Four short-listed for $10m Omni advertising account
OMNI Hotels Asia-Pacific has taken presentations from four agencies for its $10 million regional advertising account.
It is replacing its former agency Batey Ads, which has taken over Sheraton's advertising from DDB Needham in an international realignment.
The four agencies under consideration are McCann-Erickson, Lintas, the Ball Partnership and DDB Needham.
The number will be whittled down to two for a final selection by the end of March.
''Our criteria in selecting an agency are that it must have a network and the potential or ability to expand at some time. We do not want an agency that is stable or declining,'' said Omni president Michael Kalyk.
''Omni is an expanding company. We began only five years ago and have four hotels in Hongkong and Singapore,'' he said.
''In another five years we plan to have 20 hotels in total across the region, in Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea, the Philippines and Thailand. We want an agency that will grow with us.'' At present, Omni's international advertising is centralised, while food and beverage is handled locally.
More than $7 million of the total advertising and marketing budget is spent on above-the-line international image advertising.
''Our priority is brand awareness because at the moment Omni is only known in Hongkong and Singapore where we began our 'Warmly Welcoming People' television advertising campaign last year,'' said Mr Kalyk.
''We are very open-minded about our agency selection but we are looking for a long-term relationship. Whoever we choose must be able to sustain or build on our growth and brand image.
''It's a win-win situation for both parties because as we grow so will the agency,'' he said.
