• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, July 3, 2012

WPP’s Ogilvy & Mather has signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” for a strategic partnership with one of China’s wealthiest provinces, Jiangsu.

Under the agreement, a first for the province, O&M will provide advertising marketing and branding services for the province, as well individual cities and companies within Jiangsu. The ad shop will also sponsor a new institute at the province’s Nanjing University designed, in part, to develop talent in various communications disciplines.

Miles Young, O&M global chairman and CEO, stated that the agreement signals a shift, “from ‘made in Jiangsu’ to ‘created in Jiangsu,’ from making products bearing other people’s brand names to creating Jiangsu’s own brands. This is key to driving the economic development and globalization of Jiangsu Province.”

In 2011, for the third consecutive year, Jiangsu reported the second-highest GDP of all Chinese provinces, with 11% growth year-on-year, per WPP.

O&M will implement branding strategies designed to attract foreign investment and tourism to Jiangsu Province, and enhance its global profile. The shop will also service the growing need for communications and branding services by Jiangsu-based companies and public sector institutions as they expand internationally.

The new educational facility is called the Nanjing University-Ogilvy Institute of Creativity. In addition to fostering new talent, it is designed to promote academic exchange between Chinese and international students, as well as drive improved research capabilities in advertising and related fields.

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