The Jolt: Practice what you preach in digital

• Bates 141 launches web initiatives
• Using social media to build brand visibility
• YouTube, Wikipedia and website blog

Bates 141 is putting its money where its mouth is as the agency itself embraces digital marketing to build its brand visibility across the region.

Bates 141 has dived head-first into social media and officially launched its own YouTube page, website blog and Wikipedia entry with the aim of sharing content with all of the agency's stakeholders - media, clients, talent and shareholders.

According to Bates' Asia Pacific corporate communications manager Desiree Lim, the agency's wiki entry is "part-living media kit, part-living credentials for clients and prospects, and even part-living training document for employees and prospective talent". The Wiki entry is a way for the agency to document all its milestones and tell the lengthy version of the Bates 141 story.

Lim said the blog is a place for Bates staff to share their points of view on change.

"Really interesting changes are happening on the ground and Bates 141 ‘change agents' are on the ground witnessing these changes and reporting insights on changing consumer, culture and categories and their implications on brands."

The blog will also be used to provide a heads up on work that is coming out of Bates 141, as well as promoting feedback on things the agency is working on. The YouTube page allows Bates to share all its videos - TVCs as well as its films on Change (pictured).

"At end of the day, we're experimenting with all these different media," Lim said.

"What works for us, what doesn't, and we'll tweak our efforts according to responses from our stakeholders. Also, it's important to note that this social media is useless without good content that is constantly updated and an engagement plan.

"I'm sure we will learn many good lessons from this and we can draw from our successes and shortcomings to be of better consultants to our clients."