Maxis launches integrated pitch to look for 'like-minded organisations'

Maxis has called for an integrated pitch review of its agencies. A+M understands this includes creative, media, digital, PR and social. In a statement to A+M, head of brand and partnerships Tai Kam Leong (pictured) confirmed the review, saying that the company is on an "ambitious growth roadmap" that aims to transform it into a strong converged player in Malaysia for both fixed and mobile. "As part of this journey, we are looking to review our marketing services partners for smartly-formed ecosystems with an efficacy-focused mindset. We feel it's opportunistic for not only our organisation, but timely for the marketing services industry to truly innovate and earmark new growth paths," Tai said. The telco currently works with Ensemble Worldwide, Leo Burnett, Initiative, Kingdom Digital, APD and SearchGuru. "We are opening our doors to a large audience to seek like-minded organisations as well as our incumbent partners to participate in this exercise. We’re excited about the possibilities, and remain open in our approach to solutions moving forward," he added. Tai also said that Maxis is excited to meet companies equally committed to explore what is new and truly push the limits on what is possible. In a previous interview with A+M, Tai said that marketers should not chase after the latest technology in hopes of finding the "silver bullets" to meet their needs. He is of the view that new innovations such as AI, AR and machine learning require careful, smart application much more than just fast adoption. While technology has always been at the core of the telco’s marketing approach, he considers words such as big data, bots and machine learning as "cool buzzwords". Recently, the telco signed a memorandum of understanding with Huawei to collaborate on full-fledged 5G trials with end-to-end systems and services. This is in a bid to accelerate 5G in Malaysia. Maxis' CEO-designate Gokhan Ogut said it is pleased to be working with Huawei on 5G trials and be a pioneer in bringing the latest technologies to Malaysia, and looks forward to delivering 5G innovation to consumers and businesses. Huawei's CEO of Malaysia, Michael Yuan, said the development of 5G needs the cooperation of all different partners, working together to innovate together. "We are very happy to sign this MoU with Maxis, which shows the commitment of both companies to the future of 5G in Malaysia," Yuan added. (Read also: Tech isn’t a silver bullet and talent is still an issue, says Maxis marketer Tai Kam Leong)