Starcom wins $80m Singapore government-wide media account

The Singapore government has announced the conclusion of a new whole-of-government media-buying framework, and has appointed Starcom as its master media agency (MMA).

The new framework covers all government agencies and bodies, and sees the master agency handle the overall media buying, strategy and planning across the different government units. The tender and new framework is overseen by Singapore’s Ministry of Communications and Information.

Starcom’s appointment is for one year, with the option to extend by two more years. Six agencies were involved in the pitch. The account, according to Claire Tan, MCI director of the national marketing office, is worth S$80 million (US$58.1 million).

“After a rigorous process that looked into the price competitiveness, media buying capabilities, and the proven track records of six tenderers for the MMA, we have appointed the Gov@Publicis Media consortium led by Starcom Media Worldwide,” Tan said.

Tan added that aggregating advertising buys is a common practice, with governments in the UK and Australia adopting it. The aim, she said, is to “generate savings through economies of scale and extract greater value for use of public funds”.

Speaking exclusively to Campaign, Ian Loon, managing director of Starcom Singapore, said he is “extremely excited to be part of this inaugural effort by MCI, working closely with multiple government agencies and bodies in realising greater synergy, cost-efficiency, and impact on media buying for public communications in Singapore.” 

In addition, the ministry has also appointed a panel of 15 agencies as part of the whole-of-government framework, to help cater to the varying needs and budgets of the different government bodies. Details of the agencies on the panel were not disclosed.

“We look forward to working closely with the appointed MMA and various media industry partners,” said Tan. “We hope to achieve better coordinated media buys so as to save taxpayers’ funds.”