HEADLINES: Coke China retains McCann amid stiff Pepsi rivalry

Coca-Cola has retained McCann-Erickson Guangming as its China agency following a shootout against Ogilvy & Mather, Publicis and Lowe. The beverage giant is facing stiff competition from rival Pepsi, and a source described the pitch as an attempt to develop "outstanding creativity" to beat its competitor. "Coca-Cola is quite strong in Hong Kong, but the brand's position in China isn't as clear cut. One of Pepsi's strong points is that the celebrities it uses to appeal to the teenage market are more consistent, and this helps in the building of the brand," the source said. ZenithMedia will continue to handle the media brief.