SingTel reviews media

• SingTel reviews media account
• Incumbent MEC will defend
• Pitch managed by R3
• Zenith already handles some media work

Singapore - SingTel is reviewing its media account with incumbent Mediaedge:cia set to defend the business.

According to the telco, the move is in line with SingTel policy to "periodically review its key vendors and partners." A SingTel spokesperson said the review was "just media" and the news in no way affected the telco's exisitng creative agency relationship with BBDO which won the business in January last year.

"In a dynamic economic, media and communications landscape, a strong partnership with a media agency is crucial to ensure we get maximum ROI on our advertising investments and that we connect with our customers through effective channels," Yuen Kuan Moon, SingTel's Chief of Consumer, said in a statement.

The tender will be conducted in two phases - and be managed by R3. The first phase calls for agencies to submit agency credentials including their profile, past work and track record. The company says agencies will need to demonstrate their thought leadership on the changing media landscape and their strategies for helping clients enhance media efficiency and effectiveness.

Shortlisted agencies will then proceed to the second phase, where they will be evaluated on attributes such as strategic thinking and analysis, media competencies and competitive costing.  The final evaluation and selection will be done by a panel of senior SingTel executives.

A spokesperson from MEC confirmed the agency would take part in the review, and defend the account it has held for eight years.

And should the agency manage to retain the SingTel business, MEC's score card for the year will read three-for-three in defending big accounts following the success of Singapore Airlines and United International Pictures.

The news also comes at a very ambitious time for SingTel which recently launched a new Digital Media subsidiary as well as a marketing push to promote its new hyper-local portal inSing.com, with a heavy focus on TV and online media. For that campaign, MEC was in charge of offline media while ZenithOptimedia handled online media.

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