The Bates Bazaar Blog has launched a contest open to all our staff, alumni, clients, network partners, business associates, friends and fans of our Facebook Page. All you need to do is share your insights or ideas by posting an original article that will interest communications and marketing professionals. It can be in the area of marcom or lessons we can learn from other fields or interesting consumer or media insights gleaned from your experiences or research. The first prize is a beautiful new book “Ink of Lanka” by Sri Lankan artist & architect Tilak Samarawickrama. The winning article will be selected by our top management team who will be influenced by the comments your article gets on the blog. Last date for posting is 15^th May 2010.

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Announcing the launch of “Bates Bazaar” – our blog for Bates alumni in far-flung places across the globe, Agency team members, our associates from the Bates Asia, Burson-Marsteller and Mediaedge networks, and not least, our clients! The launch comes with an invitation to all to share experiences, and insights, ideas, initiatives, and research or even random musings! Go to http://www.batesstrategicalliance.com/bazaar/

Bates Strategic Alliance celebrates its 17th Anniversary today. Due to the general election, celebrations were held in advance on the 6th with an Avurudhu Uthsvaya (New Year Festival) and Peduru Party (sing-along seated on mats with local music/eastern band). Nimal is seen here cutting the Bibikkan (local coconut cake) with 17 oil lamps placed on Bulath Kola (betel leaves). Clients, media people and staff who attended all had a jolly time and enjoyed the Game Kema (village food – manioc, gram, wade, hoppers, roti, sambol, curry & arrack), the sarpina band music, and the fun and games – Thitha Thebima (finding the belly button), Suupuven Beema (drinking through the nipple), Bunis Kema (eating swinging buns), Kotta Pora (pillow fight). Media Head Namalie, in her Blue Kandyan saree, was chosen the Avurudhu Kumari (New Year Princess) and Studio Manager Sene, in his Bates yellow sarong ensemble, was the Avurudhu Kumaraya.

Nimal cutting the Bibikkan with 17 pahan

The agency launched its Facebook Page to connect with its alumni & associates across the world as well as clients and fans in Sri Lanka. The Bates Bazaar Blog which is to serve as a ideas & insights exchange between staff, alumni, clients & associates will be launched shortly.

The reactivated Bates Club with its enthusiastic new President Vinoth Thevamani and his dynamic team (Sene, Razma, Dinushi, Anjali, Gopi, Riyal, Anandi, Dilumi, Vino, Sharnez, Hashari, Udara, Saman & Gayantha) are planning a smashing Avurudhu Uthsavaya on 6th April. Avurudhu games and a peduru party are in the offing! Watch out for those redda-hatte clad gals and sarong tucked guys.

February 2010
Valentine’s Day was celebrated with a karaoke party which went into the night. The winners were Anandi  (“Yesterday once more”)and Sene (“Ganga Addara”).

December 2009
“Rockers” was the theme of our staff Christmas party this year, and did we rock! “Silent Night” was only for the carols sung by candlelight. Photos of the rockers went into our 2010 greetings calendar.

March 2009
The Agency created history by appointing an all female panel of COOs to manage our advertising, media & PR businesses.  Sheron Jayasundera heads Bates 141, Rezani Aziz heads the Burson-Marsteller affiliated PR business, and Namalie Herath head the GroupM affiliated Mediaedge:cia media specialization. See them in this photo with a tough bunch of creative bodyguards. Where’s Charlie?

March 2009

We moved to our white-walled, white-floored new office dubbed the ‘White House’, which retains the “cool” character that had been hallmark of our previous workplaces as well. With a rooftop with a view for entertainment, a conference room with a view of a large tree, a garden with a mini-pool, and a tailor-made room for every department, the new office was a lucky find and a perfect place for our creativity. A christening party was held in April for clients. (More photos on our FaceBook Page.)

Bates 141 Strategic Alliance’s media arm is being developed as a media specialist with a new affiliation to Group M’s Mediaedege:cia aka MEC Global. Namalie Herath heads the operation.

(New Delhi, April 17, 2008) - Burson-Marsteller, a leading global public relations and communications firm, today announced formation of a ‘Burson-Marsteller South Asia Network (BMSAN)’ with the signing of strategic alliances with independent public relations companies across Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Read more

Today, we celebrate our 15th Anniversary. We have come a long way and established our standing as an agency to reckon with in strategic thinking, creativity and PR leadership. We have several clients who have been with us for many years and who have continued to strengthen us with additional business, which we greatly appreciate and which will enable us to to sustain our strengths and talent to serve you strongly in the future, furthering these solid and mutually satisfying relationships. New exciting brands and clients have also come to us in recent years as they discover our capabilities, enthusiasm, dedication and partnership. We thank you most sincerely for being a strength to us. Read more

On Saturday night at the Chillies, Bates 141 Strategic Alliance won 11 Metals including the coveted Campaign of the Year to confirm that it is a key player to reckon with on a level playing field where the rules of the game are not subverted through scam ads. Winning both the Print & TV campaigns in the services category in addition to 4 individual ads for Hutch, Bates 141 topped it by winning the Campaign of the Year for their “Where it matters to me” campaign for the brand. Read more

{Blues Christmas Video}

This is Nimal and the Bates 141 team, wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas and more good times ahead.

Cheers, guys !

“Brands, Blues & Change-Points” is an experimental ‘edutainment’ experience developed by Nimal & the Bates 141 team. It is an attempt to share new thinking on brands, marketing, advertising and communications in a changing world through a very palatable format of an interactive session that adds a touch of theatre and a good dose of original blues music written by Nimal and performed by the Bates Blues Band.

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