Asia Specials

Since its introduction in 2015, China’s Advertising Law has been gaining greater “bite” with the most recent revision in 2018 expanding the coverage and potential penalties of the relevant statutes for false and misleading advertisements. Against this backdrop, companies need to pay greater attention to their advertising copy to avoid incurring sky-high penalties and the associated negative brand impact. On November 15, 2018, Beijing Bureau of Industry and Commerce (Haidian branch) penalized “Guazi”, a digital marketplace specializing in second-hand cars, for making a false advertising claim, “One year after establishment,…

Conference Highlights A vibrant Vietnam is rapidly integrating into the global economy. As introduced by Professor Dao Nguyen Cat, Editor-in-chief of the Vietnam Economic Times, “Vietnam’s economy grew more than 7 percent in 2018, when it also attracted a record $19 billion worth of FDI, and it concluded talks on a free trade agreement with the EU and joined the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership). It is now fully on the “radar” of international investors.” I attended the Vietnam Economic Conference held in Ho Chi Minh City…

Lynn Liu is the Director of Audience Development and Distribution Services in PR Newswire, responsible for developing media relations and online distribution network in Mainland China, including social and mobile channels. Lynn holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a Master’s Degree in Public Relations, both from the Communication University of China.  He was in Singapore on March 15, 2019, and accepted an interview request to share his insights on an evolving Chinese media landscape and its impact on PR professionals. In your opinion, what were the key changes to…

A worker takes down the sign at Dolce & Gabbana fashion show in Shanghai on Nov. 21. Photo: IC Trusted brands, corporate stock values and the reputations of chief executives were weighed down by serious challenges in 2018 that eventually landed squarely on the shoulders of Chinese public relations professionals and senior management. Here’s a summary of six public relations trends and lessons from the past year that stand out as important references for future strategizing to guide your business decisions in 2019. Trend 1: Frequent political and social incidents…

*Click here to view an updated version of this article, with figures and information from 2020. The world’s attention was recently on South Korea as the nation hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics Games at PyeongChang in February.  As one of the affluent countries in the APAC region, South Korea has been wowing the world with high-tech devices and impressive innovations, as well as creating a worldwide k-pop sensation. In addition to that, South Korea is leading the region in terms of overall internet penetration (93%) and it also has the highest penetration (84%)…