Hakuhodo and Zenith swoop in on $5m Kao HK account

<p>HONG KONG: Zenith Media has teamed up with Hakuhodo to win the </p><p>HK$40 million (about US$5.1 million) Kao media </p><p>account. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Japanese cosmetics brand had put the business up for pitch as it </p><p>sought to achieve a greater media buying efficiency in Hong Kong in </p><p>combination with effective creative recommendations. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The pitch also saw Optimum Media Direction team up with I&S BBDO, the </p><p>eighth-largest agency in Japan, which is majority-owned by BBDO, both </p><p>part of the Omnicom network. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The incumbent, Dentsu Hong Kong, lost out while trying to hang on to the </p><p>assignment along with long-time media agency partner, The Media </p><p>Edge. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Zenith regional director Roland Crouch described the alliance as a </p><p>one-off relationship, capping negotiations that occurred over the past </p><p>12 months. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In Japan, Zenith currently partners with Yomiko Advertising. However, </p><p>the latter does not have a presence in Hong Kong. Crouch said that the </p><p>arrangement could open the door to other similar arrangements with </p><p>Hakuhodo in the future. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"This is a very unique first step for us and we believe it could lead to </p><p>something regional," he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Right now, it's one step at a time but only if both sides feel we can </p><p>add value." </p><p><BR><BR> </p>