How to Measure PR Performance: 3 Key Questions
In times of crisis, companies see the importance of reviewing their PR strategies more than ever. It is vital to constantly plan and adapt communications strategies to move along with the uncertainties. For better planning, companies need to take a step back and evaluate their past strategies and performance to understand what worked and what didn't. Here are 3 questions that can help PR professionals understand their performance better. 1. How did the company perform when it comes to news mentions? Monitoring your brand's coverage across all media channels is integral to proving a PR campaign's success. Google Alerts may be a good way to keep track of what's being discussed on the surface, but a monitoring tool accurately tells when and where media mentions are taking place. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1202"] Measure and highlight campaigns or pitches that show effective results. This graph shows that media mentions of Kavalan whisky peaked when it issued press releases on 2 September and 11 November. (Image: Cision Communications Cloud)[/caption] Also, go beyond monitoring and paint a bigger picture in reporting by drawing comparisons with past performance, whether it's over the past year or even three years ago. The key to doing this is with a tool that offers you instant access to an extensive news archive. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="604"] News mentions of video conferencing tool Zoom in the first 100 days of 2020 (top) have exceeded its total news mentions in 2019 (bottom), thanks to a surge in users during the COVID-19 situation. (Image: Cision Communications Cloud)[/caption] 2. Which campaign or story garnered the most media attention? Ensure that you understand which story or campaign conducted in the past received the most attention from the media. Break down all the news mentions based on the campaigns conducted, or even the products promoted, and understand which ones captured the media’s attention. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="646"] A look at which smartphone products have been mentioned more in the news (top) and features or key messages are trending in the industry (bottom). (Image: Cision Communications Cloud)[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1716"] Switch the analysis to another angle by identifying the timeline when a specific message or topic gains traction in the media. This chart shows how key messages have performed in the global COVID-19 media coverage over the past three months. (Image: Cision Communications Cloud)[/caption] 3. Which story went viral? Given how social media is a huge part of almost everything, make sure that the social media component of news can also be measured. Based on social media shares, PR professionals will be able to determine whether the news or mentions are well-received. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="905"] Know exactly which articles have received high numbers of shares and get an overview of social shares on the various channels. (Image: Cision Communications Cloud)[/caption] Additionally, not all stories "blow-up" on social media during the first few days. Understand the timeline of the social shares performance to get a better understanding of why and when they went viral. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1461"] This Forbes article was shared on Twitter more than 2,500 times, but 50% of the shares (1,286 shares) happened on the 12th day after it was published on 17 March. (Image: Cision Communications Cloud)[/caption] By having data-driven insights, PR professionals can be more proactive when it comes to managing decisions and planning their communications strategies. To quote Peter Drucker, the renowned management consultant, "you can't manage what you can't measure". So, it is crucial to measure the effectiveness of your PR activities and campaigns before you can truly manage them properly. Click here to find out how Cision Communications Cloud can measure the performance and define success for your PR campaigns. This blog post is written by Ronald Khay, the Media Monitoring & Insights supervisor at PR Newswire. Based in Malaysia, Ronald oversees the media monitoring, media database and platform products for the Asia-Pacific market. You can contact him at ronald.khay@prnasia.com or connect with him on LinkedIn.
Journalists Share How COVID-19 is Affecting Media Coverage in South Korea
South Korea was one of the worst-hit countries in the early stages of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak outside China. Fortunately, the virus spread is now largely under control, thanks to effective government measures such as providing timely and transparent updates to the public, the use of self-diagnosis smartphone apps and swift implementation of a large-scale screening regime. Like many other countries, South Korea’s battle against COVID-19 has affected a wide range of industries, including communications and media. PR Newswire has been closely monitoring how South Korea media has been impacted by the health crisis. We catch up with five journalists to find out what is on their news agenda and how they are adapting to new workflows. Woo Kyeom Kim, Journalist, The Korea Industry Daily News focus Now we are mainly focusing on the business impact of COVID-19, especially on small businesses. To help our audiences, we also share the experience of companies that have effectively mitigated the business impact of COVID-19. We are covering news about cancellation and delay of promotional activities and events as well as how countries across the globe are responding to this health crisis. How have my working conditions changed? Covering in-person events and activities are off-limits now. As a result, PR professionals are looking for online alternatives. Many PR professionals have sought our advice on creating better online content and how to refresh their online platforms to attract more consumers. I’m still working from the office but I must wear a mask and the office is disinfected regularly. We also try to avoid unnecessary in-person meetings during working hours. Eunji Oh, Team Manager, KIPOST & KINEWS News focus KIPOST and KINEWS are media outlets that mainly cover the technology and finance industries. Recently, I’m focused on covering news that is related to market changes due to the COVID-19 situation, especially on the supply chain impact. I’ve also been keeping a close watch on the performance of many companies and how they’ve changed their business strategies, particularly on investment plans. How have my working conditions changed? We already had the option of working remotely even before the COVID-19 outbreak so nothing has changed much for me. However, as the government is urging people to practise social distancing seriously, it has been difficult to conduct in-person interviews. As a result, maintaining good content quality without face-to-face meetings has been one of my biggest concerns recently. Kwangha Park, Journalist, Korea Information & Telecommunication News News focus The COVID-19 outbreak has a greater impact on the Information & Telecommunications industry. Companies are opting to work from home and more people are minimizing contact through the “untact” movement, which means to “undo contact” where possible. As such, readers also want to hear more stories on how technology can be used in light of this trend and we are doing more in-depth stories on smart work technology and the “untact” movement. Many Korean software & ICT companies such as Hancom, Tmax Soft and Douzone are actively promoting newly launched smart work solutions. Also, international companies, such as CISCO, are offering free trial services for their key audiences to test their products, in order to increase sales and encourage word-of-mouth marketing about their services. How have my working conditions changed? COVID-19 has changed the work environment in South Korea. More businesses have implemented remote working arrangements and are disinfecting the office regularly. Our office is no exception. Currently, we have flexible work arrangements and are avoiding in-person meetings. Instead, we prefer to do phone calls or emails. In light of the cancellation or postponement of events and activities, some companies have decided to hold online events such as webinars as an alternative. As a result, I’m doing more product reviews rather than showing photos of products and events. In my opinion, this practice will continue even after the pandemic. Newsrooms around the world are experimenting with virtual reality as it offers an immersive experience to audiences. I think that the COVID-19 situation will encourage greater adoption of VR and 3D technology in the journalism field. Jae-Yong Ryu, CEO, ACROFAN News focus Readers in South Korea are interested to get an international perspective of their country’s measures against the spread of COVID-19. South Korea was one of the worst-hit countries in the early stages of the outbreak, which resulted in many countries suspending air travel to/from South Korea. Some Koreans, who live overseas, even experienced discrimination in some countries. However, the government has managed to control the COVID-19 infection rate with its swift response to the crisis, and most Koreans are proud of this. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea is preparing for its legislative election on 15 April. I will be closely monitoring the elections as the results might be influenced by public perceptions of the government’s response to COVID-19. How have my working conditions changed? Like everyone else, I’m trying to avoid in-person meetings and using emails, phone calls or SMS to communicate with others. I am also opting for online video meetings to replace in-person meetings. Video conferencing has become quite trendy and some companies, especially those in the education section, are providing such free tools to their customers. The widespread use is also in schools, which began the academic year with online classes. The South Korean economy is also slowing down. Some companies are unable to pay their subcontractors, while some firms are planning to lay off workers due to the COVID-19 crisis. This will result in fewer good jobs and the economy will take a very long time to recover. Taewoo Choi, Founder & Editor in chief, IT Biz News News focus I’m still mainly covering news related to IT, manufacturing, energy, and finance industries. How have my working conditions changed? COVID-19 has changed how journalists in South Korea cover the news. There are fewer events and press conferences to attend as we are all encouraged to practice social distancing and follow the “untact” movement. I can see that there has been a bigger impact on the IT and manufacturing industries, which can be felt from the cancellations of international exhibitions such as MWC (Mobile World Congress) and SEMICON KOREA. On the positive side, some IT companies are using artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to support the production of COVID-19 testing kits. Some companies are also distributing free apps to track the spread of the virus, which is very helpful to people now. Currently, I rarely conduct in-person interviews and prefer using emails, phone calls or social media platforms such as Facebook to communicate with others including PR professionals. Click here to read more stories on how journalists in APAC have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This blog post is written by Hwajin Choi, Audience Development Executive in South Korea at PR Newswire. If you would like to be featured, please get in touch with her at hwajin.choi@prnasia.com
Communications in Times of Uncertainty Webinar Highlights by Luisa Tam, Senior Editor, South China Morning Post
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered a wave of unprecedented changes in the communications industry, from event cancellations to remote working arrangements. These changes have prompted a range of responses from APAC companies in their communications with the public and media. Some companies have been ramping up their corporate social responsibility initiatives and offering their services, while others have kept a low profile. PR Newswire is organising a series of Communications in Uncertain Times webinars in APAC to gather views and insights from communications and media professionals during this challenging period. Earlier this week, we started the series in Hong Kong, where we invited Luisa Tam, Senior Editor of South China Morning Post to share her views on how brands can position themselves in the COVID-19-dominated news cycle. One way is through sharing authentic human interest stories that show a more personal and approachable side of brands. Tam also shared what is on her news agenda and the challenges of reporting on the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation. Here are the key takeaways from the webinar. 1. It is a challenging time for journalists, who are struggling to keep up with the rapid developments of COVID-19 with lean resources Over the past two months, some newsrooms in APAC have been operating on split shifts and journalists are attending fewer events, as a health precaution. Likewise, Tam has been working from home for almost a month - attending online daily editorial meetings and writing lifestyle and culture articles that are related to COVID-19. While it is important for a news organisation to get ahead of the news, she pointed out that this is not possible now as most journalists are not working on the ground. Instead, the SCMP editorial team’s current focus is to present a true picture of what is happening in Hong Kong and around the world to audiences. She added that journalists have adapted their news-gathering practices by conducting interviews via phone and video calls, which can also be used as video content. Another challenge of reporting amid the pandemic is verifying the accuracy of the information that is circulating around, especially in private channels such as WhatsApp. Tam said: “Now, we have limited ways to fact-check information, but at the same time, we need to get the news out quickly.” 2. Step into the shoes of consumers when crafting news angles Many brands and companies have stepped up their corporate social responsibility initiatives such as donating money or medical equipment. Tam cited a tangible example of how luxury goods giant LVMH has converted their perfume production facilities to produce hand sanitizers and distributed them free of charge to hospitals in France. She added that contributions from smaller companies, which are offering their services within their capacity, also matter. Examples include companies that are providing free medical supplies or food coupons to underprivileged communities in Hong Kong. “Extending kind gestures is not about how grand they are,” she said. “If you cannot do big, do it well, so that people think that it is a wonderful gesture.” At this juncture, it is paramount for brands to stay relevant and keep tabs of the COVID-19 situation, and be visible in the right context. One way of staying relevant is to craft news angles that resonate with journalists. Tam suggested that PR professionals should put themselves in the shoes of consumers on what they would like to see from media outlets. She added: “They can ask themselves what they would like to know from a brand and its services during this period.” [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="520"] Luxury goods giant LVMH converted their perfume production facilities to produce hand sanitizers. (Photo: LVMH Facebook Page)[/caption] 3. Look within your brand for organic and authentic human interest stories With the news cycle saturated with grim COVID-19 developments, what other story angles can appeal to journalists? Tam shared that she is looking out for human interest stories and public relations professionals should start looking for such opportunities within their brands. “Stories do not always have to be about people suffering, they can be about heroes in our lives,” she said. “Put a human face to this outbreak by sharing survival stories on what people are doing to help one another. Being organic and authentic is the most important thing.” Examples of COVID-19-related human interest stories include how companies are supporting staff through employee welfare initiatives, how businesses are dealing with supply chain disruptions and the CEO can share about the experience of coping with this crisis. She added that sharing good company gestures can help build a positive brand reputation in the long run. She said: “These stories can go a long way as people will remember what brands have done during difficult times.” 4. Start planning for post-COVID-19 media opportunities If your company does not have relevant stories in the current news cycle, it is fine. Tam advised that brands should not “force an angle” that could be seen as exploitative. Instead, they should monitor the developing situation to see how they can play a part. Companies can start planning media opportunities for the next news cycle - when the magnitude of the crisis begins to wane. This is when audiences are interested to read about lessons learnt by companies who have survived the crisis. She said: “People still want to know what will happen to companies in a few months and what their services can do down the road, so they have to position themselves to be ready for that.” Click here to watch the full webinar This blog post is written by Kenneth Goh, Senior Marketing Executive at PR Newswire. A former journalist, he relishes keeping track of breaking news as much as telling stories with trends and data. Connect with him via Linkedin.
Covering COVID-19: Journalists Share How Press Releases Can Get Media Coverage?
The Coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic is threatening the global economy and bringing the world on the cusp of a major recession. In these challenging times, public relations and marketing professionals need to be creative and nimble in crafting promotional and publicity strategies in order to stand out in the media landscape that is saturated with COVID19-related news. PR Newswire speaks to journalists from Hong Kong media outlets such as Sing Tao Daily, Ming Pao, Human Resources Magazine and Localiiz to find out how this crisis has shaped editorial directions and how press releases can be crafted to get attention from journalists. Ching Yuen, Editor, Localiiz Due to the pandemic, we have received fewer press releases that are related to the retail and F&B industries, and more press releases on the cancellation of events and services. At this juncture, we prefer to write articles on outdoor activities or home-based leisure activities. If public relations professionals can provide pitches and information on interesting hiking routes and outdoor activities, we will follow up on them. Since readers are spending most of their time indoors, we are prioritizing producing articles on topics such as self-improvement. During this challenging period, we also want to spread positivity through our stories as much as possible. However, we will also do stories that are related to government measures, such as providing a list of restaurants that offer food delivery services and how bars are adapting their menus to the temporary liquor ban. Although our contact with public relations professional has been reduced, we still appreciate if they can proactively update us with the latest information and developments. Charly Lam, Senior Content Manager, Features (Digital), Sing Tao Daily Lifestyle and culture-centric media outlets are paying more attention to press releases on charitable causes and health measures against the virus. Relevant news can include corporate donations and feel-good human-interest stories. The pandemic has spurred cultural institutions such as Art Basel to step up its digital transformation efforts in order to expand its audience reach. As a result, journalists are interested in reporting on how companies have adapted their operations in response to the crisis. Press releases that have COVID-19-related keywords in the headlines will attract higher click-through rates from journalists. Besides receiving relevant press releases, we are looking to feature people who are willing to go on record to share about how their lives have been disrupted by the pandemic and how they have adapted in these trying times. Besides virus-related news, we are also reporting on health-related news and conducting personality interviews on more light-hearted topics. Recently, there has been a lively discussion on the use of augmented reality for art appreciation, which has attracted some media coverage. Robert Blain, Hong Kong Editor, Human Resources Magazine In light of the COVID-19 crisis in Hong Kong and abroad, we welcome tips and information for HR professionals to help manage their employees and ensure that they continue to work safely and productively. Topics can include social distancing in the office and working from home. Given the recent travel restrictions and the liquor sales ban, it is important to update our readers on these developments and how people can stay connected with their colleagues through ways such as video conferencing. Employers can also give tips on safeguarding the mental health of their employees during this challenging period. The best way that public relations professionals can contact us is still by email or phone. Coming from a human resource-focused media, I would also encourage PR professionals to contact me via LinkedIn. Hannah Wong, Reporter, Ming Pao Finance There has been a shift in how financial journalists select information for reporting due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We are paying more attention to companies with online businesses due to an increased demand for e-commerce services. Journalists are now closely analyzing market policies in various countries such as the impact on the U.S. stock market in response to the unlimited quantitative easing measures by the Federal Reserve, and the governments’ thinking behind central banks pumping in money. As the spread of COVID-19 poses a huge threat to the global economy, I am paying more attention to news releases on foreign markets. With the sudden virus outbreak in Europe, newly listed stocks such as Alibaba and Meituan remain our top focus in our news coverage. RELATED: Journalists Share How COVID-19 is Affecting Media Coverage in Hong Kong This article is written by Kate Wong, Audience Development Manager at PR Newswire and Yannis Leung, an Audience Development Intern, who is an English Studies undergraduate at the City University of Hong Kong.
Journalists Share How COVID-19 is Affecting Media Coverage in Hong Kong
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted a wide range of industries around the world. And the communications and media sectors are no exception. Over the past month, many public relations and marketing events have been postponed or cancelled due to health concerns. Working from home has also become the new norm for some communications professionals and journalists as part of remote work arrangements by their companies. PR Newswire has been keeping a close watch on how the media in Hong Kong has been operating amid the Coronavirus situation. We catch up with five journalists from South China Morning Post, The Standard, Hong Kong Economic Times, Metro Pop and DigFin. These media outlets cover a diverse spectrum of topics, from finance, lifestyle to general news. As the virus spreads, we find out how they are looking out for news and how their work operations have changed. Luisa Tam, Senior Editor and Columnist, South China Morning Post News Focus PR and marketing professionals should respond swiftly with fresh media angles whenever the government introduces a new measure to curb the spread of the virus. These angles can touch on how businesses are adapting their operations to the developing situation. Take the temporary ban on liquor sales in bars and shops as an example, affected establishments can change their business directions by offering milkshakes instead of cocktails. Businesses can also provide health tips such as how to boost one’s immune system during this period. News that is helpful and relevant to readers has a higher chance of being reported. Interesting content that is entirely unrelated to the virus can also be covered by the media. How have my working conditions changed? I am currently working from home, but I still attend daily editorial meetings to plan and discuss the news coverage. Fraser Li, Reporter, Hong Kong Economic Times. He mainly covers corporate IT and start-up news. News Focus Readers are paying more attention to industries that have been affected by the pandemic. While news related to 5G and the iPhone may attract some readers, journalists are now mainly focused on developments in industries such as mask manufacturing, healthcare and medical during this period. How have my working conditions changed? In the past, public relations agencies would disseminate press releases to the media and journalists can decide if the news is relevant for their outlets. Due to the severe Coronavirus situation, journalists are limiting their movements and are conducting fewer face-to-face interviews. This is a good opportunity for journalists to cultivate closer relationships with PR professionals. During this period, journalists can source for news from industries that they have not covered frequently. For example, they can get insights from research analysts who can provide views and statistics on how the logistics, supply chain and tourism industries have been affected by the pandemic. Michael Shum, Reporter, The Standard. He writes about property and transport news. News Focus As the pandemic becomes more severe, I will pay more attention to press releases that contain pneumonia-related keywords. PR practitioners can entice media to pick up their press releases by including Coronavirus-related talking points in them. How have my working conditions changed? Before the Coronavirus outbreak, it was cumbersome to check work emails outside the office. However, this has become much easier nowadays with the help of Virtual Private Network (VPN). These days, I hardly go out for face-to-face interviews or attend press conferences due to health concerns. My main mode of communications with PR agencies has changed from email to WhatsApp. Jacqueline Chan , Co-founder and Chief Officer, Metro Pop News Focus The pandemic is closely intertwined with our lifestyles, so topics related to the Coronavirus and working from home are relevant to lifestyle titles such as Metro Pop. With the cancellation and delay of promotional activities, public relations agencies should continue to send press releases to the media, while keeping in touch through phone calls. Press releases should be timely and incorporate hotly discussed talking points so that the media can weave mentions of the products and event into their articles easily. Although major events such as Le French May have been cancelled due to the Coronavirus situation, the media can find creative ways of writing about related topics such as flowers that are in-season during Spring. Having fewer media events has made it more crucial to engage our audiences through quality content. Take the topic of homemade face masks as an example, the media has been featuring uniquely designed masks by home-grown brands and DIY templates for readers to make cloth masks at home. How have my working conditions changed? As there are fewer media interview opportunities, journalists need to put in more effort and creativity in order to fill the huge content gap left by the absence of events and personality interviews. Jame DiBiasio, Co-Founder & Editor, DigFin News Focus DigFin’s editorial approach has always been content-orientated. Our editorial focus is on how the Coronavirus pandemic has impacted the financial technology industry. Regardless of the virus, we always welcome insightful press releases on the industry. How have my working conditions changed? For a media outlet that covers the financial technology sector, the Coronavirus pandemic has little impact on DigFin’s editorial direction. Our mode of communicating with PR agencies has always been through emails and phone calls and this will not change. Interested to get more insights on how newsroom operations and news-gathering practices have been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic? Find out more from Luisa Tam, Senior Editor of South China Morning Post in a PR Newswire Webinar on 31 March (Tuesday), 11.30am HKT Click on the banner below to sign up now! This article is written by Kate Wong, Audience Development Manager at PR Newswire and Maggie Wong, an Audience Development Intern, who is studying at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, majoring in Journalism.
April 2020 PR Calendar Cheat Sheet: Easter, Earth Day and World Health Day
April is a month for brands to pay more attention to the environmental and health issues that are plaguing the world. Besides the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there are other pertinent global issues such as the importance of nursing and midwifery workforce in the healthcare sector. Recognising this pillar is World Health Day 2020, which aims to trigger a wave of public appreciation for nurses and midwives and their invaluable contributions. Another socially conscious occasion is Earth Day, which catalyses support for climate change. Here is a list of major events and festivals to help communicators plan their PR campaigns and activities in April 2020. Key Dates: 7 April – World Health Day 12 April – Easter 13 April – Songkran Festival (Thailand) 22 April – Earth Day 25 April – ANZAC Day (Australia) 29 April – Showa Day (Japan) April 2020 Highlights 1. World Health Day (7 April) Over the past 50 years, World Health Day has brought to light important health issues highlighted by the World Health Organization, such as mental health and childcare. With 2020 being the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, this year’s event highlights the vital role played by nurses and midwives in providing healthcare around the world. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="613"] To mark Plant Nanny app’s first anniversary, Fourdesire launched a limited-time campaign to promote environmental sustainability. (Photo: Fourdesire)[/caption] With the recent emphasis on staying healthy, Taiwan-based digital design company Fourdesire launched an upgraded version of Plant Nanny2 . The nifty water consumption reminding app allows users to keep track of how much water they consume daily. To mark the app’s first anniversary, Fourdesire launched a limited-time campaign to promote environmental sustainability. From 19 March to 15 April, a tree will be planted for every birthday wish or posted shared on the Plant Nanny2' Instagram account. American gym company Snap Fitness is partnering with global fitness platform FitnessOnDemand to provide free access to virtual workout platform for people who want to stay healthy but prefer staying at home. These workouts are designed to optimize space with little to no equipment required, which is a timely move amid growing Coronavirus concerns. 2. Easter (12 April) [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="781"] The Official 2020 White House Easter Eggs. (Photo: The White House Historical Association)[/caption] Christians celebrate this holy festival, which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and symbolizes rebirth and hope. Synonymous with Easter is the Easter Egg and Easter Bunny. It is a tradition that those who hunt more Easter Eggs will receive more blessings throughout the year. The White House Historical Association will organize its annual White House Easter Egg Roll on 13 April, when limited-edition eggs will be given to children who attend the event. The Official 2020 White House Easter Eggs, which are available for sale, will feature an illustration of the White House portico on the front and come in four Spring colours. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="898"] Kintetsu Railway offers special train services to view cherry blossoms in secluded areas in Japan. (Photo: Kintetsu Railway)[/caption] With the Easter Holidays approaching, nature lovers can view the beauty of Japan’s cherry blossoms season, which is expected to peak around 8 April. Visitors can also enjoy the blooming scenery in secluded spots in Nara and Mie Prefectures and Ise Shima with Kintetsu Railway Co., Ltd, which offers special train journeys with a slice of Japanese culture. 3. Earth Day (22 April) Earth Day is a unified response to an environment in crisis, with the growing occurrence of oil spills, forest fires and smogs around the world. Reinforcing the importance of environmental protection is one of the world’s largest environmental movement that drives transformative change for people and the planet. This year’s theme is climate action, which is a pressing topic that will be addressed in the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day celebrations. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought about some changes for Earth Day events this year. Earth Day Network, the organizer of Earth Day, will shift to a global digital mobilization. The updated digital-first strategy includes a global conversation that will be unified and tracked by the shared hashtags #EarthDay2020 and #EARTHRISE. Earth Day Network will also provide live coverage of the digital mobilizations from its social media accounts (@earthdaynetwork). Also going the virtual route is Earthx2020, one of the world’s largest environmental events, which will host conferences and film festival online. Highlights include the EarthxGlobal Gala and the world premiere of The Way of the Rain – Hope For Earth, directed by Sibylle Szaggards Redford, with a special narration by Hollywood icon Robert Redford. Besides conferences and campaigns, music can also help raise awareness on climate change. Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman teamed up with various musicians and artistes to record “Hands Around the World”, an anthem for Hands Around The World, a year-long campaign that inspires more than one billion people to hold hands in a virtual selfie chain around the world. RELATED: Click here to view more PR Calendar Cheat Sheets [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Click to view PR Newswire’s 2020 PR calendar.[/caption] Plan your upcoming campaigns and news releases around festivals, exhibitions and conferences in Asia-Pacific in 2020. Click here to view the PR Newswire’s Public Relations Calendar. About the Writer: Nicole Lee is an Associate Editor at PR Newswire. She graduated from City University of Hong Kong, majoring in Media and Communications.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Communications Resources
With the rapidly evolving news cycle and growing concerns on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, communicating swiftly, effectively and accurately has never been more important. During these challenging times, it is critical to maintain a clear and calm brand voice, while keeping open channels of communications with stakeholders in order to be seen as a trusted source of information for your industry. Here’s a compilation of communications resources from PR Newswire and Cision to support your efforts during this trying period: Communications Resources Webinars News Updates Communications Resources 1. Crisis Communications Toolkit When a crisis happens, brands need to be prepared to weather the storm. The question is: Are you and your team ready to handle a communications crisis? Grab our Crisis Communications Toolkit as part of your PR strategy for these challenging times. Learn how to identify when a threat may happen; analyze the coverage around a crisis; and craft a genuine and timely response for your audience. Download the toolkit here 2. Earnings Checklist: Best Practices for Preparing Your Earnings Release During Covid-19 The quarterly earnings release is a high-visibility opportunity to tell your company’s story. During this unprecedented time, investors have adjusted their focus. Missed projections are expected, and unlike most earnings periods investors are now shifting a focus to your commentary rather than your financial data. Taking a few extra minutes to check off the necessities in this checklist will ensure you meet disclosure requirements and give your investors confidence that your leadership team is prepared to manage the COVID-19 crisis. Download the checklist here 3. Best Practices for Brand Communications in Times of Uncertainty Due to the rapidly shifting news cycle and growing concerns about COVID-19, we've put together some best practices for brand communications in difficult times. There’s a fine line between being helpful to your customers and audience and attempting to capitalize off of a scary situation. Download our tip sheet now to start effectively communicating with your customers. 4. How to Ensure Your COVID-19 Press Release Gets Published Crafting a press release that stands out can be challenging at the best of times, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is even more to consider. With this in mind, PR Newswire has created a guide for those crafting COVID-19 related press releases by including real examples of press releases we have approved and refused. We strive to be a trusted source for the media and maintain high standards in the press releases we distribute. Download our tip sheet 5. COVID-19 Comms: Developing Communications Plans for Crisis Recovery and Beyond Read a summary of the key takeaways from our APAC webinar on Developing Communications Plans for Crisis Recovery and Beyond. We get crisis recovery insights from John Kerr, CEO of Edelman Singapore, and Riley Heng, Country Manager, Australia and Head of Marketing at MetroResidences. Read the blog 6. COVID-19 Comms: Turning a Crisis into Media Opportunities Some markets in APAC, such as Hong Kong, have resumed some form of economic activity as infection rates subside. We take a look at trending news topics in Hong Kong that have emerged and get journalists from two Hong Kong-based media outlets, Bloomberg Businessweek and Tatler Asia to weigh in on how brands can present distinctive and relevant story angles that can fit into the media’s COVID-19 agenda. Read the blog 7. COVID-19 Comms: How Brands are Helping Through Healthcare Initiatives? Behind the medical frontlines, companies from all walks of life are chipping in by donating medical supplies, developing mobile apps to make healthcare services more accessible, building software to monitor one’s health and ensure social distancing, and increasing the production of medical supplies. Here are some initiatives from companies in APAC that aim to keep audiences in the pink of health. Read the blog 8. COVID-19 Comms: How Entertainment and Lifestyle Brands are Spreading Positivity? Tired of getting bombarded by COVID-19 news, a growing pool of captive audiences are also turning to uplifting and inspiring online content. Here’re some colourful ways that brands in APAC are keeping audiences entertained and smiling despite the uncertainties. Read the blog 9. COVID-19 Comms: How Brands Adapt Communications Practices? As public concerns and interests in the COVID19 situation shift gears so must communications strategies. We chat with four PR experts on how brands can adapt their communications plans in order to thrive. Some ways including making the switch to digital and positioning your brand to engage your target audience. Read the blog 10. COVID-19 Comms: Corporate Communications Tips For Brands The tumultuous COVID-19 situation has set off a chain of unprecedented challenges for industries around the world. Naturally, it is a challenging time for brand communications, as PR and communications professionals need to keep a pulse on the rapidly-shifting landscape and concerns. We highlight tips and best practices from communications experts from our series of webinars. Read the blog 11. How Travel Companies Are Providing Relief to the COVID-19 Situation? What do journalists look out for when going through press releases to source for story ideas during the COVID-19 pandemic? Hear from four journalists, in Hong Kong who share how this crisis has shaped their editorial directions and how press releases can be crafted to catch their attention. Read the blog 12. APAC Webinar #1 Highlights: Communications in Times of Uncertainty Luisa Tam, Senior Editor of South China Morning Post shared her insights on how brands can communicate to the media during the COVID-19 pandemic. One key way is to building brand mileage by sharing organic human interest stories that can be found within companies. The veteran journalist also talked about what types of news angles and stories she is looking out for during this challenging period. Read the blog 13. Covering COVID-19: Journalists Share How Press Releases Can Get Media Coverage? What do journalists look out for when going through press releases to source for story ideas during the COVID-19 pandemic? Hear from four journalists, in Hong Kong who share how this crisis has shaped their editorial directions and how press releases can be crafted to catch their attention. Read the blog 14. Investor Relations Pros Share Communications Tips Amid The COVID-19 Uncertainty The earnings season in APAC is kicking off in the coming months amid an uncertain climate. We got investor relations professionals to share their views and tips on communicating with stakeholders and the media. Read the blog 15. Event Cancellations: PR Pros Share What’s Next For Communicators? The Coronavirus situation has caused numerous events and conferences to be postponed or cancelled. We got PR & Marketing professionals to share their views and tips on enhancing communications plans to cope with sudden event changes. Read the blog 16. Coronavirus Response: Communications Updates in Key APAC Markets Find out how companies in APAC are stepping up their communications as the economic impact of COVID-19 ripples around the region. Read the blog 17. Coronavirus Response: An APAC Communications Round-up Find out how companies in APAC are responding to the Coronavirus outbreak in their communications, such as adapting their operational procedures and stepping up corporate social responsibility efforts. Read the blog APAC Media Insights 1. Trending Topics From the COVID-19 Media Coverage in Malaysia Like the evolving developments of the COVID-19 situation, the news focus has also shifted. We catch up with four business journalists in Malaysia to find out which key trends and topics that have emerged from this crisis that they are keen on exploring more as part of their news coverage. Read the blog 2. Journalists Share How COVID-19 is Affecting Media Coverage in South Korea Find out how journalists in South Korea are adapting their news angles to cover the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a vast range of industries, from technology, telecommunications to finance. Read the blog 3. Journalists Share How COVID-19 is Affecting Media Coverage in Hong Kong How have newsroom operations and news-gathering practices been affected by the COVID19 pandemic? Find out from five Hong Kong-based journalists, who share about their editorial direction and how they are adapting to fewer media events and interview opportunities. Read the blog For more articles on communications best practices and tips, subscribe to the PR Newswire Newsletter Webinars 1. APAC Webinar: Communications in Times of Uncertainty, First Edition How should brands communicate with the public and media during the COVID-19 pandemic? We get the insights from Luisa Tam, Senior Editor of South China Morning Post who shares about the challenges of reporting amid rapid developments, the types of news angles that journalists are looking out for and how companies can build brand mileage from this crisis? Get the recording 2. APAC Webinar: Communications in Times of Uncertainty, Second Edition How has the COVID-19 pandemic shaped news coverage at business media platforms? We hear from Ted Kemp, Managing Editor of CNBC International Digital and Elliott Danker, Senior Presenter from MONEY FM 89.3, SPH Radio. For a well-rounded perspective, Charlene Lee, Head of Corporate Communications at Tata Consultancy Services shares her crisis communications tips to handle this unprecedented crisis. Get the recording 3. APAC Webinar: Anti-Fake News - Innovative Ideas & Effective Actions Le Quoc Minh, vice president of Vietnam News Agency, shares his insights on how to detect fake news amid the rapidly developing COVID-19 situation and how adding music and rap to news can engage younger audiences. Get the recording 4. APAC Webinar: Developing Crisis Communications Strategies during COVID-19 Nicholas Sagau Tony Ngimat, group general manager of Media Prima Digital and Justin Then, managing director of Lumos Hill+Knowlton Strategies, shed some light on how Malaysian businesses are responding to the crisis, from the perspectives of the media and agency. Get the recording 5. APAC Webinar: Developing Communications Plans for Crisis Recovery and Beyond Markets in APAC are at different phases of coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether they are at the peak or on the recovery track, companies need to remain proactive and adapt their communications. As governments around the world are implementing measures to kickstart their economies, it is vital for PR professionals to have a recovery plan to reconnect with their audiences. Join us as we invite communications experts to discuss post COVID-19 recovery plans for companies. Get the recording 6. APAC Webinar: Rethinking News Practices During and Post Pandemic Over the past few months, Bloomberg, Reuters and Vietnam Television International have been adapting their operations, technology, and resource allocation to meet the growing demand for faster and more reliable information on the developing crisis. Tune in to find out how they are managing their news operations and get tips and insights on how you can work with them effectively during this challenging period. Get the recording 7. Webinar: Best Practices for Brand Communications in Times of Uncertainty, Part 1 It's a difficult time for brand communications; due to the rapidly shifting news cycle and growing concerns about COVID-19, we have put together a panel of PR experts across industries in the United States to discuss best practices for brand communications. The webinar includes an extensive audience Q&A. Look out for more webinars in this series soon. Get the recording 8. Webinar: Best Practices for Brand Communications in Times of Uncertainty, Part 2 For the second part of our series, we brought in a new panel of experts to discuss the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it's affecting the industry. They share best-practices, including how to "read the room" and the importance of empathy in communications. Get the recording 9. Webinar: Best Practices for Brand Communications in Times of Uncertainty, Part 3 For the third part of our series, we brought in a team of our award-winning Cision Insights communications research experts to share key learnings from the COVID-19 media analysis reports that they authored. Our panel analyzed two distinct aspects: How traditional and social media treat top US companies as defined by the volume of coverage they generate, and what COVID-19 trends in China can teach us as we navigate our day-to-day life in the USA. Get the recording 10. Webinar: Best Practices for Brand Communications in Times of Uncertainty, Part 4 Our panel of industry experts discussed the best practices that communicators can take right now to not only communicate with customers, but employees, stakeholders and the media. They also discuss the language of the C-Suite in times of crisis, best practices for managing brand communications in a volatile media environment and how to update your KPIs and earned media metrics when your media strategy has changed. Get the recording 11. Webinar: Best Practices for Brand Communications in Times of Uncertainty, Part 5 Although the most trying weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic are unfolding in many areas, it is important PR pros remain proactive and plan their comms strategy for when we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our panel of communications expert discussed post-crisis practices in relation to messaging, timing and brand reputation Get the recording News Updates Stay on top of Coronavirus news from PR Newswire Get real-time global news coverage on Coronavirus by Cision
Investor Relations Pros Share Communications Tips Amid The COVID-19 Uncertainty
Companies in APAC are grappling with the economic pressures and challenges caused by the spread of coronavirus, or COVID-19, which has been declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation on 11 March. Listed companies should communicate clearly to stakeholders and investors, who are paying close attention to business trends and developments, and are anticipating corporate response plans. This is critical given that the earnings season is kicking off in the coming months. PR Newswire compiled views from investor relations and financial media professionals on how best to communicate during these uncertain times. Harold Woo, President, Investor Relations Professionals Association Singapore (IRPAS) COVID-19 has presented new challenges for companies, requiring them to clearly articulate the impact on business operations, and messaging to shareholders on the steps being taken to prepare for the worsening situation. It makes more sense, for example, to hold virtual Annual General Meetings (AGM) to avoid crowded function rooms that could lead to another cluster infection. However, to do so calls for a review of the Articles of Association, which requires AGMs to be held in a physical location and in Singapore, and a review of the Practice Guidance of the Code of Corporate Governance on whether AGMs can be held virtually, and finally the issue of having a quorum - can one have a quorum in a virtual AGM? IRPAS recommends an active dialogue on managing Virtual AGMs in the light of advanced technology solutions while meeting the governance requirements. While the technology to allow webcast meetings or vote electronically already exists, there are outstanding issues to be addressed such as the authentication of proxies and ensuring the privacy of the webcast is sufficiently robust. It will be ideal if the authorities can set some guidelines to provide some assurance to companies. Other areas that require answers from IR practitioners include thinking about cash flow, which is one of the critical issues for the investment community — can the company last if this is a one-year crisis? Other questions include what are the contingency plans for the next six months and 12 months to manage cashflow and what cost-cutting measures must be taken without fundamentally hurting the business? There will also be pressing and persistent questions on business activity. They include how has the COVID-19 spread affected business activity, and how significant is the drop in business activities. The narrative would cover the near term (before the next results) and prospects in the next few months. Kay Li, Chief Editor, Greater China, Investing.com The media will focus on different aspects of a company’s financial report during this pandemic. As we scrutinize financial reports, more attention will be spent on understanding the extent of how the pandemic has impacted businesses, such as how production and operations have been affected by changes to supply chain and cash flow. Investors need to know how much of the company’s business comes from countries that have been affected most by the pandemic, in order to better understand how the company’s overall performance has been affected. Besides reading financial reports, investors and media are looking out for the company’s emergency response measures, as well as its market performance. Listed companies should disseminate timely and accurate company information so that concerns from investors can be addressed quickly. Joanne Wong, Senior Managing Director, Strategic Communications, FTI Consulting Communications and investor relations professionals need to address and alleviate growing concerns from stakeholders and the investment community by communicating clearly in this rapidly shifting situation. Wong shares six tips on investor communications amid the spread of coronavirus, which were originally published in IR Magazine. Work from the inside out: In difficult moments such as this, companies need to prioritize timely, quality and consistent communications with employees, vendors and partners. Apart from being an integral component of sound leadership, this will be key in ensuring all of the business fundamentals the investment community values. It will also be a good litmus test – because if your own employees don’t buy into your position, message or initiative, it won’t succeed externally. Be transparent in communicating near-term challenges: Communicate transparently and candidly about the short-term challenges the company expects to face from operational risks to disruptions in the supply chain or changes in market dynamics. The management team should articulate clearly and to its best ability an assessment of the immediate, material impact of the current situation on the business. Avoid downplaying the impact of short-term disruptions or brushing them off; instead, address the challenges in a clear and transparent way. Use the opportunity to reinforce the business’ long-term fundamentals: This is also a critical opportunity for leadership to highlight and reinforce the business’ long-term fundamentals, which will support an eventual recovery and deliver long-term value. Refresh the messaging on the strengths of the company, from the value of its key offerings to talent and even investment in innovation. Communicate solutions and commitment: The assessment of the pandemic’s impact should also include communications around solutions and mitigatory measures that the company has in place. It is important to show the company’s ability and resolve to weather the storm. Be ready to respond to concerns and uncertainty: Be realistic when communicating your outlook and guidance on the remainder of the financial period and be ready to brace for worst-case scenarios. Stay abreast of the latest developments, consider possible scenarios and be ready to address legitimate concerns and doubts from the investment community. Think about your communication goals: The interest of your investors will no doubt be weighted toward the business and financial impact of the pandemic. The company would need to demonstrate its commitment to delivering what each stakeholder is looking for. By effectively demonstrating the company’s ability to achieve shared goals and find alignment with its stakeholders during difficult times, the company also makes its case for its ability to create long-term, sustainable value for investors. RELATED: Event Cancellations: PR Pros Share What's Next For Communicators Click here to view more earnings press releases This blog post is written by Kenneth Goh, Senior Marketing Executive at PR Newswire. A former journalist, he relishes keeping track of breaking news as much as telling stories with trends and data. Connect with him via Linkedin.
March 2020 PR Calendar Cheat Sheet: International Women’s Day, International Day of Happiness and Earth Hour
March marks the end of the first quarter of 2020, which got off to a rocky start with the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the subsequent slew of event cancellations. Despite the gloomy outlook, brands can associate themselves with some feel-good causes this month. They can tap on the growing buzz surrounding female empowerment through International Women’s Day, showcase the importance of focusing on one's positive energy with International Day of Happiness or affirm their commitment to environmental conservation on Earth Hour. Here’s a list of major events and festivals to help communicators plan their PR campaigns and activities this month. Key Dates: 5 March - World Press Freedom Day 8 March - International Women’s Day 11 March - Fukushima Tsunami Remembrance Day (Japan) 14 March - White Day (Japan) 20 March - International Day of Happiness 24 March - World Tuberculosis Day 25 March - Earth Hour 25 March - Balinese Day of Silence (Indonesia) March 2020 Highlights International Women’s Day (8 March) [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="659"] Banana Republic launched the Work Where? Campaign to mark International Women’s Day this year. (Photo: Banana Republic)[/caption] International Women's Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world. For more than a century, the occasion has been advocating women’s rights and encouraging gender equality in all walks of life. Global apparel brand Banana Republic launched a multimedia news release on its WORK Where? campaign in conjunction with the female-centric day. The campaign celebrates unconventional jobs through a montage of videos and images on stories of women from all walks of life, from recording artists, real estate developers to cafe owners. Banana Republic will also make a US$100,000 donation to the non-profit organisation CARE, which focuses on fighting poverty and the advancement of women and girls around the world. On the healthcare front, Farrer Park Hospital in Singapore has teamed up with 44 high-intensity focal ultrasound (HIFU) centres in mainland China and Taiwan to perform HIFU treatment on women with uterine fibroids in the lead-up to International Women's Day. Uterine fibroids are benign growths in the uterus that often appears during a woman's childbearing years. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="635"] Cho Hee-sook, chef-owner of modern Korean restaurant Hansikgonggan in Seoul. (Photo: Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants)[/caption] To coincide with International Women’s Day festivities, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants typically announces the recipient for its annual Asia’s Best Female Chef award in March. This year’s recipient is Cho Hee-sook, chef-owner of one Michelin-starred modern Korean restaurant Hansikgonggan in Seoul. The award celebrates female chefs whose dedication, skills and creativity set new standards in the gastronomy world. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="631"] Casetify’s Her Impact Matters collection features designs by an all-female artist crew. (Photo: Casetify)[/caption] Technology accessories brand Casetify is relaunching the Her Impact Matters collection that features designs by an all-female artist crew. The range of products includes handphone cases and earphones. All proceeds from the Her Impact Matters collection this month will be donated to the Malala Fund, a non-profit organization by student and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, who advocates for education among females. Also celebrating female talent is LG Electronics, which has signed a three-year sponsorship agreement with the world's top-ranked female golfer, Ko Jin-young from South Korea. Ko ascended to the top of the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings last year, after she earned four tournament victories including the ANA Inspiration and the Evian Championship. Another global brand, CleverTap, a customer engagement and retention platform, is celebrating the success of women leaders in the technology industry with Inspiring Women, an interview-based video campaign. The video series, which highlights the achievements, setbacks and learnings from 13 women leaders, hopes to inspire other up-and-coming professional women. Click here to read more press releases on International Women's Day. International Day of Happiness (20 March) If you are happy and you know it, you are probably living in Finland. In 2019, the Scandinavian country topped the World Happiness Report for the second consecutive time. The report, which is spearheaded by the United Nations (UN), ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. In APAC, people in New Zealand are the happiest, while those in Afghanistan are most unhappy. Besides commissioning this survey, the UN also observes an International Day of Happiness, which marks the importance of focusing on positive energy and spreading joy and laughter. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="584"] Power-packed almonds can be a source of happiness. (Photo: Almond Board of California)[/caption] Happiness can be munched on, according to the latest survey by the Almond Board of California. The survey reveals that almond eaters in the United States are more likely to be happier and healthier than those who do not eat almonds. Those who snack on almonds are also more likely to stick with healthy eating habits for up to six months and prefer snacks that are made from natural ingredients. The press release also includes recipes on using almonds in cookies, smoothies and ice-cream sandwiches. To share some nuggets on pursuing happiness, author Guillermo Grey released a novel Rojo, which is an insightful read on friendship, life and redemption. Published by Page Publishing, the book enlightens readers on the true essence of happiness and how it is uniquely defined by each individual. Earth Hour (25 March) Earth Hour is an annual global movement by the World Wide Fund for Nature, which encourages individuals, communities and businesses to switch off non-essential electric lights for one hour on a designated day. The event, which is commemorated in more than 180 countries and territories, hopes to catalyse positive environmental change by sparking conversations on protecting nature and climate change. Casting the spotlight on the environment is the Indonesia Plastic Bag Diet Movement which announced that shopping centres, supermarkets and traditional markets in Jakarta will phase out providing single-use plastic bags by this year. The populous capital city joins other Indonesian cities such as Bandung and Banjarmasin to ban the use of plastic bags. This regulation brings Indonesia closer to its national target of reducing its waste by 30% by 2025. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The organizers of ASIAWATER2020 visited Bengoh Dam in Kuching to understand the city’s water supply. (Photo: Informa Markets)[/caption] Raising awareness on water security is ASIAWATER 2020, a biennial trade event for the water and wastewater industry in Asia. Ahead of the event in November, Malaysia-based event organizer Informa Markets held site visits to Batu Kitang Water Treatment Plant and Bengoh Dam in Kuching to understand best practices in overcoming water supply challenges and sustaining a clean water supply to urban and rural areas. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Sands China properties switched off exterior lights and non-essential indoor lights for one hour during Earth Hour 2019. (Photo: Sands China)[/caption] Last year, integrated resorts operator Sands China commemorated Earth Hour by switching off exterior lights and non-essential indoor lights for one hour across its properties including Sands Macao and The Venetian Macao. Besides the annual event, Sands China maintains a long-standing monthly practice of observing Earth Hour. All its properties switch off exterior lights, signages and marquees for one hour on the first Tuesday of each month. The hospitality company also held its Climate Week, which encourages staff-driven initiatives to address climate change. One highlight is an Energy Saving Roadshow, which encouraged staff to replace lightbulbs from their homes with energy-efficient LED ones, and recycle them. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="720"] Click to view PR Newswire's 2020 PR calendar.[/caption] Plan your upcoming campaigns and news releases around festivals, exhibitions and conferences in Asia-Pacific in 2020. Click here to view the PR Newswire’s Public Relations Calendar. This blog post is written by Kenneth Goh, Senior Marketing Executive at PR Newswire. A former journalist, he relishes keeping track of breaking news as much as telling stories with trends and data. Connect with him via Linkedin.
Event Cancellations: PR Pros Share What’s Next For Communicators?
With coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns growing around the world, the MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona was cancelled by its organizers on February 12. This event was originally slated to take place from February 24 to 27. It marks the first time that the world’s largest exhibition for the mobile industry was called off in its 33-year history. Since the shock announcement was made, some technology companies have postponed their product launches or are organising online events in place of the trade show. Earlier this week, Sony conducted a virtual press conference on YouTube to introduce its flagship phones for 2020. Chinese technology giant, Huawei held a global online press conference in Barcelona on 24 February to roll out new products including smartphones, smart wearables and 5G devices. This has brought up two key concerns for PR practitioners: How to adjust their corporate communications plans after a large-scale exhibition or event has been cancelled? How to enhance their online communications to make up for the sudden cancellation of offline exhibitions and events? PR Newswire invited senior PR and Marketing professionals to share their views on responding to the cancellation of prominent exhibitions and events. Martin Roll, CEO of Martin Roll Company. He is an experienced global business strategist, senior advisor to Fortune 500 companies, and the author of “Asian Brand Strategy”. I would recommend companies, which were planning product launches at an exhibition that has been cancelled, to assess whether the launch date will be impacted and if the product can be promoted through other channels, such as digital and e-commerce. There are multiple alternative go-to-market strategies, which are often available within short notice - even for those that require complex set-ups and logistics. Companies and brands are measured on their ability – and willingness – to keep their promises, so leaders should do their best to keep plans and actions on track. Companies should communicate clearly about what they intend to do next. This is an opportunity to engage stakeholders and customers, and keep the dialogue going. The market will not blame companies or brands for changing strategy or product launch dates due to unforeseen circumstances. Geoff Li, founder of VisionWe Consultants and former Director of Communications and Brand for GE Greater China I don’t believe that coronavirus situation will change the fundamentals of marketing. Take online classes for example - they were an important education tool during the SARS epidemic, but they cannot completely replace learning on campus. Face-to-face communications remains the most effective form of information-sharing and persuasion. Undoubtedly, the cancellation of events and exhibitions will affect communications plans. The best remedy is to better facilitate online communication, which is easy to say but often difficult to execute. Events such as Huawei’s launch of a foldable 5G phone at MWC 2019 generated buzz and excitement, and this event would be equally attractive if it were to be launched online. However, communicators need to consider a few key questions: What is the key information to communicate, who should be the speakers, how many speakers and which channels to use. Holding online events this year presents an excellent opportunity to compare the returns on investment and customer impression between online and offline events that are using the same budget. Communicators can also take advantage of the synergy of online and offline communications. Going online by itself is not a strategy, as every company has the option to do so. Making online communications more targeted and persuasive will give companies a competitive edge. Thomas Skelton, Global Communications Strategist, PR Newswire As they say, the show must go on. The cancellation of the MWC for the first time is big news. However, not all is lost. Many multinationals have a Plan B—for example, Huawei leveraged a multi-channel approach for its communications plans that centred around an online press conference on 24 February, which was the original start date of the MWC. The plan involved Huawei’s owned media, such as sharing the news on its website and social media channels. The virtual press conference was live streamed on its YouTube and Facebook pages. The hour-long live stream on YouTube, which included a pre-recorded keynote address and on-site product demonstration, garnered more than 200,000 views within a day. To facilitate earned media coverage, Huawei issued a press release on its Product and Strategy Virtual Launch, which announced a series of new 5G products and strategy. The press release, which was issued in multiple languages, was picked up by technology media outlets around the world. But what about start-ups with lower budgets and rely on the draw of significant events such as the MWC? There are options; for example, Facebook Live is an excellent alternative to virtual press conferences. If you can’t travel to meet journalists in person, use a media database and send personalised invites to online events to journalists using MWC as a talking point. Times like these are the best times to get creative. Brendan McConnell, Content Consultant, Premium SEO NZ One way that companies can get the benefits of a tradeshow, without the costs and risks of holding an in-person event, is to use virtual platforms. A good example is Bamboo HR's annual HR Virtual Summit. An online tradeshow includes a line-up of vendors and webinar speakers, a networking lounge, and resource download centres. These events are perfect for interacting with customers and prospects from around the world at a fraction of the cost of a live event. Another advantage of virtual events is the ability to gather more leads than at offline events. Online events are borderless and they have much lower buy-in levels than in-person events. My personal experience is that we typically generate about as many registrants for a high-performing webinar, as compared to a physical event. A virtual event that I’ve managed brought in about 3,500 registrants, with an attendance rate of 30%. This is compared to an in-person event that might generate about 100 leads over a day of networking. Key Takeaways: The fundamentals of marketing remain the same, regardless of the situation. Assess alternative go-to-market strategies. Consider whether the product launch date will be impacted and if the product can be promoted through other channels, such as digital and e-commerce. Making the switch to online communications is not a strategy, as most companies have already done this. Having a more targeted and persuasive online communications plan will give your company a competitive advantage. Adopt a multi-channel communications approach that targets specific audience segments through owned, paid and earned media. Communicate clearly on what the company intends to do next. Use this opportunity to engage stakeholders and customers. Organise virtual press conferences and build rapport with journalists by sending personalised invites while leveraging on live streaming. Online events are borderless and may generate more leads than offline events if executed well. Click here to view more press releases that are related to the Mobile World Congress. This blog post is written by Kenneth Goh, Senior Marketing Executive at PR Newswire. A former journalist, he relishes keeping track of breaking news as much as telling stories with trends and data. Connect with him via Linkedin.
Coronavirus Response: Communications Updates In Key APAC Markets
Earlier this month, PR Newswire published an APAC communications roundup on the coronavirus (now officially known as COVID-19). We noted that APAC companies were actively communicating their operational changes and corporate social responsibility efforts. Since then, APAC companies have stepped up such communications and are implementing additional business contingency plans. They are demonstrating their commitment to their customers by implementing fee waivers as the economic impact of COVID-19 ripples across the region. Companies are also partnering with governments in the region to ensure that the public is well-informed about the latest COVID-19 situation. Separately, governments are also issuing public health advisories to curb the spread of the virus. For example, Hong Kong SAR has activated its highest warning level, while Singapore and South Korea are at the second-highest level. With the activation of a higher public health warning level, tighter restrictions are likely to be implemented for large-scale events and travel, so communicators need to adapt their plans accordingly. To help APAC communicators calibrate their efforts across the region, we have compiled a round-up of how companies are reacting and public health advisories in various key markets. Singapore To support affected retail and business banking customers, RHB Singapore is offering a moratorium of up to six months for monthly instalments of loan payments. Customers may request to restructure or reschedule their loans and financing arrangements. Software company Pulse Secure is waving subscription fees of its secure remote access solutions to Asian companies. Users can get protected remote access to cloud and data centre resources from their mobile and desktop devices. Corporate training provider Anagram Group has rolled out measures for conducting training workshops and events during this period. These measures include keeping group sizes to eight people and below, and organising workshops on dealing with the business impact of COVID-19. In response to the postponements of business events, the group will introduce more webinar programmes that feature live video, slides, and chat functionalities. Government Response: Singapore has raised its four-tier disease outbreak response level to the second-highest level on 7 February. The government has implemented stricter quarantine measures, temperature screening and visitor restriction at hospitals, and advised event organisers to cancel or defer non-essential large-scale events. Hong Kong SAR [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Volunteers from the Hang Lung As One Volunteer Team helped to pack 2,000 health and food kits. (Photo: Hang Lung Properties)[/caption] Hang Lung Properties has allocated the first portion of its RMB 10 million Hang Lung Novel Coronavirus Relief Fund to purchase 2,000 sets of health and food kits for the elderly and underprivileged families. These kits contain surgical masks, hand sanitizers, rice, cooking oil and dried food. Telecommunications company Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN) is offering three months of free one-stop remote office services to existing customers. This move, which is a collaboration with Microsoft, is in tandem with a growing demand for remote office services, particularly among SMEs. HKBN is also providing free unlimited local mobile data to the elderly and people with disabilities living in five residential care homes that are operated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service – Hong Kong. Considering COVID-19, many residential care homes have suspended in-person visitations. This move allows care home residents to make video calls with family members and friends to keep their spirits up. Insurance company AXA Hong Kong is offering free hospital benefit and death benefit coverage on the novel coronavirus to front-line medical workers, including doctors, nurses and allied health staff, in establishments that are part of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority. Government Response: On 25 January, Hong Kong activated the Emergency Response Level - the highest of three levels based on the risk assessment of the virus spread. On 8 February, the government mandated that those who arrive from Mainland China or have visited Mainland China prior to arriving in Hong Kong are subjected to a compulsory quarantine for 14 days. Besides cancelling large-scale public events and extending closures of schools and government agencies, the authorities are enhancing surveillance of those under quarantine, increasing its supply of masks and the number of quarantine facilities. Malaysia [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (left), DG of Health Malaysia as a special guest of the seminar, and Dato' Teo Yen Hua (right), Advisor for ASEAN Water series as moderator for the Q&A session (Photo: Informa Markets)[/caption] Exhibition organiser Informa Markets is supporting the Malaysian government's efforts to share factual and up-to-date information on the COVID-19 situation. Informa Markets organised a special briefing by Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Director-General of Health at the Ministry of Health, for its stakeholders, including business leaders and representatives of diplomatic missions, on 12 February. The event facilitates companies to make more informed decisions concerning business continuity. Government Response: The Star reported that Malaysian health authorities has formed a joint working group with their counterparts in Singapore to curb the COVID-19 spread. The partnership will expedite information-sharing on cross-border cases. The Ministry of Health has also issued public health advisories on avoiding contact with wild animals, consumption of raw meat and covering one’s mouth when sneezing. Indonesia The organizers of the Indonesia International Furniture Expo highlighted their commitment to providing a secure experience for participants at the event which will be held on 12 to 15 March in Jakarta. The release also included efforts by the Indonesian government to inform the public on COVID-19. The Health Ministry has set up a website with live updates on the spread and prepared 100 hospitals to handle the fast-spreading virus. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The Traveloka Team was distributing N95 masks to international passengers in the boarding room at Terminal 2F of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. (Photo: Traveloka)[/caption] Digital travel booking platform Traveloka has distributed thousands of N95 masks to international passengers travelling from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta to mainland China, Taipei, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo, and Singapore. Government Response: As of 18 February, there are no reported cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia. The country is intensifying screening at immigration checkpoints and equipping hospitals to handle suspected cases. South Korea Molecular technology developer Seegene Inc. has launched its COVID-19 assay, a diagnostic solution to detect the virus, in South Korea and across the globe. The assay, which identifies three different target genes based on the international recommended protocols by the World Health Organization, has been approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400"] Universal Peace Federation’s World Summit attracted 7,000 delegates in Seoul in early February. (Photo: Universal Peace Federation)[/caption] To show that it is business as usual in Seoul, Universal Peace Federation, a non-governmental organisation, issued a press release on its World Summit that was held on 3 to 5 February. This event gathered 7,000 heads of state, entrepreneurs, academics, media and religious leaders to contribute their expertise on solving conflicts within society. Extra precautions were taken to ensure the safety and health of participants. Government Response: The country has raised the level of the four-tier infectious disease alert to the second-highest rung. Health officials have announced plans to expand diagnostic testing for early patient detection and establish a social monitoring system to further reinforce measures to prevent infections at healthcare institutions. According to a Yonhap News Agency report, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki warns against excessive fear of COVID-19 and urged people to continue with their economic activities. Vietnam [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"] KOMPA GROUP developed one of the world’s most popular websites that track news on COVID-19. (Photo: KOMPA Group)[/caption] Data intelligence company KOMPA Group has launched a website that monitors local and global cases of infections in real-time but also allows Vietnamese Internet users to catch up on the latest news from official sources. A group of like-minded Vietnamese technology companies has introduced platforms to combat misinformation surrounding COVID-19. Mobile-based platform company Appota launched a new version of the Lich Nhu Y mobile calendar, which features a dashboard that carries real-time updates on the epidemic. Social network Zalo partnered the Ministry of Health to distribute an updated guide on preventing the virus spread. To curb the spread of fake news, Ncov.vn enables the community to collectively identify and categorize inaccurate information. Government Response: Vietnam has declared a public health emergency over the spread of coronavirus. It has also advised citizens to limit large-scale gatherings and is imposing stricter quarantine measures. Thailand Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau announced that 24 international and regional conventions and exhibitions involving more than 40,000 participants will proceed as planned over the next three months. Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok became the first airport in the world to introduce a fever detection system that is fully integrated into the biometric border control system. German biometrics company DERMALOG has developed the system, which can identify potentially infected travellers by detecting body temperatures. Government Response: The Ministry of Public Health raised its emergency operations alert code to level 3, which includes “avoid travel to affected areas”. The Ministry advised the public to adhere to the principles for respiratory disease prevention such as washing hands and wearing masks. Information on government responses is accurate as of 19 February. Here is a compilation of the government health advisories in the region: This blog post is written by Kenneth Goh, Senior Marketing Executive at PR Newswire. A former journalist, he relishes keeping track of breaking news as much as telling stories with trends and data. Connect with him via Linkedin.
Coronavirus Response: An APAC Communications Round-up
Over the past four weeks, the global news cycle has been dominated by a novel coronavirus (officially known as COVID-19) crisis and its effects on various industries. The World Health Organisation has declared a global health emergency on January 30 as this virus extends its reach beyond China. As the spread of the coronavirus is now affecting business, companies are communicating internally and externally on operational changes such as imposing travel restrictions and allowing employees to work remotely as precautionary measures. Besides announcing these measures, companies are re-affirming that their supply chain operations and production process are running smoothly. Companies are also stepping up their corporate social responsibility efforts, through monetary and/or providing in-kind donations to aid relief efforts. These socially accountable practices can help to bolster the public’s trust in companies. According to the 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer, ethics-related factors such as integrity, dependability and purpose drive 76 percent of the trust capital of business, while competence accounts for only 24 percent. Over the past month, PR Newswire has been serving companies that leverage our global distribution network to send coronavirus-related communications. As of 6 February, our team has handled over 150 of these press releases. To help APAC communicators calibrate their responses in the face of uncertainty, we have compiled a round-up of how companies are reacting. Communicating operational changes As coronavirus-related updates are coming in, companies must be nimble and anticipate the requirements of their customers, while adapting their operational procedures to comply with government regulations. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"] The tourism industry in Asia is expected to take a beating, with the spread of the coronavirus.[/caption] Chinese online travel agent, Trip.com Group, which has expanded the voluntary cancellation waiver period for about 30,000 global hotel groups outside of China, which includes Hilton, InterContinental and Accor. Mr Ray Chen, CEO of Accommodation Business at Trip.com Group said: “In view of the recent developments, including the spread of the virus within China and other countries, it is necessary to expand the initiative and include hotels in other markets The safety and well-being of our travelers and the community is our top priority.” The Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts has extended a waiver on cancellation fees to guests from Wuhan who have booked stays in its resorts from 22 January to 8 February. The resort group also assured guests that it has stepped up health and safety measures in its properties in line with World Health Organisation guidelines. Besides tweaking customer operations, companies are enacting precautionary measures and demonstrating their concern for employees as well as the community. One of them is Hong Kong Broadband Network, which announced that all employees across its offices across Asia can work from home till 16 February. It has also temporarily stopped all business-related travel to and from Mainland China during this period. The telco has also waived charges for its mobile office solutions for its customers. As businesses become more global, it is vital to reassure their business partners, investors and customers who may be getting concerned. Shenzhen-based TCL Electronics issued a press release to affirm that its business operations and global supply chain remain unaffected. It also lists a series of employee policies to keep the virus at bay. These include daily disinfection of its work premises, strict control of personnel and vehicle access to its buildings and postponing the return of employees from Hubei province. Another Chinese company, WuXi Biologics provided an operational update to state that the company is executing its business continuity plan to mitigate potential business risks, and assured customers that its supplies for labs and manufacturing are not likely to be affected. Highlighting Corporate Social Responsibility The coronavirus developments have spurred organisations to ramp up their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts to put their corporate values into action. Besides making cash donations to purchase medical supplies and equipment, some companies are offering their relevant goods and services, to help medical staff, patients and communities. Here're some examples. Logistics services [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] UPS will waive delivery charges for protective masks and gear that are sent to China. (Photo: UPS)[/caption] Global logistics company UPS has shipped more than two million protective masks and 11,000 sets of protective clothing to China while waiving the delivery fees. The UPS Foundation is also sending over 280,000 pairs of medical gloves in its collaboration with non-profit healthcare organizations and the Red Cross in China. Medical supplies [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Bayer is donating 10 million yuan worth of medical supplies to the Red Cross in China. (Photo: Bayer)[/caption] As part of the virus relief efforts, pharmaceutical company Bayer is donating 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million) worth of medical supplies to the Red Cross. These supplies include vitamins and antibiotics. Honeywell has sponsored US$1 million worth of equipment to support medical services in hospitals in Wuhan. The equipment includes air and water purification systems, ICU air management solutions and scanning and mobile printing equipment. The company is also supplying over more than 20 million masks in China. Philips Foundation, the CSR arm of electronics conglomerate Philips, is donating 15 million yuan (US$2.1 million) worth of medical equipment. The equipment includes CT scanners, which aid in the diagnosis of pneumonia, and air purifiers to filter and sterilize the air in hospital wards. Global medical imaging firm United Imaging has donated medical imaging equipment and protective medical gear valued at more than US$1.4 million to hospitals in Wuhan. The company dispatched its staff to install CT scanners at the newly-opened Huoshenshan Hospital, which was built within two weeks. In Singapore, Novena Global Lifecare, a healthcare and aesthetic group, has pledged to donate up to one million masks and other medical supplies to hospitals in China including Wuhan. The company will work with non-profit organisations such as the China Youth Charitable Foundation and medical institutions to carry out the distribution. Macau integrated resort operator Melco has pledged to donate HK$20 million (US$2.5 million) to purchase medical supplies including face masks and hand sanitizers for the communities in Wuhan and Hubei. Food products [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Nestle staff in China helped to distribute food products to hospitals in Wuhan. (Photo: Nestle)[/caption] Swiss food and drink conglomerate Nestle has contributed about 40 million yuan (US$5.7 million) worth of cash donations and food supplies that include milk powder, cereal and biscuits. Nestle staff pitched in to donate these food products to front-line medical staff. Education services Hong Kong-based EdTech firm Studycat is giving out free use of its language learning apps that teach English, Chinese, Spanish, French and German to families in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. With the recent slate of school closures in the region, children can learn languages from these apps at home. Technology Agriculture technology company XAG has set up a five million yuan (US$700,000) special fund to support drone disinfection operations in China. It will fund the use of the company’s agricultural drones that carry out aerial disinfection to curb the spread of coronavirus in rural villages and densely populated outdoor public places. On the international front The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, set up by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife, has committed US$100 million to step up coronavirus defences. The funding will help strengthen detection, isolation and treatment efforts, develop vaccines, therapies and diagnostics, and protect at-risk populations in Africa and South Asia. The fund will also assist virus relief efforts by the World Health Organisation and Chinese front-line responders. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the use of a tool to detect coronavirus to any Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-qualified laboratories in the U.S. The use of the tool previously limited to CDC laboratories. With this emergency use authorization, 2019-nCoV Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel can be used on any patient who meets CDC’s criteria for the testing of the virus, in a bid to speed up diagnoses. Click here to get a copy of the Crisis Communications in the Age of Digital PR whitepaper for the best PR crisis tactics. This blog post is written by Kenneth Goh, Senior Marketing Executive at PR Newswire. A former journalist, he relishes keeping track of breaking news as much as telling stories with trends and data. Connect with him via Linkedin.
February 2020 PR Calendar Cheat Sheet: Valentine’s Day, Spring 2020 Collections, Mobile World Congress And More
February is a month to celebrate critically acclaimed films with the annual Academy Awards and spend time with your significant other on Valentine's Day. Other highlights in the month include brands unveiling their Spring 2020 collections and the Mobile World Congress, a marquee event in the mobile technology industry. Here’s a list of major events and festivals to help you plan your PR campaigns and activities this month. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1914"] PR Newswire's PR Calendar 2020[/caption] Key dates: 4 Feb: World Cancer Day 9 Feb: The 92nd Academy Awards (OSCARS) National Press Day (Indonesia) 11 Feb: National Foundation Day (Japan) 14 Feb: Valentine’s Day 19 Feb: Makha Bucha Day (Thailand) 24 Feb: Mobile World Congress 28 Feb: 228 Memorial Day 29 Feb: Mardi Gras (Australia) February 2020 Highlights 1. Brands unveil Spring 2020 Collections [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640"] India-born actress-producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas is one of Crocs’s new ambassadors in 2020. (Photo: Crocs)[/caption] Spring is a great opportunity for brands to unveil their first crop of new products for the year. Casual footwear giant Crocs has added two celebrities to its global ambassador roster in the 4th edition of its annual global marketing campaign, “Come As You Are”. They are India-born actress-producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Chinese actress Yang Mi. Products-wise, Crocs has unveiled the Women's Crocs Brooklyn Wedge, featuring the comfortable LiteRide™ foam technology and intuitive upper straps that create a stylish all-day look. German jeweller Thomas Sabo has launched its Spring/Summer 2020 collection of jewellery and watches that are inspired by a magical garden for these seasons, featuring hummingbird, kaleidoscope and dragonfly designs. 2. The 92nd Academy Awards (9 Feb) The Academy Awards, which shines the spotlight on the best achievements in the film industry, is famed for being a glitzy and star-studded affair. The highly-coveted awards, which is fondly nicknamed ‘the Oscars’, often highlights thought-provoking issues through film. One of the nominees is using his short film to promote a cause from reel to real life. Film-maker Bryan Buckley has directed a docu-drama SARIA, which scored a nomination in the Short Film (Live Action) category. The film chronicles the hardships and abuse faced by young female orphans in Guatemala, which led to a tragic fire. Riding on the film’s buzz, Buckley met with two congressmen to discuss the next campaign phase of bringing justice to the 56 young girls, who were killed in the Virgen de la Asunción Safe Home that was featured in the film. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="418"] Eye-Am Conchita has rolled out a new product, Lash-App & Curl, which allows users to apply faux eyelashes in a fuss-free way. (Photo: Eye-Am Conchita)[/caption] On a lighter note, the Oscars’ red carpet is also closely-watched for the latest fashion and beauty trends by Hollywood A-listers. Lash applicator Eye-Am Conchita has rolled out a new product, Lash-App & Curl, which allows users to apply faux eyelashes in a fuss-free way. It also touts that actresses such as Christina Milian and Yolanthe Cabau use this tool to get themselves looking red carpet-ready. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2700"] Nominees' Negroni is one of the OSCARS-themed cocktails that will be served at the Governors Ball. (Photo: Tequila Don Julio)[/caption] At the post-awards Governors Ball event, Mexican tequila label Tequila Don Julio, which is owned by alcohol giant Diageo, will be a beverage partner at the tipple-happy event. Tequila Don Julio has teamed up with acclaimed mixologist Charles Joly to curate Oscars-themed cocktails such as Nominees’ Negroni, a zesty tequila-based concoction. 3. Valentine’s Day (14 Feb) Valentine’s Day can be either highly-anticipated for those with a special someone or perennially dreaded among singles. According to a study by global online dating company, Plenty of Fish, 43% of singles considered Valentine's Day to be the most pressure-filled holiday, with one in five people wishing the holiday was cancelled altogether. The Pressures of Valentine's Day & Dating study delves into the pressures that singles face in their dating lives. Survey findings also reveal that the pressure tied to Valentine's Day is stronger among younger singles, with 60% of Generation Z and 52% of Millennials feeling the heat, and the pressure decreases as singles age. The study also revealed that the biggest pressures come from external sources tied to societal expectations (58%), commercialization and non-stop advertising of the big day (57%), and social media hype (48%). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"] According to global online dating company, Plenty of Fish, 43% of singles considered Valentine's Day to be the most pressure-filled holiday.[/caption] Another global social discovery platform, Dating.com Group has come up with a list of “What Not To Do” on Valentine’s Day if one wants to avoid heartbreak. The list of things includes not contacting one’s ex-partner and not drawing too much attention on the occasion. The group also released results of a survey on online dating activity and behavioral trends to help breakdown today's complex dating scene. Key findings include 63% of users indicated feelings of loneliness during February and 45% agreed that they turn to online dating as an effective and quick fix to their anxiety or sadness. 4. Mobile World Congress (24 - 27 Feb) Mobile World Congress (MWC), the world’s largest mobile technology exhibition that showcases cutting-edge technology from 2,400 exhibitors, will take place in Barcelona in late February. The event’s theme, “Limitless Intelligent Connectivity”, touches on the next-generation possibilities of 5G Connectivity with the convergence of Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and the Internet of Things. Other event topics include Customer Engagement, and Security & Privacy. For more press releases that are related to the Mobile World Congress, click here. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1800"] The volume of media mentions that are related to Mobile World Congress in January 2020. (Photo: Cision Communications Cloud)[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1800"] Media coverage on Mobile World Congress based on the type of media outlets in January 2020. (Photo: Cision Communications Cloud)[/caption] Based on international media monitoring data from Cision Communications Cloud, there is an increase in MWC-related content from mid-January, especially among online consumer media outlets. Tapping on Cision Communications Cloud, PR Newswire took a closer look at the topics that journalists are seeking to get insights from the relevant experts from various businesses and industries: The convergence of technology and how it influences the future What journalists want to know: Key trends and innovations brought about by the convergence of Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G, and how different industries can harness these technological innovations to improve lives. Suitable for: Artificial Intelligence, IoT and 5G-related companies Trend & movements in cybersecurity What journalists want to know: Web security is an essential aspect of technology applications. With the recent rise of cybercrime, what can businesses and individuals do to address web security challenges? Suitable for: Cloud and big data companies [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="720"] Click to view PR Newswire's 2020 PR calendar.[/caption] Plan your upcoming campaigns and news releases around festivals, exhibitions and conferences in Asia-Pacific in 2020. Click here to view the PR Newswire’s Public Relations Calendar. This blog post is written by Kenneth Goh, Senior Marketing Executive at PR Newswire. A former journalist, he relishes keeping track of breaking news as much as telling stories with trends and data. Connect with him via Linkedin.
The Benefits – and Avoidable Pitfalls – of Humor in Asia-Pacific Corporate Communications
Corporate communications that incorporate humor should target to make their message more memorable by bringing a smile to audiences while avoiding being too forced. Humor helps content stand out to audiences that are spoilt for choice, with 70 million new WordPress blog posts alone appearing each month. When incorporating humor into corporate communications, care needs to be exercised. Humor should not be interpreted as lacking tact, professionalism or cultural sensitivity. Cultural sensitivity is especially important in the Asia-Pacific context as communications campaigns span across different languages and cultures. If you’re second-guessing something, it probably should be cut. It is a good idea to arrange for local audience representatives to review your work to avoid dealing with an unintended (and totally avoidable) PR disaster. For example, D&G launched a video showing an Asian woman fumbling with a pair of long chopsticks as she was eating Italian food in 2018. This video was made to promote a Shanghai fashion show, but the show was canceled after D&G was accused of cultural insensitivity and demeaning chopsticks, a ubiquitous Chinese cultural icon. It is vital to stay within the brand guidelines to achieve communications objectives. Firefly, a budget airline subsidiary of Malaysian Airlines, launched a “Dump Your Ex” campaign aimed to draw in new customers aged between 25 to 35 years of age, offering a discount and urging them to convert to Firefly from a competitor! A cheeky move for sure, but one that resonated with a younger audience while staying within Firefly’s cheerful and youthful image. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1051"] Source: Firefly Facebook Page[/caption] Localized humor also adds a spark to communications campaigns. For example, Adidas brought basketball royalty James Harden, known for his signature beard, on a tour across major Chinese cities to meet basketball fans. In these events, he donned a Chinese opera costume and interacted with the young participants wearing the iconic Harden beard. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1098"] Source: PR Newswire[/caption] These visuals sparked giggles while incorporating the local culture to make the brand more relatable to Chinese audiences. Adidas also sent a press release to amplify the impact of this tour, to optimize audience reach and influence within China. It was a huge win for Adidas with these images featured on local fashion media and sports discussion groups. Humor can educate audiences and promote brand recall with a smile when they face similar situations in the future. Take airline pre-flight safety videos for instance – many passengers are bored stiff by the same old videos across different airlines. However, Qatar Airways chose to make a different type of safety video titled “A Safety Video Like Never Before”. Based on a football dressing room setting, a “coach” gives a pre-match talk while demonstrating how to fasten seatbelts, stow luggage in overhead compartments and put on a life jacket. With guest appearances of Qatar cabin crew and singing players, it certainly grabbed the attention of most travelers! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Source: Qatar Airways[/caption] To captivate a larger and more relevant audience, Qatar Airways chose to a multi-channel approach beyond social media sharing, with a press release featuring this video and a quote from Senior Vice President Marketing and Corporate Communications, Ms. Salam Al Shawa, "At Qatar Airways, safety is priority one and we want to ensure everyone, including our most frequent travelers, watches our safety briefings. The level of quality and attention to detail in this video is paramount and I am sure the content will both inform and amuse our global passengers of all ages." With a well-crafted video and management explaining why they inserted humor into safety briefings, journalists found this release quite newsworthy, featuring it on industry media such as Arabian Aerospace to reach relevant audiences while winning over 100,000 views on YouTube within a month. The next time these travelers are faced with another boring pre-flight safety video, they are likely to recall this Qatar Airways campaign with a smile! All three examples share common ground. They show the power of humor in relating emotions, cultural contrasts and situations to audiences’ own experiences. Apart from communicating a brand message, these campaigns also humanize a business, letting the outside world understand your team is not just providing a product or service. There are real human beings — just like you — behind the curtain who are not afraid to laugh. Key Takeaways: Humor in corporate communications does not have to leave your audience rolling on the floor laughing. Getting them to crack a smile is enough – don’t overdo it. Humor is hard work – it is vital to strike a balance between being humorous, staying on-brand while not offending audiences. Carefully curated cultural contrasts, such as James Harden in a Chinese opera costume, can be very funny. Mundane, everyday experiences, such as pre-flight safety videos, are ‘moments’ that humorous communications campaigns may feature to encourage brand recall. After putting so much work into a great campaign, it is important to reach larger and more relevant audiences. Consider a multi-channel content distribution strategy that incorporates press releases and social media. This blog post is contributed by Dhavina Sivanesan, Audience Development Executive at PR Newswire. Dhavina joined PR Newswire several months ago as a newbie to the industry. Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication from SEGi University, she aims to grow and achieve great heights as a media practitioner.
January 2020 PR Calendar Cheat Sheet
The first month of 2020 heralds new beginnings, a fresh crop of opportunities and resolutions to make. Injecting some buzz this month is Lunar New Year, which is celebrated across Asia-Pacific, where people will usher in the Year of the Rat with food, clothes and greetings - all bearing auspicious symbolism. Here’s a list of major events and festivals to help you plan your PR campaigns and activities this month. Key Dates 7 - 10 January: Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020 11 - 19 January: Singapore Art Week 13 January: Coming of Age Day (Japan) 16 January: Teacher’s Day (Thailand) 17 - 19 January: Taipei Dangdei (Global Art Fair) 21 January: World Economic Forum 24 January: International Day of Education 24 January: Lunar New Year Eve 25 January – Lunar New Year 26 January - 62nd GRAMMY Awards Highlights of January 2020 1. New Year’s Day (1 January) [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400"] Source: Fourdesire[/caption] Taiwanese digital design studio Fourdesire has launched a campaign to help users make their New Year’s resolutions in a fun and fuss-free way. Through its three gamified mobile apps, "Fortune City", "Plant Nanny²" and "Walkr", users can cultivate better wellness and financial habits such as spending wisely, drinking more water and walking more. 2. Consumer Electronics Show 2020 (7 to 10 January) A flurry of new products and partnerships were announced at the CES 2020, the world’s biggest consumer technology show, which was held in Las Vegas from 7 to 10 January. Formally known as the Consumer Electronics Show, CES has set the stage for upcoming technology innovations to be introduced to the marketplace by leading companies around the world. With over 4,400 exhibiting companies across 36 product categories, competition is keen to secure media coverage. According to Mike Butcher, editor-at-large at TechCrunch, he gets over 500 emails per day and is focused on those that contain news, not self-promotion filled with buzzwords designed to please the client. Amidst the hive of activity at this industry event, time-pressed journalists appreciate multimedia press releases as it is a one-stop resource page to gather information and multimedia assets to enrich their reports. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1806"] Source: MultiVu Screenshot[/caption] South Korean company Hyundai Motors distributed a multimedia news release on its smart mobility solutions, comprising Urban Air Mobility, Purpose Built Vehicle and Hub, a place for mobility transfer and community activities, that were unveiled at CES 2020. This news release, which is also available in Indonesian and Simplified Chinese, comes with photos of the three innovations, and a video on Hyundai’s human-centred future mobility vision. Relevant news and technology media outlets carried the news and created infographics from the press images, emphasizing the importance of providing journalists easy access to multimedia assets. Relevant news and technology media outlets carried the news and created infographics from the press images, emphasizing the importance of providing journalists easy access to multimedia assets. In a separate press release, Hyundai also announced its partnership with American ride-sharing company Uber on developing Uber Air Taxis, an aerial ride-sharing network and also launched its new full-scale aircraft concept. This piece of partnership news, which featured quotes from senior management, was picked up by major news outlets such as The Financial Times, CNN and Nikkei Asian Review. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400"] Source: Taiwan Tech Arena[/caption] CES is also a great platform for businesses to showcase products with novel technology and uses. Take Taiwanese start-up LuluPet for example. It has introduced the world’s first cat litter box with in-built artificial intelligence that tracks the health of cats through their excretory behaviour, weight changes and stool images. 3. Lunar New Year Eve (24 January) Lunar New Year (25 January) [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Source: Shanghai Disney Resort[/caption] Many theme parks and brick-and-mortar establishments such as shopping malls strive to create a memorable experience during this holiday period. Shanghai Disney Resort is hosting a Spring Festival event - a fitting tribute given that the brand’s most famous cartoon character is the Mickey Mouse. From 13 January to 9 February, mascots of Disney’s most iconic characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy are donning new Spring Festival outfits. Guests can enjoy performances, games and food stalls in a colourful and flamboyant street market. They can also access new Disney-themed photo filters and create Spring Festival greeting videos on smartphones. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="557"] Source: Adidas[/caption] The festival season is also an opportune time to spruce up one’s wardrobe. In China, Sportswear brand Adidas has introduced a series of sportswear, adidasTERREX CNY, in conjunction with the Lunar New Year festivities. Not surprisingly, the line’s jackets, sweaters and windbreakers come in bright red - an auspicious colour in Chinese culture. The sportswear line is designed for city-dwellers who are planning to exercise during the festive break. This set of apparel is also designed for everyday wear, far beyond Lunar New Year. Travelling during the Lunar New Year break is getting more popular, since mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam have public holidays to celebrate this festival. The occasion is known as Seollal in South Korea, and Tet in Vietnam. To spark some holiday ideas, global online travel agency Agoda has compiled a list of Top 10 Destinations for Asia-Pacific travellers over the Lunar New Year period, based on booking data in 2019. Bangkok, Tokyo and Taipei have emerged tops in the list as these cities are gourmet and shopping spots. Agoda also released Top 10 Destination Lists and festive travel trends for seven markets in this region. Hong Kong-based online travel agency, Klook also came up with a Top 10 list of travel experiences, from its repository of 100,000 activities across 350 destinations. These lists were picked up by travel websites and featured in search engine results, providing a nifty source of inspiration for travellers who may then use Agoda or Klook’s services. Plan your upcoming campaigns and news releases around festivals, exhibitions and conferences in Asia-Pacific. Click here to view PR Newswire’s Public Relations Calendar 2020. This blog post is written by Kenneth Goh, Senior Marketing Executive at PR Newswire. A former journalist, he relishes keeping track of breaking news as much as telling stories with trends and data. Connect with him via Linkedin.
PR Newswire Asia’s Top 10 Highlights of 2019
2020 looks set to be an exciting year for the ever-evolving public relations industry, as it adapts to trends such as the resurgence in the popularity of earned media and the rise of podcasting and artificial intelligence. Before we charge ahead into a new year, we look back at the key highlights of PR Newswire Asia in 2019. More Acquisitions by Cision Last year, PR Newswire’s parent company, Cision acquired Falcon.io, a leading social media marketing platform. Prior to this, Falcon.io completed its acquisition of Unmetric, a social media analytics software. These acquisitions boosted Cision’s earned media management capabilities, empowering public relations professionals with enhanced social media capabilities to execute well-rounded campaigns Cision also acquired Trendkite, a digital PR software company, which provides comprehensive media monitoring and analysis capabilities. These functions have been integrated into the Cision Communications Cloud, a one-stop platform for earned media management. New Websites in English, Japanese And Vietnamese We revamped our English website for the Asia-Pacific region. To strengthen our presence in the region, we have also launched a Japanese website and a Vietnamese website. The websites, which are PC and mobile-friendly, and enhanced with visual elements, provide an optimum browsing experience for users. The Next Generation Of Cision Communications Cloud® The Cision Impact was added to the latest upgrade of the Cision Communications Cloud. The new function, which includes Cision Audiences and Cision Activation, enables brands to capture and re-target earned media audiences at the peak of their content consumption and measure the true impact of earned media coverage. These new features cement the platform’s status as the best-in-class earned media management tool. Cision Launches MultiVu, A Digital Marketing Suite To meet the growing demands of digital marketing, MultiVu unveiled its Digital Marketing Suite, which has tools to create multimedia assets including Social Videos, Multichannel News Releases, Catalyst Interactive Web Experiences and Premium Publisher Advertising. 5. Growing Our Press Release Distribution Network In 2019, PR Newswire distributed close to 30,000 press release in APAC, including 300 video releases. We added close to 1,800 clients this year and continue to provide excellent service for 3,600 clients, including government agencies, local companies and multinational companies such as Ogilvy and Huawei. On the media relations front, we have added more than 9,600 partner journalists and cultivated over 260 new website partners in APAC, such as Asiaone, Warta Ekonomi and The Iskandarian. 6. Bigger Team, Better Service We expanded our teams in Australia, Malaysia and Taiwan to better serve local clients in light of the growing demand for global press release distribution and media monitoring services in the region. 7. PR Newswire’s Communications Forum 2019 The annual marquee event was successfully held on December 18 in Shenzhen, China. The forum attracted close to 1,000 communications professionals, who listened to insights from more than 30 industry experts, including Yujie Chen, Asia-Pacific President of PR Newswire (above) and Alyssa McDonald, Managing Editor for Digital, Bloomberg Asia-Pacific. Read the highlights here. 8. Media Coffee We held seven Media Coffee events in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia. These sessions continued to be a valuable networking platform for communications professionals to connect with leading media organizations. 9. Insightful White Papers 2019 Asia-Pacific Media Survey - Redefining the Value of Content Our Audience Development team surveyed nearly 1,000 journalists and media professionals across nine key markets – Australia, mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam. This survey enables international businesses to better understand the diverse APAC media landscape. Cision's 2019 Global State of the Media Report The 10th State of the Media Report, which surveyed close to 2,000 journalists around the world, is Cision’s most extensive report. The annual report broadly covers challenges that journalists face and tips on pitching to media and content production. Cision and PRWeek: 2019 Global Comms Report For the third consecutive year, Cision partnered with PRWeek to survey more than 500 senior PR and marketing professionals in seven countries to uncover recent trends and advancements in the communications field. The 2019 Global Comms Report unveils the biggest challenges that PR professionals face and how they can be overcome with data and technology. 10. Our Accolades Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) Golden Quill Media Awards: Most Innovative News Distribution Award PR Newswire clinched the Most Innovative News Distribution Award at the Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) Golden Quill Media Awards held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in May. The 2nd ASEAN PR Excellence Awards 2019: Diamond Award for Best Online Media Companies Supporting PR and Communications Industry The Diamond Award (the highest tier among four award categories, including Gold, Silver and Bronze) recognizes PR Newswire's role in supporting outstanding online public relations activities in the communications industry in South-east Asia. As we enter into a new year, we look forward to working closely with you in 2020 to reach and engage your target audiences through cultivated media relationships, exclusive partnerships and technology. For more information, visit here or email us at asia.marketing@prnasia.com.
Interview with an Online Beauty Editor: How to Engage Young, Female and Digital-first Audiences
Meet Briana Ng, Beauty Editor at Presslogic GirlStyle, a new online beauty platform based in Hong Kong targeting young girls. And yes, her job description is all you would imagine and more! She is constantly invited to many events organized by brands to collect information to write posts based on her first-hand experiences and accumulated know-how for Presslogic GirlStyle’s over 6,000,000 readers. Despite the perceived glamour of this industry, Briana puts in a lot of hard work to write posts about skincare and makeup while getting involved with simple video shooting as well as editing. She is appreciative of PR professionals who take the initiative to introduce their products and answer questions rather than provide information based on a script while “forcing” journalists to write content. Briana also shares tips and techniques that are useful for media professionals especially those who are seeking to engage young, female and digital-first audiences who are less likely to be influenced by traditional media. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="947"] Briana shares beauty and fashion information in Presslogic GirlStyle.[/caption] Hongkongers are spending more time on digital media rather than traditional media – a whopping 63% of the total daily media time[1]. In addition, mobile devices are now capturing over 50% of the time spent on digital media. Pitching and What Female Audiences Want Q: Please share your good and bad experiences when a PR professional reaches out to you. Is there anything that they should be aware of? We are always invited to different events. I think good PR professionals should avoid “forcing” reporters to write posts. Instead, they should take the initiative to introduce the product and give us the chance to ask questions, so we can understand the product better. Moreover, a good press release should include the details of the product, like the product ingredients and research findings. The more information a press release provides, the easier for me to pick out the key points and write posts. This way, what I share with my readers can be more objective. Regarding pitch emails, I prefer a more casual style. The tone should not be too formal, and I suggest PRs insert keywords in the subject to make it more interesting. Creative word combinations help to attract additional readers – so this effort can benefit both parties. Q: Many people say that the media has been transformed as it moves from offline to online. How has the media been changed? In terms of advertisements, brands tend to invite celebrities or models as their only representatives in the past. Now, they will spread their resources and collaborate with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) or YouTubers, as people believe that KOLs are more “down-to-earth” relative to those big-name celebrities. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="572"] Briana (right) attends a PR event and writes a review for the product.[/caption] Q: How do you attract a larger audience? We have several social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Different platforms may have different target audiences. For example, most of the Instagram users are young girls, they are scroll through social media content quickly, so I must catch their attention by using different techniques. For instance, videos I posted on Instagram are limited to one minute. Besides, we also refer to data from Instagram and Facebook. We noticed that Instagram contains a younger age group compared with Facebook and the audience on Facebook tends to watch longer videos than that on Instagram. We have adapted our content to our readers and optimize their experience. While writing the review for a certain product, I don’t rely on the press release alone. I will add my personal feelings and reviews from KOLs or celebrities to make my content more persuasive and reliable. Briana’s video editing and photo-taking tips Choose light and pastel colors for photos (see Briana’s Instagram feed below for an illustration of “Why”) Select high-resolution photos and videos of products Music Matters! Lively music at the beginning of videos help to engage viewers Bring out the subject and theme within the first 5 seconds Restrict yourself to 1- 2 minutes for a video story, a maximum of 3 mins for a long story [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="724"] Briana manages an Instagram account to interact with her audience and follow different beauty and fashion trends.[/caption] Will you use online or social media material as a source of your published stories? Using both Instagram and Facebook to keep up with different beauty trends is crucial. Most of our readers are relatively young and they are constantly consuming online media, so I must publish up-to-date information. I will also look for trending keywords and search with hashtags to share with my readers. I use keywords in my title to attract readers to my posts and click for additional details. My favorite keywords are “Sakura girl” (櫻花女孩), “hot pick from editors” (編輯精選), “age rewind” (抗衰老) and celebrities’ names. Do you have any tips that can share with someone who wants to be an editor or a part of this industry? Persistence: A beauty editor needs to dress up to build your image and build your audience group consistently. They all take time. Dressing up every day is not easy for every girl. Passion: As a beauty editor, you cannot lose your passion for finding out new products and looking into details. You need to have an interest in searching for and investigating makeup and skincare products. Confidence: My job requires me to be in front of the camera to shoot pictures and videos. You cannot be camera-shy, and need to be talkative and sociable to connect with viewers. Building your own unique image: In the beauty industry, uniqueness is necessary because it makes you become who you are. The audience loves freshness, they would come back to you when they find your style special. Press releases help with my content. We observe that consumers now pay more attention to the product details. Press releases include professional information like research reports to help my content become more convincing. About the Writers: Katie Ng (Audience Development Intern) - Graduated from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, majoring in Media and Culture studies. Iris Yuen (Audience Development Intern) - A student from the University of Queensland in Australia, majoring in Journalism. [1] GlobalWebIndex
Singapore Media Landscape Highlights 2019: Prioritizing Audience Engagement and Multimedia Content
Despite Singapore's relatively small population of around 5.8 million, it is a multilingual global city that hosts the regional headquarters of Reuters, CNBC Asia and the Dow Jones Group. Singapore media is also being disrupted digitally with the average daily circulation of print publications in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil (the four official languages of Singapore) falling a stunning 52.9 percent from 2011 to 2018. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="635"] Source: Statista[/caption] Digital news readership [1] grew 3.1 percent year-on-year (YoY), but not all of these newsreaders visit the digital pages of the government-linked media conglomerates, Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and Mediacorp. Instead, as our media interviewees will highlight later, readers may opt for digital media outlets that specialize in a more distinctive brand of news, often driven by detailed insights about reader demographics and preferences. One such example is AsiaOne, a PR Newswire content partner and content aggregation portal jointly owned by mm2 Asia and SPH. Since 2018, AsiaOne pivoted to original lifestyle and entertainment content through video-based formats, posting a rise in average monthly unique visitors of 108 percent or 1.2 million from June 2018 to June 2019. According to Comscore, AsiaOne is now the fourth-most read website in Singapore. Marco Sparmberg, the director of digital media at AsiaOne, shares how AsiaOne stands out, “Our coverage of (the newly-opened) Jewel Changi Airport demonstrates this approach as we developed a story under the #Joeyjios series – an original series where readers follow the adventures of our reporter, Joey Lee,” explains Sparmberg. “Not only does this help to sustain readership following, but an original series also allows us to curate consistent streams of content across multiple channels.” Leveraging multimedia content to engage audiences Businesses, like the media, are prioritizing multi-channel audience engagement in their campaigns. Apart from following up with multimedia content after an event, brands can leverage similar campaigns to engage and attract target audiences before the event. For example, Manulife Singapore launched “The Manulife Vault Game” on 4 October 2019 with a top prize of $250,000, targeting young people by inviting them to play a game involving unlocking a vault and accumulation of virtual currency. On 9 November, the top 32 players from this month-long game will be invited to compete in the playoffs at Jewel Changi Airport. To appeal to young people, Manulife adopted a multimedia-rich communications strategy, starting with a multimedia news release that features a short video, screenshots of the gameplay and images featuring game-specific hashtags, e.g. #dreamretirement. This short “optimized for engagement” video shows the unlocking of a vault to unveil the top prize on offer. And the results speak for themselves, with over 100,000 views on YouTube within twenty days and industry media, such as Insurance Business Asia, covering this news. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="394"] Screenshot from Manulife Singapore’s video[/caption] In our opinion, this campaign engages, entertains and educates its target audience through “snackable”, easy-to-consume multimedia content distributed through multiple channels. Voices from the Singapore Media To provide additional viewpoints for PR professionals to consider, we invited two Singaporean journalists (Shawn Lim and Zed B.W, a journalist from The Drum and editor/founder from JustSaying.Asia) to discuss their views on how PR practitioners can navigate the media landscape in Singapore. Please briefly introduce yourself and your publication. Shawn: I am a reporter for The Drum where I cover the Asia Pacific region, based in Singapore. The Drum is a global organization that provides insights on all things digital, creative, advertising and media-related via its website and magazine. We provide award shows, live events, complete content marketing solutions, video production, research, peer-to-peer learning networks, and supplier finder services. We have offices in Glasgow, London, New York, and Singapore. Zed: I am the editor and founder of JustSaying.Asia. JustSaying.Asia was initially launched as JustSaying.SG in 2013. It was meant as a platform to introduce and educate passionate individuals about the media industry. In 2014, we rebranded to JustSaying.Asia, as we realized that we were getting consistent traffic from Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and even Australia and the U.S. Working in the Corporate Communications and PR industry for more than a decade, it was clear that the way we (as PR Professionals) engage with the media needed to change and evolve - especially with the rise of blogging, social media and influencers. I knew that there were many people out there that might not have the 'paper qualifications' but had a keen interest in writing and were very passionate about their hobbies. These passionate individuals subsequently made the JustSaying.Asia editorial team. Everyone covers an aspect of the beat that they are incredibly passionate about as a consumer first, and a writer second. For example, food and restaurant reviews are divided into subcategories by types of cuisine (Italian, French, Vietnamese, Thai, etc). Gaming is broken down into categories such as FPS, MOBA, Strategy, Sports, Simulation, RPG, etc. How are digital competitors to traditional incumbent media (such as SPH and Mediacorp) positioning themselves to deliver a more relevant or better user experience? Shawn: Rice Media The publication has emerged in recent times as one of the most interesting sites for stories. Their long-form pieces on heartland topics with ridiculous titles like “The Most Ridiculous Designs We Found In Our Heartland Clothing Shops”, or my favourite “Diary Of A Man Forced By His Boss To Visit The New Funan Mall” have given readers an alternative to local current affairs news on SPH and Mediacorp. It is trying out podcasting with Storytel, where it puts articles on the platform as audiobooks, allowing users to listen to its stories instead. Mothership There has not been a proper tabloid rival to The New Paper since it became a free-sheet, but Mothership has since filled that gap. While other alternative news outlets tend to have a critical approach to government policies, Mothership has taken a different approach with its tabloid-ish approach on news and current affairs. Its video series like “Mothership Hits the Streets” appeal to the man on the street, and its government-friendly approach means it has attracted brands, and even the government to produce branded content, via editorials and videos. Zed: Digital media has the ability to provide data-driven insights for advertising campaigns that other forms of media might not have access to. Through the data that we have, we are able to curate our content to fit our readership's specific demographics - age, location, interests. Over the last six years, the data that we've collected has helped to influence the design and structure of the site, while highlighting our value proposition to clients. By understanding how our readers moved across the site, we went from 1.2 page views per unique individual to 3.6 on average over the last year. It has also drastically helped us with our bounce rates - at about 9% per month, this is far lower than industry standards. In the past 12 months, the shift to video is a common trend across worldwide media audiences. Could you please share how your team is adjusting to this trend? Shawn: We built our video production capabilities eight years ago and have been producing videos editorially and commercially ever since. As part of our branded content strategy, we produce videos for our clients at our own and global events like Cannes Lions, Advertising Week, DMEXCO and CES as part of their sponsorship package for the events we hold during these events. For editorial videos, we are continually producing documentaries and series on eSports, creativity and advertising. More recently, we started doing a live show call “The Drum Show” where we invite guests on the show to chat about the latest news in the industry and trending topics. We also host live shows on LinkedIn and Twitter. What should PR professionals take note of when pitching to your publication to cover an event? Zed: We receive tons of invites to pressers and are totally swamped. Clear and less "mysterious" subject lines are likely to get our attention faster. The quicker we can get essential information from your invite (what, why, time and place) the better. What kind of content in a press release is most beneficial to your content, and which do you like the most? Zed: (I look for) Real information about the product/ project/ initiative you're pitching. How is it unique or compare to others that have come before? However, avoid taking it up with superfluous adjectives about how amazing, fantastic, tremendous the product is. Some are fine, but some press releases we get just go way overboard. Tell me why, back it up with data/facts and let us decide how amazing it is. Keen to leverage video content as part of your communications strategy? Get in touch with us to learn more about PR Newswire’s Video News Release product. [1] Nielsen’s Singapore Media Index Report 2018
How to Create Compelling Videos to Enhance Business Growth
From left to right: Jonathan Vit (Head of Video from VICE Asia), Byron Perry, moderator (Founder and CEO of Coconuts Media), Tessa Wong (Video Journalist from BBC News Online), Chung Lyn-Yi (Supervising Editor from CNA), Joyce Hau (Head of News Partnerships from YouTube Asia Pacific) Video content is a powerful tool for marketers and producers to tell complex stories that engages their viewers. According to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index, video traffic will account for 82% of the global web traffic by 2022. With video consumption on an upward trend, it is no surprise that YouTube is the second most visited website in the world. To keep up, media publications and businesses are generating more video content to attract and engage their audiences. As an Associate Member of The Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA), PR Newswire was invited to attend the SOPA Singapore Media Insider event held on 30 Aug 2019 in Singapore. I attended to learn from media professionals about the latest video production trends and how businesses may produce compelling corporate news videos. There was a panel discussion and the speakers touched on topics such as strategies for creating high-quality news videos and the latest video production trends. The panel discussion comprised the following speakers: Joyce Hau, Head of News Partnerships from YouTube Asia Pacific Jonathan Vit, Head of Video from VICE Asia Chung Lyn-Yi, Supervising Editor from CNA Tessa Wong, Video Journalist from BBC News Online Byron Perry, Founder and CEO of Coconuts Media (Moderator) Here are my takeaways from this event: The level of video engagement Engagement levels are critical metrics. Upon video upload, the speakers shared they would monitor to see if it’s doing well in terms of the following metrics: number of views number of likes number of comments view time (total amount of time viewers spent viewing the video) average view duration (the average time spent viewing the video) average completion rate (the average percentage of the video viewed) Sequencing makes or breaks video content The speakers shared that most audiences stop watching if it doesn’t catch their attention within the first 10 seconds on social media platforms and YouTube. For longer videos like documentaries, the digital teams will analyze the engagement levels and pinpoint the specific timestamp where most viewers stop watching. By analyzing the timestamp, it may reveal tiny details such as when the documentary shows the back of the speaker’s head, viewers are more likely to feel disengaged and stop watching. Video producers may then optimize accordingly when they are shooting their next video. When shooting videos, take as many shots as you can, wide medium and close-up, of the action. When editing, you will have additional choices to put together the most exciting sequence. Creating video content for different platforms There are many different platforms to share videos such as YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Twitch, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok. Each platform will have its unique positioning and attract different audiences. YouTube, Vimeo and Dailymotion would most likely have the widest variety as they have a general target audience. For social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, the content is often bite-sized, fun and exciting to promote the likelihood of shares. Some media publications seek to target the younger generation; hence they are placing more emphasis on multimedia news stories with lighter content such as lifestyle news. Ultimately, they need to study video consumption behaviors and tailor their video content style to attract targeted audiences. When producing a video, businesses should plan how a single piece of video content can be re-purposed and used across multiple platforms. How YouTube combats fake news Fake news remains to be one of the biggest issues for some readers as most of the articles that are published on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube do not state the source of the information. Most panelists (BBC, CNA, VICE Asia and Coconuts Media) are media representatives except for YouTube. YouTube is an open video platform and that there isn’t an editorial team that vets and fact-checks content before publication. Joyce Hau, Head of News Partnerships from YouTube Asia Pacific, said that the platform was continuously trying to improve themselves to become a more trusted news source for viewers: Promotion of news content from established news media publications Introduction of a “Breaking News” shelf – This only appears when there is a significant news event Monitor for spikes in the number of views for videos and then proceed to validate the source of the video - the aim is to make credible news more accessible and improve the news experience Subtitles are a must - Most social media videos are watched without audio This was an interesting fact that one of the speakers shared – 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound according to Digiday. This is also the way I consume video content whilst on my daily commute to and from work. Therefore, it is critical to add some form of text or subtitles within videos to help provide context to the audiences that are watching these ‘silent’ videos. After the panel discussion ended, I asked Ron Leung, Multimedia Producer at PR Newswire about his professional opinion as he helps our clients create multimedia press releases – comprising interactive, visually appealing content – that attract journalists and is easy to share on social media. He added, “With the growing trend of mobile devices usage, audiences are most likely consuming video content on smaller screen sizes. To stand out from millions of videos, using fonts and styles that look good on small screens is critical.” He provided an example comparing two different subtitle fonts below: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Across these screens, which set of subtitles – Times New Roman or Open Sans - is easier to read?[/caption] Open Sans (did you guess correctly?) and Helvetica are good examples of san-serif typefaces that work well as subtitles even on smaller screens. Keen to leverage video content as part of your communications strategy? Get in touch with us to learn more about PR Newswire’s Video News Release product. This blog post is contributed by Stephanie Lau, Senior Audience Development Executive at PR Newswire. Stephanie leads PR Newswire’s audience development team in Singapore. She oversees media partnerships, media database and organizes media events and interviews. Prior to joining PR Newswire, she had three years of experience working in PR agencies.
Indonesia Media Landscape Highlights 2019: How to reach out to both Digital and Traditional Media
Indonesia’s media landscape has become increasingly digital and mobile but traditional media still plays an important role. The Nielsen Consumer & Media View survey 2018 indicates that Indonesians who read news daily on print media stand at 42 percent of this segment. As fake news proliferates, readers are shifting to print media as trusted news sources. Print media focusing on business news, such as Kontan and Bisnis Indonesia, have reported a growth in their subscriber base. Therefore, it is important for communications campaigns to cater to both digital and traditional media. To provide various perspectives for PR professionals to consider, PR Newswire’s Indonesian Audience Development team has distilled key numbers from industry reports, drawn from our recent experiences and interviewed two senior business journalists from media (Warta Ekonomi and Marketing.co.id) that are ranked within the top ten business publications in this market as reported in PR Newswire’s recent APAC Media Survey 2019. Indonesia’s population of 270 million ranks fourth in the world while the number of mobile internet users ranks fifth with 106 million. Indonesia also leads key Southeast Asia markets in terms of the size and growth rate in online media with a gross merchandise value (GMV) of $9 billion and a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31% from 2015-2025. This is mostly led by online advertising, online gaming and online music & video. This means that as businesses formulate PR strategies to build brand awareness and win trust, generating engaging digital and multimedia content is vital. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1224"] Source: Temasek, Google and Bain & Co - e-Conomy Southeast Asia 2019[/caption] So, what’s are the characteristics of audiences consuming digital and traditional media? The Nielsen Consumer & Media View survey in 2018 indicates that digital media and traditional media complement each other. It's just that media consumption varies across different age groups. For example, 97 percent of Generation Z (10–19 years) watch television, 50 percent access the internet and 33 percent listen to the radio. For Generation X (35-49 years), a similar proportion watches television (97 percent) and listens to the radio (37 percent) but a lower percentage accesses the internet (33 percent). Outside Java (around 45% of the population lives beyond this island), Indonesians also prefer reading local news in print rather than in digital format. For example, 80 percent of readers in Makassar, a large city in South Sulawesi, prefer reading news in print newspapers, almost double the national average of 42 percent. This Nielsen survey also indicates print media in Indonesia are consumed by readers from the age range of 20-49 years (74%) and the higher-income groups (54%). As Vicky Fadil from Warta Ekonomi states in his interview later, print media reporting seeks greater depth and analysis to cater to these readers. Therefore, print media plays an important role particularly for B2B marketing, products and services that prioritize trust (such as financial services) and thought leadership. Moonton - Communicating through digital and traditional media In July this year, the PR Newswire team invited journalists to a Jakarta press conference organized by Moonton, launching ASEAN’s first e-sports professional league, “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League”. Mobile Legends is a game developed by Moonton. Over a hundred journalists from digital and traditional media attended this press conference to cater to the millions of Indonesians who are avid mobile gamers. Following a detailed presentation of the upcoming league’s plans and engaging journalists at this event, Moonton sent a multilingual press release. This press release also included a link to a media kit which facilitated reporting in both English and Bahasa Indonesia from digital (e.g. e-sport) and traditional media (e.g. newspapers and television). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1195"] Google News Screenshot indicating both Bahasa Indonesia and English reports of Moonton’s press conference[/caption] In our opinion, this is an excellent example of enriching a product launch with different news perspectives for digital and traditional media to report on such as holding an event (press conference where Moonton management answered specific media queries), industry insights (highlight the lack of standardized contracts between e-sports teams and players) and a commitment to the industry (invest $8 million in e-sports). Voices from the Indonesian media Our team invited two senior Indonesian journalists (Vicky Fadil, Vice Editor, Warta Ekonomi, a leading business media and Tony Burhanudin, Managing Editor, Marketing.co.id, a portal targeted at Indonesian marketers) to discuss their views on how PR practitioners can navigate the Indonesian media landscape. Both Warta Ekonomi and Marketing.co.id operate digital and print media. Please briefly introduce yourself and your publication Vicky Fadil: Since 2015, I worked for Warta Ekonomi for both print (magazine) and online (wartaekonomi.co.id). As for now, I cover corporate activities, SME business, macroeconomics issues and political updates. Warta Ekonomi Magazine is the first economic magazine in Indonesia established since 1989, published bi-weekly, which offers a fresh perspective on business & economics to decision-makers in government and top business institutions. Tony Burhanudin: I have been with Marketing.co.id since 2016. I write about topics in marketing, digital marketing and advertising while interviewing senior representatives from both large enterprises and SMEs (small and medium enterprises). Marketing.co.id was founded in July 2011 and seeks to facilitate learning, discussion, and sharing about the world of marketing. We also operate Majalah Marketing, a print magazine. In the next 12 months, what do you think will be the biggest changes in terms of the way content is produced and distributed in Indonesia? Vicky Fadil: For the next year, I don't see many changes in the way news is produced. Relative to online articles, for print media we need greater depth and analysis. Regardless, for both media, we go back to basics in terms of accurate supporting data and high-quality photos. On distribution context, I do think there's a change that we in Warta Ekonomi must address. It's obvious that posting our print or online content on social media can amplify our reach. But I think we must customize each posting for different social media platforms, not just “copy-paste” from the original content. Tony Burhanudin: I see news (especially live events or launch events) being reported using a vlog style, or other short-video reporting format. Other than that, I see data-driven journalism, where data is narrated in an easy-to-digest multimedia format, gaining more readers’ attention. Tell us a bit about the stories that your readers love and what new product launch stories gained good traction on your publication recently? Vicky Fadil: In 2019, all our print cover stories so far are related to digital business or IoT economy. Titles such as “Big Data Big Opportunity”, “Mobile Payment is Big Business” reflects our readers’ preferences. For online media, it's much more dynamic. For product launch stories, I think articles related to mobile gadgets, consumer electronics, consumer apps, e-commerce promotions still get lots of views, such as the launching of iPhone 11, Samsung S10, e-commerce festivals, etc. Tony Burhanudin: We are known for our coverage of the latest marketing concepts or phenomena and annual awards, such as Marketing Awards and Venture Capital, etc. What should PR professionals take note of when pitching to your publication to cover an event? Vicky Fadil: As business media, data is of paramount importance. Businesses can provide figures related to sales, growth percentage, market share, or your press conference talking points. Please let us know whether other news-makers are attending your events. If you can give us a one-on-one interview session, it will be even better. Tony Burhanudin: For new product launches, make sure you include the talking points about how your product is positioned within the industry, what are the differentiation points relative to others, the potential impact of your product, and don't forget to give the supporting figures. Most of the time, we only quote these figures from your release. What kind of content in a press release do you prefer as it is beneficial to your content? Vicky Fadil: I like press releases that are packed with data and interesting news angles. It makes my job easier to incorporate such information into an article. Tony Burhanudin: I prefer a press release that uses an inverted pyramid structure, that places the most important content in the first paragraph. A press release should also contain figures, relevant quotes and high-resolution images that we can download. This blog post is contributed by Afif Maulana, Audience Development Executive at PR Newswire. Before joining PR Newswire Indonesia, Afif had 8 years of experience as a business journalist on some of the biggest business magazines in Indonesia; SWA, Bloomberg Business Week and Fortune. His expertise and network on helps the Indonesia team expanding reach on local and national media. He also played a part as a mediator for client and media, when working on some issues and activities.
