Nitro wins out after epic eLong battle

<P>China's number two online travel service provider eLong has tapped Nitro China for its full communications brief, as the brand gears up for an assault on market leader, Ctrip.com.</P> <P>The appointment marks the first time eLong - the China arm of global online travel service provider Expedia - has turned to an agency for its communications duties, and follows an exhaustive nine-month review process that involved up to ten unnamed shops.</P> <P>Stephen Drummond, group managing director and head of planning for Nitro China, said the agency's immediate task was to evaluate the brand's strengths and weaknesses.</P> <P>"It's very early days. Right now we need to complete a full audit of the brand, and really get a feel for the overall market, so we're not at the stage yet of finalising a campaign," he said.</P> <P>Drummond added the main priorities facing the brand included tapping into the vast potential of the China travel market, and leveraging the strengths of Expedia.</P> <P>"It's got a lot of gravitas in a brand and in a technology sense that comes from its links with Expedia, so that power is obviously something that can be utilised in many ways," he said.</P> <P>"And, increasingly, Chinese consumers are travelling more and more outside China, so Expedia's connection will become even more relevant as well," Drummond added.</P>