BBH, MEC and XM emerge triumphant in mammoth STB pitch

• STB makes appointments
• BBH, MEC and XM win the pitch
• The contract ends March 2011
  

Singapore - The  Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has appointed Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), Mediaedge:cia (MEC) and XM Asia as its creative, media and digital agencies respectively.

"After a comprehensive review, we are pleased to announce the winning agencies who have presented strong submissions demonstrating their capabilities and understanding of the tourism landscape. Moving forward, we will be working closely with BBH, Mediaedge:cia and XM Asia to review our marketing and new media strategies to ultimately deliver a strong, compelling destination image," Ken Low, assistant chief executive, Marketing Group, STB, said.

STB chose the winning agencies after a rigorous two-stage evaluation process. Of the total 38 submissions received, 13 agencies pitched for the creative category, 10 agencies for media, and 15 for digital.

The contract for all three agencies has been awarded from 1 May 2009 to 31 March 2011, with an option for renewal for two years. The final shortlist saw Ogilvy, Publicis and BBH battle for the creative account, incumbent Starcom, OMD and MEC fight for media and XM, OgilvyOne and Publciis Modem compete for the digital business.

"Starcom and STB had a marriage that lasted good and true. For four years as STB's first media AOR, we enjoyed a mutually-rewarding working relationship that saw us embark on a non-traditional marketing journey for Singapore," Jeffrey Seah, CEO Southeast Asia, Starcom MediaVest Group said.   

Seah further added that rather than adopting the usual 'one message for all markets' approach, Starcom conceptualised bespoke media solutions for individual markets which incorporated potential visitor feedback and targeted partner collaboration.

"As a result, we've heightened the perception of Singapore in its key markets and in a pervasively digital-driven world. Not many agencies are privileged to have such opportunities and for that, we're extremely thankful. Moving forward, I'm confident Starcom will be painting new canvases this year. We wish the next agency best of luck in their efforts in building the increasingly important role of media agencies in tourism-related marketing," he said.

John Hadfield, managing director of BBH Asia Pacific, said STB is a "marvelous opportunity".

"The appointment is a great signal of intent from both BBH and STB, and it reflects a shared agenda to prioritize effectiveness above all,” he said.