DraftFCB wins CRM business for SGM

The automotive giant has selected DraftFCB to handle its lucrative CRM account, with Draft triumphing in a pitch which reportedly included OgilvyOne, Arc, Arbarto and two other local agencies.

Draft, which recently won the digital business for two of SGM’s marques - Saab and Buick (Media, 9 August) - is in the process of establishing a dedicated CRM team to handle the business.

“The scope of the work is huge,” said Gary Tse, Greater China chairman and CEO. “We need to consolidate all SGM’s existing databases, information sources and consumer touchpoints across all of their brands into one centralised architecture. It’s going to be a challenging job, but once we’re done, we’ll be able to provide a much more effective and accountable CRM solution for SGM.”

Tse noted that while work on the account was just beginning, he declined to estimate how long the process of consolidation would take.

Stephen Hay, general manager of loyalty specialist ICLP Hong Kong, said SGM’s decision to improve its CRM accountability was a move in the right direction.

“It’s fair to say databases in China are under-utilised, but it depends on the particular company,” he said. “One of the key issues will be understanding the customers SGM has and the need to work out where it takes people next.

“But the question for SGM, because of its scale, is where does it start?”