Nitro was awarded the business without pitch two weeks ago, ahead of incumbent agency Lowe.
The victory is a significant gain for the agency, with InBev regarded as China's second largest brewer, according to Stephen Drummond, Nitro China group managing director and head of planning.
The victory is a significant gain for the agency, with InBev regarded as China's second largest brewer, according to Stephen Drummond, Nitro China group managing director and head of planning.
Drummond pointed out that Baisha beer currently holds about a 70 per cent share of the market in its home province of Hunan, but is facing increased competition nationally.
"We are delighted to be on the roster of such a great client like InBev and it's an exciting marketing and creative challenge at this stage of China's development," he said.
"(It's a) rebuilding phase for this local market leader as it comes under increasing pressure from international, national and local beers, including Budweiser and Tsing Tao." Drummond noted the China beer market was growing between five and eight per cent each year, a trend which he expects to continue over the next decade, with much of the market expansion coming from the restaurant on-trade sector, which is up more than 25 per cent in some of the more affluent provinces. Nitro forecasts per capita consumption of beer to double over the same period to 46 litres annually, compared to Australia at 100 litres annually and South Africa at 60 litres. "China is one of the world's biggest beer markets by volume, but it is also a highly fragmented one with about 400 brewers. Pricing is rock-bottom, with a bottle of brew costing as little as 16 US cents."
