Coca-Cola's China media moves from Publicis to DAN

Dentsu Aegis Network China has scored a major account win as Coca-Cola's media agency of record after a pitch that was called in October.

Effective from 1 April, the group will drive all media planning and buying for the client's 13 brands across China.

The incumbent media agency was Starcom, which last retained the account in a 2011 pitch. Starcom has been Coca-Cola's agency in China since 2003.

Coca-Cola's media planning and buying business in China is valued at more than 1 billion RMB (US$144 million at today's rate), according to sources.

To support the new business, a dedicated in-house team dubbed the Dentsu Coca-Cola Community (DCCC) has been created, but the network declined to disclose the agencies within the DCCC team "due to sensitivities at this point".

The DCCC is a "unique team solution to access all of DAN's capabilities”, according to Phil Teeman, group managing director of Dentsu Aegis Network China.

Michelle Yang, media director at The Coca-Cola Company Greater China, confirmed in a press release that DCCC's scope of work included paid media planning and buying covering TV, out-of-home, digital and paid social media.

Dentsu Aegis Network was awarded the business after Yang assessed proposals from four other agencies: Starcom, Mediacom, UM, Carat. Local media agencies were not invited.