Publicis drinks in PepsiCo China media win

The Pepsi tagline 'That's what I like' may be ringing out in Publicis Groupe's China HQ today as the company announces its appointment as media agency for PepsiCo in China, following a pitch run by Ebiquity.

Mindshare was the incumbent.

The scope covers integrated media planning and buying duties across PepsiCo’s beverage and food brands, including Pepsi, Mirinda, 7Up, Gatorade, Bubly, Lay's, Quaker, Doritos and Cheetos. 

The term is three years, and the contract officially began Friday (April 1).

The group has created a bespoke offering with a somewhat tongue-twisting name, 'Plus+ by Publicis'. Led by Zenith, it is "an ecosystem of media, creativity, and technology" that "unlocks growth in the dynamic marketplace with consumer-centric solutions and transformational, data-driven capabilities", according to the group.

"We are truly honored to be appointed as PepsiCo’s media agency in China”, Jane Lin-Baden, managing partner for APAC and CEO of North Asia of Publicis Groupe, said in a release. “This provides an incredible opportunity to work with some of the most iconic brands in the industry. Our team is so motivated and excited to apply the best of our thinking and capabilities to create winning momentum for PepsiCo in China.”

"The category has undergone major changes in recent years with the growth of BBAT, big data and the power of influencers and the need for more diverse, environmentally friendly, offerings," Greg Paull, principal at pitch consultancy R3, told Campaign Asia-Pacific (although R3 was not involved in this pitch). "Publicis will need to bring in more integral capabilities and partners with more full-funnel capabilities than just simply awareness-focused thinking

Campaign Asia-Pacific has reached out to Mindshare for comment.