would be too difficult, Mr Yu said that since the </p><p>introduction of the scheme, a total of 18 companies have paid or will </p><p>pay HK$20,000 (about US$2,600) to each agency they had </p><p>invited to pitch for an account. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The firms include Cheung Kong, Standard Chartered Bank, CNN and Hong </p><p>Kong & China Gas Company. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"These are not Mickey Mouse companies. These are among the biggest </p><p>corporations in Hong Kong. Because they are following the rules, others </p><p>will too," Mr Yu told MEDIA. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Definitely there will be resistance, but it's a matter of applying </p><p>social pressure. Also, education to make people aware about the </p><p>underlying meaning of the pitch fee will take time because it is a </p><p>tedious process. But we are starting to gain momentum. No one should be </p><p>expecting us to have splendid results overnight," he added. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Yu said the pitch fee was not about offsetting the cost of preparing </p><p>a pitch. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"It's about respecting the agency being called in for a pitch and </p><p>respecting the work being done for the pitch. The amount of money being </p><p>paid is only a token amount," he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The 4As has published guidelines on how to choose an advertising agency </p><p>and on compensation. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>