BlueFocus Communications Group and CCO Partner to Promote Chinese Brands in U.S.
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
Clear Channel Outdoor and BlueFocus Communications Group (BFCG) one of the largest communications groups in China, today (July 2, 2014) announced a groundbreaking multiyear deal to promote prominent Chinese brands to American consumers via Clear Channel’s digital out-of-home media in Times Square and in major U.S. airports.
The agreement will see the first ads in San Francisco International Airport.
Clear Channel Outdoor developed a winning proposal for BFCG which leveraged unique and powerful assets in Times Square through Clear Channel Spectacolor and at SFO through Clear Channel Airports. BFCG invested in and founded a brand new company – Beijing Blueskyfall Media Advertising Co. Ltd. to operate this project.
Starting out as a public relations consultancy in 1996 and listed on Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2010, BlueFocus has developed into a conglomerate specializing in digital marketing, public relations, creative advertising planning/media agency, events management and international communications. Committed to the strategic goals of ‘digitalization’ and ‘globalization’, BFCG envisions its business revenues will be ten times the present level in ten years. Revenue in 2013 reached RMB 3.58 billion. The Group today has an estimated market capitalization of over RMB 25 billion (stock price). (The renminbi is the official currency of the People’s Republic of China. The yuan is the basic unit of the renminbi, but is also used as a synonym of the currency, especially in international contexts.)
Over the past few years, the rapid growth of BFCG has drawn wide attention from the global communications industry. On the Holmes Report Global Ranking of PR Firms, BFCG has soared from the 75th place in 2007 to the 19th place in 2013; it has won several Gold SABRE Awards and IPRA Golden World Awards.
In the context of globalization, BFCG’s leadership teams in China and the U.S. will focus on helping their clients succeed with U.S. consumers via strategic marketing and media partnerships.
In making the announcement, Peter Mao, president of BlueFocus Communications Group said, “An increasing number of Chinese cities and commercial brands are eyeing global markets. We recognize their needs for building brands globally, and the U.S. market is essential to the success of any brand with global aspirations.
“We chose Clear Channel Outdoor as our partner because of its leadership position in the most important U.S. markets including New York’s Times Square, its comprehensive portfolio of solutions, and because of its pioneering success creating consumer engagement with social media and other digital platforms.”
Clear Channel Outdoor claims position as the largest outdoor advertising company in the U.S. and the leader in the transformation of out-of-home display formats to digital. CCO’s national network of more than 1,000 large format digital billboards now reaches more than 80 million adults monthly.
Its brand division, Clear Channel Airports, has successfully developed and maintained a comprehensive network of advertising media in major airports in North America and has over 280 airports worldwide.
Its other brand division, Clear Channel Spectacolor, specializes in custom experiential marketing programs and out-of-home spectaculars in Times Square, Las Vegas and other venues across large and unique ad panels, full motion video screens and wallscapes.
“BlueFocus boasts a rich history of conceptualizing and executing game changing advertising campaigns for
its diverse and prestigious client base,” said Suzanne Grimes, president and COO, Clear Channel Outdoor-North America. “This multi-year deal extends our scale and scope and creativity to their global expansion as we collaborate to push the boundaries of out-of-home for BlueFocus’ clients who are seeking to engage with the US audience in even more meaningful ways.”
BlueFocus Communication Group‘s clients include almost 100 Fortune 500 companies in the IT, automobile, consumer goods, real estate, Internet, finance, and entertainment industries. Headquartered in Beijing, BFCG has many branches in the capital cities of various provinces, as well as a global network that covers Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, North America, and Europe.
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