Chinese ‘junk’ car industry in need of PR help June 4, 2008
Posted by paulprdixon in : Crisis Communications, Media Focus, PR in the PRC , add a commentIn April Beijing welcomed the world to its international Auto Show; a show where Chinese models - of the breathing kind - drew more admiration from western visitors than what local manufacturers had to offer with four wheels.
The Chinese auto industry’s often charismatic CEOs vociferously state international aspirations to sell cars from Gettysburg to Greenwich, but one has to wonder how they are going to achieve this when its high-end brands, such as Brilliance, spectacularly fail North American and European safety tests. Brilliance’s head-on collision with six feet of concrete was so bad that the video made its way onto YouTube (below) for car aficionados - and potential buyers - to mock. The fact Brilliance aptly names its range as the ‘BS’ series only added to the fodder, proving, if proof were needed, that Chinese companies going global have a lot to learn about branding.
Below: Briliance’s ‘BS’ series spectacularly fails crash test
As far as the perception of Chinese cars goes in the West, the theme du jour is one of safety. Consumers don’t care how cheap a Chinese car branded ‘Great Wall’ is when the name seems to originate from the wall that crumpled it in a crash test. And the western media lap it up, with headlines ranging from Chinese cars not too crash hot to Crash Course in Quality for Chinese Cars. (more…)
Beijing Olympics: Clooney sets Omega Alarm Bells Ringing March 12, 2008
Posted by paulprdixon in : Crisis Communications, Media Focus, PR in the PRC , 1 comment so farGeorge Clooney, the Hollywood superstar turned celebrity diplomat for the day, is making the headlines for pressuring Omega – a Beijing Olympics sponsor – to speak out about China’s willingness to exchange crates of weapons for barrels of Sudanese oil regardless of the Darfur genocide.
All cheers, but for how long?
Clooney, who is on Omega’s celebrity endorsement list, set the watchmaker’s alarm bells ringing by stating to the BBC: “I have talked with Omega (about China) for over a year and will continue to talk to Omega. I have and will go to the places I and China do business and ask for help.”
Omega, part of Switzerland’s Swatch Group, demonstrated its timekeeping and communications credentials with a fast and effective response; clearly Omega (whose logo appears on Beijing’s Olympic countdown clock in Tiananmen Square) is doing its homework on the PR time-bomb ticking away as the ‘Genocide Olympics’ draws closer.
Its response, from Swatch Group chief executive Nick Hayek, delivered all the elements necessary for a successful media hose-down. As this blog has said before, employing the CAP principle (Concern, Action, and Perspective) is what gets you out of trouble with the media – not a provocative hand in the camera accompanied by a ‘no comment’ that seems to work so well in Hollywood movies. (more…)
Darfur: China’s sophisticated, and not so sophisticated PR Strategy February 15, 2008
Posted by paulprdixon in : Crisis Communications, PR in the PRC , add a commentStephen Spielberg has been making the headlines this week over his decision to quit as an artistic advisor to the Beijing Olympics. The multi-award winning director announced his decision on Tuesday, after almost a year of unsuccessfully prodding China to do more in ending Sudan’s attacks in the Darfur region.
Prodding not having the desired effect on Hu Jintao, Spielberg delivered a hammer blow to Beijing through the public way he announced his decision – forcing the Chinese government to respond on an issue it doesn’t want to talk about.
I don’t recommend wearing the T-shirt in Tiananmen Square
By Wednesday, a spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy in Washington said, “As the Darfur issue is neither an internal issue of China nor is it caused by China, it is completely unreasonable, irresponsible and unfair to link the two as one.” But as the International Herald Tribune notes, Beijing had yet to respond to requests for comment on Spielberg’s decision.
On Thursday, after a long night in Zhong Nan Hai (China’s White House meets Camp David and planted in the center of Beijing) crafting its response, Beijing did make comment. And it was actually pretty good; if today’s front page of English language government mouthpiece - the China Daily – is anything to go by.
Western media reporting on China IPR issues skewed February 15, 2008
Posted by paulprdixon in : PR in the PRC , add a commentMy employer, AC Capital Strategic Public Relations, recently launched it’s re-vamped blog: Off The Record.
Focusing on China more specifically, it offers a great insight into PR and media relations in the world’s fastest growing economy, so please visit the blog and see what’s being posted by ACC’s team whenever you can.
Below is the beginning of an article I wrote, titled: Western media reporting on China IPR issues skewed. Shamelessly hoping to direct traffic to our new blog and raise awareness, to read the full post please click here. Cheers.
A Beijing court has ruled in favour of international auction house Sotheby’s in a trademark-infringement case after a Chinese auction company used the same name in Chinese.
‘PR isn’t rocket science, but it is’ November 30, 2007
Posted by paulprdixon in : Media Focus, PR in the PRC , add a commentOriginally posted on 11 September 2007
Newly appointed Chinese Health Minister, Chen Zhu, whilst concluding his media debut last week received a rare round of applause from the assembled journalists. Lauded as being part of a new generation of media-savvy Chinese leaders, the minister has received praise that includes his avoidance of using ‘no comment’. Instead, questions were met with a warm smile and a gentle persona.
For a journalist looking for a story, not necessarily a negative one, there is nothing more frustrating than hearing a ‘no comment’. For PR folks, it is equally disappointing when opportune moments present themselves for key messages to be delivered – only for them to be wasted. ‘Was not available for comment’ changes a story with the potential to be positive into one that leaves the negative image of a tall well-dressed faceless man, when confronted by a reporter armed with a voice recorder, swiftly making a bee-line for the revolving-door.
One World, One Dream, One Weather Rocket November 30, 2007
Posted by paulprdixon in : PR in the PRC , add a commentOriginally posted on 9 August 2007
Last night 10,000 ‘ordinary’ people gathered in Tiananmen Square to celebrate the one-year countdown to the Beijing Olympic Games. That’s according to government mouthpiece, Xinhua news agency. However if you listen to the BBC you will learn it wasn’t exactly a ‘Party in the Park’ atmosphere for the whole family to enjoy – all 10,000 are far from ordinary and were exclusively handpicked by the Chinese government; the average Zhou not even enjoying a distant glimpse of the fireworks through the thick blanket of smog.
However, the real event that took place yesterday and one that really split the media, was not the singing and dancing at Tiananmen, but the current visit by International Olympic Committee President, Jacques Rogge, who is in town to ‘plant trees’ (it’s a green Olympics after all), meet Olympic volunteers, and amongst other activities – answer questions from the media.
‘Wild, Wild East’ Draws PR Card November 30, 2007
Posted by paulprdixon in : PR in the PRC , add a commentOriginally posted 31 July 2007
On Sunday the New York Times, beaten by a similar Washington Post article on July 14, reported that Ogilvy Public Relations has been enlisted to help the Chinese government spin positive messages to American and Chinese consumers following a tumultuous six months where cardboard filled baozi (steamed dumplings) to toxic-toothpaste have made more of an impression on their ears than in their mouths.
With a heightened sense of economic realpolitik, consumers on both sides of the Pacific aren’t of course the only group the Chinese government wishes to influence: Every US product quality enforcement agency and their EU counterparts have been hot on the heels of the Chinese – so much so, it seems less adversarial responses have been replaced by a more open, communicative approach. The Washington Post reported that Edelman Public Relations and Capitol Hill lobbying groups are also assisting the Chinese government produce articulate, positive responses when dealing with the relentless product-quality scandals hitting China this year.
Thumbs Down to Beijing’s Western Media November 30, 2007
Posted by paulprdixon in : PR in the PRC , add a commentOriginally posted 20 July 2007
The Times (London) writes: “Web censorship is failing, says Chinese official”. Understood. I’ll now flap my wings and fly to Neverland. Are we really supposed to believe the vice-minister at the Chinese State Information Office even alluded to a failed Government policy to censor the Internet? Granted, he did say that “blocking bad news” is becoming more difficult given the wide use of new information technologies (i.e. the Internet). But he made the comments in reference to blocking information in a crisis situation (highlighted by the recent brick kiln scandal) - making reference to so some key crisis management skills that should be utilised in the future: communicate early, frequently and actively engage the media. His comments are actually quite encouraging. We ask our clients to think of one positive story from the Western media here inBeijing – needless to say, they are few and far between. It was an obvious headline for the Times’ Beijing correspondent – but the fact is, the vice-minister never said that.
For a more balanced take you can check out what I wrote, as seen below. Cheers
Brick Kiln Scandal Puts Heat on Chinese Government Crisis Management November 30, 2007
Posted by paulprdixon in : PR in the PRC , add a commentOriginally posted 17 July 2007
Yesterday, an interesting article appeared above the fold on the second page of China’s English language newspaper - the China Daily - regarding urges made by the vice-minister of the State Council Information Office for local governments to be more open and transparent. According to the vice-minister, attempts to block media coverage of negative incidents was “too naïve” and that “blocking bad news” was becoming more difficult, given the wide use of new information technologies and also the central government’s commitment to information transparency.
The reason why a senior official came out with this is of course due to the headline-grabbing brick kiln slave scandal; children were abducted and sold to brickyards in several counties in Shanxi (a province west of Beijing) then forced to labour 14 hours a day without sufficient food.