Kangshifu ropes in Yen for revamp

<p>BEIJING: Mainland food group Kangshifu has signed on Taiwanese </p><p>celebrity Ritchie Yen to relaunch its ice tea brand in a nationwide </p><p>campaign which is due to break in the next few days. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The brand is looking to capture the traditionally strong demand during </p><p>the peak April-August summer season for beverages in this category. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Set to roll out across the mainland and Hong Kong by next week, the </p><p>relaunch campaign has been developed to help Kangshifu counter stiff </p><p>competition from local brands as well as the Tong Yi label, marketed by </p><p>Taiwan's President food group. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Kangshifu launched its ice tea brand in the late '90s, but the market </p><p>has since been flooded with a number of local competitors. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Grey Worldwide: Beijing is handling the relaunch. The agency, however, </p><p>declined to disclose billings. Grey's appointment marks the first time </p><p>the food and beverage conglomerate is working with a multinational 4A's </p><p>advertising agency on any of its brands. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Frankie Chan, general manager of Grey Beijing subsidiary G3, said </p><p>Kangshifu will also invest in a major below-the-line activity in the </p><p>mainland in the coming summer months. He said the below-the-line </p><p>activity would be a significant exercise, extend ing beyond the usual </p><p>consumer promotions the brand had done in the past. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Singer/actor Yen, who fronted a campaign for hongkong.com last year, has </p><p>been chosen based on his popularity in the mainland and Hong Kong and </p><p>because his "cool image" fitted in with the campaign's objective to </p><p>portray the "icy feeling" of consuming the ice tea brand. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Market observers say Kangshifu is seeking to grow into a full food and </p><p>beverage conglomerate since diversifying its instant noodle operation to </p><p>enter the bakery and beverage business in the mid-'90s. 'Kangshifu wants </p><p>to develop the beverage business and the ice tea brand is a very </p><p>important part of it," said Chan. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It is understood that the company intends to build Kangshifu as its </p><p>corporate umbrella brand, while developing different brand names for its </p><p>various product categories. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>