China – Ogilvy China has been selected by Inner Mongolia Mengtai Group (Mengtai Group), the group that operates as a coal operation company, to lead the brand strategy consulting for its Mengtai Whiskey Distillery. The distillery is the group’s first foray in the area of Whiskey.
For the remit, Ogilvy Consulting will be assisting the Mengtai Whiskey Distillery to plan and launch a new Chinese whiskey brand, and help to establish China as one of the strong players of the international whiskey scene along the likes of Ireland, Scotland, the United States, Canada, and Japan.
The company wants to take advantage of the market’s whiskey sector which is undergoing rapid transformation, turning from simply being a ‘whiskey consumption market’ into a ‘whiskey production region’. The Ordos plateau, situated in the southern part of Inner Mongolia and where the Mengtai Group’s distillery is based, carries a similar climate as Scotland, making it an ideal region to launch a high-quality whiskey brand.
In October 2021, the first batch of distillery equipment was manufactured in Scotland and shipped to Inner Mongolia for assembly with operations expected to start in 2022, making Mengtai Distillery the first whiskey distillery in Inner Mongolia.
Ogilvy Consulting’s remit will focus on business strategy and consulting duties for the Mengtai Group. This includes market research, segmentation, product portfolio definition, as well as brand positioning, naming, and visual identity.
Ao Bo, vice chairman and vice president of the Mengtai Group, commented that they are confident that the partnership will be able to build a true world-leading Chinese whiskey brand and expand the company’s footprint even further across the globe.
“Mengtai is truly passionate and committed to developing local Chinese whiskey brands. Through our cooperation with Ogilvy Consulting China, we have gained even more confidence about bringing this project to fruition. As whiskey enthusiasts, just like many other Chinese consumers, we are looking forward to being able to taste domestically produced whiskey,” said Bo.
Sandy Ng, president of Ogilvy Consulting in China, commented saying, “We are honored to be working with the Mengtai Group’s leadership team on this brand creation project, which truly exemplifies the breadth and depth of our Consulting offering, from data-led brand positioning and architecture design to product visual identity and naming, all the way to portfolio and integrated communications strategy.”
Chris Reitermann, CEO for Ogilvy Asia & Greater China, adds, “It is an immense pleasure to be partnering with the Mengtai Group to together pave a new way for the Chinese whiskey industry. The future is full of exciting opportunities in this category and as part of our focus on being the best platform and partner for growth for our clients, we look forward to leveraging our expertise in developing strong brands globally and in China to help the Mengtai Group build a strong and sustainable business for years to come.”
