New Zealand Milk will be allocating half of its USdollars 100 million
global spend to Asia, Africa and the Middle East, where the account has
moved from a disparate collection of agencies to FCB Worldwide, its
newly-appointed global agency of record.
The network succeeded in expanding the business to three new markets
within a month of being named AOR for Central and South America as well
as the Caribbean region.
FCB's Asia-Pacific president and chief executive officer Ben Barnes
said: "We put together a global brand exercise for them and a strategic
vision of where they should go and this dovetailed with their thoughts
for the business.
"They see Asia and Latin America as big growth markets."
FCB's key task will be to help New Zealand Milk overhaul its marketing
and brand development processes across the world.
According to the company's global marketing director Mike Harley: "Among
the agency's lead assignments will be to help New Zealand Milk move to a
global category management system, as well as to develop global brand
marketing platforms for key brands and to improve synergy, quality and
efectiveness of marketing activities across key regions."
FCB has recommended a template campaign on a global basis to New Zealand
Milk and is presently discussing local market adaptions, said Mr
Barnes.
He said the primary focus would be above-the-line, but the network was
in talks to expand this to interactive as well.
Market sources say five agencies, including Saatchi & Saatchi, BBDO and
Grey, had pitched against FCB for the global assignment.
New Zealand Milk declined to comment on incumbent agency arrangements in
Asia.
FCB Malaysia managing director Andrew Crombie will coordinate the
account across Asia.
"They have a good brand coming from a market which is well thought of in
terms of agricultural imports," said Mr Barnes.
The brand, he added, benefited from the generally positive perceptions
of the country's healthy, clean and outdoors-type environment.
