Telkomsel appoints marketing partners

• Leo Burnett and Mediaedge:cia win accounts
• Appointments follow final shortlist
• Telkomsel signs MOUs with the agencies

Indonesia - Indonesian teleco group Telkomsel has selected Leo Burnett and Mediaedge:cia to be its strategic marketing partners, following a five month pitch process.

The appointments follow a final shortlist in March involving Leo Burnett, Colman Handoko and McCann Erickson for creative and Initiative, Mediaedge:cia, MediaVest and ZenithOptimedia for media.

The account was handled mainly by JWT and other local players like Hotline, MACS909, Interact Carlson Marketing and Lingkar Komunikasi. Initiative was the  incumbent media agency.

According to Telkomsel, the company chose the winning agencies after a rigorous three-stage comprehensive evaluation process.

"Telkomsel posed difficult real-life business challenges to all the agencies to respond to as part of the process," Nirwan Lesmana, general manager of marketing communications for Telkomsel, said.

"All agencies submitted a high quality of work and well thought through responses that not only demonstrated the significant pool of advertising talent within Indonesia but made our final decision very difficult."

A total of 25 submissions were received for the Telkomsel review, which was called in January, from 16 creative agencies and nine media agencies and the review was managed by R3.

Telkomsel has signed MOUs with the agencies, which have been awarded the account from 1 June 2009 to 31 May 2011, with an option for renewal for one year.