GolinHarris' F&B practice in China wins Coca-Cola and Unilever accounts

Sarah Chin, director, Shanghai
Sarah Chin, director, Shanghai.

Leading public relations agency GolinHarris today announced that it has won accounts from Coca-Cola and Unilever Foodsolutions in China, adding two more marquee names to its growing Food and Beverage practice roster in the mainland. GolinHarris has demonstrated unsurpassed capability in F&B since launching the practice in late 2007, and the two new blue-chip clients will join other prominent brands such as Zespri New Zealand Kiwifruit and Nestea.

In a related move, GolinHarris regional managing director John Morgan said the agency would promote Sarah Chin, Food and Beverage practice leader in China, to director in Shanghai with immediate effect. She will report directly to Morgan and take on responsibility for further developing the consumer marketing practice and its client relationships while maintaining her F&B role.

"Sarah joined our Taiwan office eight years ago, and after a long series of achievements in consumer PR there, she made the move to Shanghai in 2004 to help develop the firm's business in the mainland,” Morgan said. "Since her arrival, she has steadily grown our F&B practice and brand. She is a creative strategist and excellent practice leader, and I believe GolinHarris will benefit from her promotion. GolinHarris continues to compete extremely well against larger, more established competitors in China due to our creativity and strategic thinking”.

GolinHarris will play a strategic consulting role in PR with Coca-Cola on its campaign to promote Coke with Meal theme. For Unilever Food solutions, it will begin the second year of service in its campaign dedicated to expanding and enhancing Unilever's brand awareness as one of the world's leading global food service businesses.

GolinHarris, known for maintaining some of the world's longest-lasting agency-client relationships, has been Zespri New Zealand Kiwifruit's partner for seven years, while Unilever Foodsolutions and Lee Kum Kee have been clients since last year.

Speaking about her company's relationship with GolinHarris, Joy Lo, senior marketing communication manager of China for Unilever Foodsolutions, said, "Numbers do not lie. Without the support of a strategic business partner like GolinHarris, many of our targets cannot be achieved. I believe our relationship will deliver even greater success in 2009.”

Sarah Chin added: "Companies should select an agency that thinks and acts like a good chef—someone who knows how to collect the best ideas and use the freshest approach to appeal to the tastes of as many consumers as possible. This is especially true during the current economic recession. Manufacturers must be more creative and strategic in delivering their message to achieve their marketing and business objectives.”

Demonstrating GolinHarris' confidence in the F&B industry in China, the firm has invested substantially in talent retention, recruitment, training, and media and key opinion leader relationships. It also often takes a unique approach to campaigns. "We often like to think about the food business in relation to society, so our recent work has involved charity as well as eating and entertainment,” said Chin. "We want people to feel great about the clients we support.”



Speech calls for corporations to get real

John Morgan, GolinHarris regional managing director for Greater China, was recently invited to Chinese University in Hong Kong (CUHK) to give a talk entitled, "Get Real: Consumers Call for Corporate Authenticity.”

In front of an audience of some 100 students and academics, Morgan, along with associate director and new media thought leader Madison Wai, shared insights into how authenticity is a winning formula for maintaining corporate reputation. John also highlighted how being transparent and authentic is crucial because Web 2.0 enables consumers to engage like never before. This is especially important as business and political leaders try to manage one of the most challenging economic times of the past century.

Morgan last spoke at CUHK in 2007 for the firm's 50th anniversary celebrations, where founder Al Golin was the headline speaker.


Public opinion counts more than ever

people conducting survey
Perception audits can provide a snapshot of how external audiences view a company

In today's world—where information is freely available and rapidly disseminated—having a deep understanding of public perception is critical for delivering brand messages and burnishing corporate reputations.

Perception audits can add much value to this process. They provide a snapshot of how external audiences view a company and a truer understanding of how significant initiatives such as product launches, management changes, acquisitions and corporate restructurings are perceived by stakeholders.

Over the past year, the Hong Kong office of GolinHarris has been conducting extensive surveys with various high-profile clients to help determine the perceptions of market influencers. To do this, quantitative and qualitative surveys are conducted in several phases to track how public opinion evolves over certain period of time.

The team first develops a list of relevant key stakeholders and influencers and then formulates the appropriate line of questions, which are aimed at exploring the company's strategic direction. Consultants then carry out in-depth one-on-one interviews with various groups, from political influencers and shareholders to academics and green group activists, to provide a comprehensive analysis and strategic recommendations.

The results provide valuable feedback on positioning, messaging and the success of a company's communications efforts. More importantly, they help identify areas that need to be addressed, guide future marketing programs and determine proper strategies for engaging with key stakeholders.