Ogilvy PR lands Ecco account from Weber Shandwick

Ogilvy's acumen in both creative ability and event management expertise was cited by the client as a key determinant for the win on a one-year-retainer basis.

Mellisa Lim, marketing director of Ecco China, said Ogilvy PR went to the brand with "exciting ideas based on consumer insights".

Lim was impressed with Ogilvy's strategy not just in media relations, but also in concept development and production management of events that were able to blend well with creative.

Debby Cheung, president of O&M Shanghai, said the agency will take creative approaches to promote Ecco's philosophy that ‘the foot comes first’, instead of the other way around, particularly for casual footwear.

Ecco has been quite successful in the Chinese market targeting businessmen and women, but brand awareness among younger consumers is moderate, and mainly via word of mouth between loyal customers.

Cheung added Ecco is not considered as a stylish or fashionable shoe brand in China against competing brands like Clarks and Geox. The PR challenge is to tackle its lack of brand perception in the market.

Ecco now has more than 700 stores across China. Founded in 1963, Ecco claims to be the only major shoe manufacturer in the world to own and manage every step of the shoemaking process.