Tiger Airways makes non-traditional choice: XM

Singapore - Tiger Airways has made an "unexpected" choice of digital player XM Asia Pacific, an RMG Connect company, as its new AOR, handling all ATL and online solutions.

"There's a need for us with our business model and expertise to work with an outfit that is more aligned to our evolving needs," Rosalynn Tay, chief commercial & marketing officer, Tiger Airways, told Marketing.

She says XM demonstrated they could meet the brief in an innovative and dynamic way, through a "young and spunky" team. They are also digitally strong, while being able to address the more traditional aspects of advertising; and they are part of a bigger network (WPP) so there opportunities to tap into that.

"To Tiger Airways, creativity is not just about winning awards. It's about planning, workflow efficiencies, business innovation, out of the box proposals and more," Tay says, adding that new work will focus on digital improvements as well as the Australia market, as the low cost carrier makes inroads into the region.

The appointment to what Tay calls a "medium-sized" account was made this week after the LCC issued a Request for Quotation to incumbent Euro RSCG, BBDO/Proximity, Grey Singapore, Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide and Blue.

"This is tremendous win for XM/RMG Connect. It signals the next evolution of XM as an agency that is looking to be that new marketing agency that delivers on creativity and results. The synergies between XM and Tiger Airways right from the start was a positive and high energied one as we share the same goal of working towards being the best at what we do,"Paul Soon, MD for XM said.

Euro RSCG will serve a reduced period of service from the usual three months after the contract ends and the handover will be complete by the second half of July. The contract is for a year with the view to renew.

Marketing first broke the news on Tiger Airways being close to announce a new agency on 28 May (Tiger poised to appoint new advertising partner(s)).