Ruder Finn Adds to Luxury Client List With 4 New Wins

Ruder Finn Asia lands projects from Girard-Perregaux, Belles Montres, De Grisogono and TOD's

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Jul 26, 2011, 01:37 ET

SHANGHAI, July 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ruder Finn Inc., one of the world's largest independent integrated communications agencies, has been awarded four large luxury clients based out of their China offices: TOD's luxury Italian leather goods, Girard-Perregaux high end luxury watches, Belles Montres the premier international watchmaker and collectors showcase and De Grisogono a high-end jewelry brand from Switzerland.

Ruder Finn has been appointed to handle the publicity for luxury watch manufacturer, Girard-Perregaux's 220th Anniversary celebrations. Girard-Perregaux, an haute horlogerie Swiss manufacturer, will be bringing pieces from its Swiss museum to Shanghai to showcase its rich history and fine watchmaking traditions since 1791. Ruder Finn is charged with driving the publicity leading up to the event in October and throughout the exhibit while it is open to the public.

Belles Montres, Europe's leading Salon of Haute Horlogerie for the public, will debut in Shanghai from October 26th to 30th at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. Belles Montres has been a reference for watch makers and collectors in Paris for the past five years and it is the only international showcase dedicated to the public.

De Grisogono, a high-end jewelry and watch brand from Switzerland, will be entering the Chinese market with the opening of their first China boutique later this year. The intricacies and glamour of the brand have been well appreciated by the Chinese media at Baselworld, the leading Watch and Jewelry Show in Switzerland, and more recently at the Cannes Film Festival, with many international celebrities wearing their brand.

TOD's, a luxury Italian fashion brand, hosted a gala dinner in Shanghai during which their new global signature collection was unveiled. The collection, a range of luxury leather goods that celebrated the famous Gommino pattern, was launched exclusively to the Asian market, underlining the strong link between the Italian brand and China.

Ruder Finn has long been regarded as a luxury expert in Asia with clients such as Cartier, Givenchy, Hermes, Bang & Olufsen and Hennessy. Ruder Finn was recognized by leading China publication 21st Century Business Herald through its Award for The Best Service Provider of Luxury Industry. Ruder Finn Asia's third annual China Luxury Forecast 2011 will soon be published, giving additional insights in behavior and purchasing trends, specifically in the online segment. The report has been regularly quoted in international media as the benchmark for the industry in Greater China.

"China is seeing strong growth in the luxury sector, from fashion to watches to jewelry. Luxury brands are also getting serious about using digital communications, especially social media, which is proving to be highly influential and effective," said Gao Ming, VP and General Manager, Ruder Finn Shanghai. "Our long-standing experience and leadership in luxury PR means we can provide quality deliverables to our clients."

CEO Kathy Bloomgarden added, "The rapid expansion of China's luxury market has opened an exciting new dynamic industry for luxury goods companies. Ruder Finn was one of the first public relations agencies in China, establishing ourselves over two decades ago. We are the best partners to provide deep understanding of market opportunities, insight into strategy and positioning, and the capabilities to execute the concrete steps which differentiate clients and support commercial activities."

Ruder Finn, Inc. is one of the largest independent integrated communication firms in the world, with offices in the United States and Europe, as well as in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Singapore in Asia. Through these offices and our affiliates worldwide, the agency serves the global and local communication needs of over 250 corporations, governments and nonprofit organizations. For more than 60 years, the Ruder Finn name has been synonymous with excellence in communications. Ruder Finn's global strategic focus is on four operational pillars, which constitute the core of our growth – Health & Wellness, Corporate & Public Trust, Technology & Innovation and Consumer Lifestyle. Those four pillars are supported by award winning divisions such as RFI Studios, focusing on Social Media and ePR, as well as Insight, which focus on research and trends, producing the China Luxury Forecast and the CSR Index with Tsinghua University. For more information on Ruder Finn, please visit www.ruderfinn.com or www.ruderfinnasia.com.