Posted by: Elias Glenn on 2008.10.29 14:47 in Elias

Chronic businessman Shi Yuzhu -- who is CEO of online game company Giant Interactive (NYSE: GA), launched China's most extensively-advertised health supplements and holds substantial stakes in several Chinese banks -- has signed a partnership, through his investment company Giant Investment, to market and sell a new "health liquor" with Sichuan-based liquor manufacturer Wuliangye (000858.SZ).

Shi and his team are known for the marketing abilities, and this article about the partnership says that Giant Investment's nationwide network of 150 sales branches, 1,800 sales offices and 290,000 sales outlets will be used to push the new liquor. This is the same sales and marketing muscle that has been used to make Giant Interactive's online games into some of the most profitable in the industry. It is also likely no coincidence that the health liquor's name, "Huang Jin Jiu," is similar to the name of one of Shi's well-known health supplements, "Huang Jin Da Dao."

The article said that Giant Investment plans to spend RMB 300 million marketing the liquor between November, 2008 and February, 2009, with Shi claiming sales will reach RMB 1 billion during the three months.