Carat scoops Wanglaoji Herbal Tea planning business

Euro RSCG currently holds the advertising account for the herbal drinks brand. In May 2009, WE Marketing Beijing won the creative development business for one of Wanglaoji’s communication campaigns for 2009 and 2010.

The brand held its first ever media pitch in 2005, handing duties for a charged-up media budget to Mindshare ahead of a major marketing push for the following year. Media was formerly run in-house.

Specialising mainly in herbal teas and treatments for minor ailments, Wanglaoji is seeking to raise its game against around a dozen similarly-named products from rival firms differentiated only by their packaging and their logo. For several years, Wanglaoji has aimed to break out of this commoditised category by placing its products in different media environments that support its brand essence.

Media until this point had concentrated on newspaper buys, coupled with some local provincial TV. 

In 2009, Wanglaoji, which ranked nowhere in Hurun's brand value list the previous year, leaped to the 49th ranking largely due to its generous donation of 100 million yuan to the Sichuan earthquake victims.

The Guangdong-based drink firm created a huge intangible asset through positive and healthy brand building and marketing, and its brand value is estimated to have hit US$540 million.

ZenithOptimedia is currently working on Wanglaoji's green packet media business.