Just completed a trip through Hong Kong and Singapore to meet with other corporate communications and marketing companies.
PR in Asia takes different strategies, and Western
corporate communications needs to be adapted; so local intel is critical.
In most countries Government Relations bears no resemblance to what we do in the West. And each Asian country has its own style of Media Relations, with various shades of censorship. In most countries, Community Engagement is in its infancy, and so there’s a huge variation in the use of social media.
So how do we form relationships? Well, patiently, and listening carefully, without the assumed strategies and tactics we share in the West.
(N.B. Peter Wilkinson in Sydney was formerly APAC (Asia/Pacific) regional president of IPREX, an organisation of more than 70 independent PR agencies including a growing number in Asia.)
Hi Peter, Your comments spot on. As you know I have history of business in Asia and in fact still have work in the region. It is essential to understand the differences in doing business. Chief amongst these is the requirement to be respectful and to be circumspect about business matters and to realise that relationships matter. Successful Australian business people in Asia spend huge amounts of time and effort to foster working relationships, to understand the cultures, and to be aware that as Australians we are doing business in their patch. Thanks for the piece. D