Draftfcb China to build new healthcare division in China

Draftfcb says the win came after a three-way pitch in October. The pitch also featured Saatchi & Saatchi and Bates Asia was the incument agency.

With this healthcare account win, Tong (pictured), currently regional account director, will  spearhead the growth of a new specialist healthcare division, working closely with Dana Maiman, chief executive officer of Draftfcb Healthcare Worldwide.

Tong previously worked for Saatchi and Saatchi Beijing and Grey China, leading healthcare and medical accounts including Xian Janssen Pharmaceutical, Ipsen, and GlaxoSmithkline.

The agency says the Super Vita brand of multi-vitamins is a volume driver in tier two and three cities in China, while its competitor Centrum is still very strong in key tier one cities.

“Seven out of 10 families rank healthcare as their most important expenditure, even more important than food and education," Tong commented, "In tier two cities, 72 per cent of high income earners have this priority, and it is 62 per cent among mid-income earners with household earnings between US$950 to US$1580 (RMB 6,000 to 10,000)."

“The China healthcare market is at a tipping point is terms of consumer knowledge and aspirations,” added Pully Chau, chairman and chief executive officer of Draftfcb Greater China. “With people experiencing more affluent and progressive living standards, their most important concerns are for family health and quality of life. Building relationships with reliable, high-quality pharmaceutical brands that can assist in consumers’ aspirations is vital for marketers.”

According to Chau, plans to launch a Greater China healthcare communications division would be modeled on the agency’s healthcare operations in the US.

“China is an increasingly important market for all healthcare communications and all of our clients consider China as crucial to their global success,” said Maiman. “Draftfcb Healthcare Worldwide already has a strong presence in the US, EU, India and South Africa with global clients including BMS, Roche and Merck, which we are eager to build upon.”