Singapore Tourism Board shortlists agencies for global advertising review
A shortlist has been drawn up for what is probably the most high profile advertising pitch of the year in Singapore.
Singapore Tourism Board has shortlisted four contenders out of a long-list of nine participants for a global creative, digital and production pitch called in July.
DDB, Ogilvy & Mather, TBWA and Comwerks have made the next round, Mumbrella understands.
On the original list of nine to file proposals was a consortium of two agencies led by Saatchi & Saatchi, another consortium of five agencies called Ad Planet Group, Publicis, Leo Burnett and Dentsu.
Comwerks submitted the most competitive proposal, with creative, digital and production for two years priced at S$5,075,686 (US$3,592,885). Publicis Singapore was the priciest, at close to S$9 million.
Incumbent agencies J. Walter Thompson, which took on the account from BBH two years ago, and digital sibling Mirum – formerly XM Asia – pulled out of the running. In a joint statement sent out on the day Singapore went to the polls, the agencies described STB’s business as a “stimulating account” and their tenure on the business “enjoyable.”
Singapore Tourism Board did not confirm the agencies on the shortlist for the tender, which it describes as “open”. The government body stated: “STB will release information on the agency appointment on the completion of our open tender process.”
The review is being run by Roth Observatory, which was hired just over a year ago to manage STB’s agency relationships.
Media is not part of the review. MEC’s contract has been extended until March 2017.
STB’s hazy video featuring Caroline Wozniacki
Singapore tourism is weathering a tough period. Though spend per visitor is up, tourism visits are down, a problem exacerbated by poor air quality caused by burning of peat forest land in neighbouring Indonesia.
A video STB released in social media today featuring tennis start Caroline Wozniacki to promote Singapore and the WTA Finals later this month is not helped by visibly bad air quality in the background.
Earlier this year, the boss of a Singapore-based independent agency suggested that falling tourism numbers was partly a result of the government body using a agency headquartered overseas and not a local player. STB’s assistant chief executive, marketing group, Lynette Pang said the decline in visitor numbers was largely to do external factors such as currency movements and economic conditions in major source countries.
STB launched a $20 million marketing campaign to ramp up activity in key local markets in May.
I would examine the cheapest quote with a healthy degree of skepticism. STB needs to investigate how much of the work (esp digital) will be outsourced to far cheaper markets and billed here at market rates.
Also, will this appointment create jobs for singaporeans or just feed an agency that has no locals in top management and very few outside that…usually found in the secretarial pool and other non important functions.
Let us not forget that STB is funded by the Singaporean taxpayer.
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