Starcom Hong Kong has been appointed by AIA to handle all media planning and buying duties for the brand in Hong Kong. The insurance behemoth appointed Starcom Hong Kong after a three-way pitch that involved Maxus and incumbent media agency, Universal McCann. The agency will be working on AIA’s portfolio of businesses including AIA Group Ltd, AIA International Ltd and AIA Pension and Trustee Co, Ltd. “We are honoured to be chosen as the media agency for AIA because we are truly inspired by how AIA innovates on their products by understanding their customers’ needs”, said Shirley Lau, Deputy General Manager, Starcom MediaVest Group Hong Kong. “We look forward to the great partnership with AIA, leveraging on our human experience planning and proprietary consumer insights to help AIA reach out to their customer base successfully and effectively”, she added. “Starcom was selected as our media partner because they demonstrated a deep understanding of the financial category, sound media plan and buying strategy, as well as the right mix of new and traditional media expertise”, said Haymans Fung, Associate Director, Group Brand & Marketing, AIA. “AIA is growing rapidly and we need a partner who shares the same commitment to delivering quality sustainable results with deep understanding of Asia”, she added. “Most importantly, we liked the team and there was a good chemistry from the very first meeting. We feel we can trust them and we are confident they will be good partners to work with. Ultimately, working with the right people is what matters”, she concluded. Hong Kong, one of AIA’s top performing markets in Asia, is a key contributor to AIA’s new business growth in this region. Starcom Hong Kong will commence media responsibilities this month.