Huiyuan Juice appoints Saatchi & Saatchi to build brand post-Coke

Saatchis won the account following a competitive pitch that is thought to have also included TBWA and Bates141.

The account includes all products within the company’s juice and ‘nectar’ ranges. The agency will be responsible for all above- and below-the-line creative communications duties including in-store and digital activation.

According to Justin Billingsley, Saatchi & Saatchi’s Greater China chief executive, Huiyuan will rank as one of the agency’s largest local clients. Charles Sampson, chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi in Beijing, added that working with local brands was a “key part” of the agency’s growth plan in the market.

Huiyuan Juice is the leader in its category, with a market share of over 40 per cent, and has benefited from recent drives by the Chinese Government to encourage the consumption of fruit juice. A statement from Saatchi & Saatchi noted that while growing, juice consumption per capita in China is currently just 20 per cent of that in the US, which is the world’s most developed juice market.

Sampson said that the brand enjoyed a high level of trust among domestic consumers.

“Our job is to build on this strong foundation and help the brand stay relevant for consumers’ evolving health needs,” he said.

Earlier this year, Coca-Cola was forced to cancel a high-profile bid to acquire Huiyuan following a legal ruling by Government authorities. The botched deal was a blow to Huiyuan, which saw its share price tumble by over 50 per cent when the news broke in March. Huiyuan's financial results showed declining sales in the first half of its 2008 financial year, as the company lost share in the low-end mixed fruit juice category.

Huiyuan is believed to have been without an agency for the past six months, having previously worked with JWT.