3 Facts About Thailand’s Media Landscape Every Marketer Should Know
Together with InfoQuest, PR Newswire has recently published a whitepaper on Thailand’s media landscape. To help companies propel their businesses forward and gain more visibility in Amazing Thailand, here are some bite-sized chunks of information on the media consumption habits among the friendly Thais. [Tweet "3 Facts About Thailand’s Media Landscape Every Marketer Should Know"] 1) Newspapers are popular in Thailand Despite the growing trend of using the online media to source for news and other information, Thais still read the newspapers to keep themselves updated with world affairs. This is substantiated by a survey report from Thailand Knowledge Park which showed that 73.7% of Thais are newspaper readers. 2) Thais spend an average of 5.7 hours on their smartphones per day Using search engine is the most popular activity among smartphone users, where Google snags the top spot. According to Nielsen’s Global Trust in Advertising 2015 report, smartphone users are influenced by digital advertisements displayed on search engines and they are more likely to make purchases on their mobile devices. 3) LINE is the most popular messaging app WhatsApp may be popular in Asian countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. However, in Thailand, LINE is widely used by Thais to communicate with their friends. There are 33 million LINE users in Thailand. We have prepared an infographic on Thailand’s print media so you can have a quick glance on the newspaper and magazine industries. You may also want to check out our one-minute video on Thailand’s digital media. To learn more about Thailand’s media landscape in detail, download the whitepaper today!
Startup PR 101: 7 rules to live by for BETTER media coverage
The best way for any startup to gain media coverage is to learn from successful entrepreneurs and experienced editors. Gaining insights from Leo Widrich, Co-Founder of Buffer (a software application designed to manage accounts in social networks), Victoria Ho, Editor of Mashable Asia, and Tim Neesham, Editor of PR Newswire Asia, here are 7 ways to get media coverage for your startup. [Tweet "Startup PR 101: 7 rules to live by for BETTER media coverage"] 1) Think like a journalist; learn to tell stories by setting up a blog When you put on the writer’s thinking hat and start writing blog posts, you will begin to think like a journalist, always strategizing each post with compelling content. When you write enough blog posts, you know which headlines work better for your readers and the types of content that provide value to them. Most importantly, with great content, your blog is able to get a good amount of coverage from journalists. Your blog coverage can also be earned when readers themselves share your content on their social media pages. When LinkedIn was added to the Buffer app, Leo did a write-up on the company blog. The result was phenomenal with over 500 shares, more sign-ups and 4 write-ups by notable bloggers. 2) Do your homework; know the journalists from the inside out During an interview with Victoria, she mentioned that sending a blanket pitch without knowing a publication’s editorial direction is a big no-no. No matter how newsworthy your story is, it is a waste of time and effort when you pitch to the wrong media outlet without studying its reader demographics and the type of news it covers. In the beginning, Leo would pitch his stories that he thought were newsworthy to Mashable and TechCrunch, just like many people would do so. But there were no write-ups. This lesson made him realize the need to get to know the journalists, not via corporate events and conferences, but on a slightly more personal level through social media. This is because they are just like us, always reading and sharing interesting news with friends on the likes of Facebook, Twitter and even Snapchat. So go ahead and find the most suitable writers covering the industry your startup is in, and hang out with them on Twitter and Facebook. Be genuinely interested in their stories by sharing with your group of friends or commenting on what they write about. This sounds like a great amount of homework to be done, but hey, your hard work will be paid off when you pitch your story to them. They are more likely to read your email pitch when they see your name in their inbox. 3) Pitch to young rising journalists The reason is simple. Seasoned and experienced journalists who cover startups receive hundreds of email pitches daily and it is no surprise your wonderful piece of news is missed. Instead, reach out to junior writers who do not get as much email messages as their seniors do, as suggested by Leo. Find out the most suitable writers by going through stories written by them. 4) Go the extra mile when pitching Leo’s way of pitching to a writer is to send a Tweet to him on an exclusive story. Once he gets a reply, he will send an email pitch right away so the recipient will take a look at it. Besides Twitter, there are other ways to get in touch with your writer, such as a simple phone call. In the beginning of your email pitch, Victoria suggests explaining the importance of your story in one to two sentences what your startup does and the significance of your news to the readers. Following up with your writer is as important as writing a great pitch. This is because some people may have forgotten to reply to your email after reading your pitch on the go. Victoria also suggests to follow up with the writer as it helps you shape the pitch differently or reveal different facets of the story. 5) Know the right time to pitch Leo has learnt that the best days to get news coverage are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Monday is not a good day to pitch as writers’ inboxes are full with messages sent over the weekend. Sending an email in the morning is a better choice as your email is more likely to appear at the top of the recipient’s inbox. 6) Master the art of pitching different story angles There are 4 distinct story angles to use: Your product is able to fill in the market gap When American President Barack Obama announced in December 2014 to ease travel restrictions to Cuba, Airbnb saw a 70 percent spike in searches from American users for listings in Cuba. It became one of the first American companies to offer accommodations in Cuba. Read the release: Hospitality, Havana Style: Airbnb Opens Its Doors in Cuba Awesome data Buffer analysed all the Tweets sent by its customers and concluded that companies that send their Tweets via Buffer are more likely to get 200% more clicks and double the number of retweets. This data was very well-received by the media with 5 write-ups from editors and bloggers. Brand new features to make users feel awesome In celebration of World Emoji Day on 17 July, US-based startup BDS Mobile launched buzzMSG, a new iPhone app where users can create their own custom emoji on text and email messages and social media posts like Facebook and Twitter. As 92% of the online population use emoji with 72% millennials prefer to communicate with emoji over words, this awesome feature allows users to express themselves with customized emoji, making conversations even more exciting. Read the release: First App That Creates Custom Within Text Emoji Launched Hit a big milestone Milestone pitches are great for branding as readers are able to see how your business has grown from strength to strength. London food courier startup Deliveroo started its on-demand food delivery service in London, bringing high-end restaurant cuisine at the customers’ doorsteps. Due to popular demand, Deliveroo was granted US$100 million to expand its home-based fine dining experience across the world including Southeast Asia and Middle East. Now, at least in Singapore, Deliveroo has achieved top-of-mind among Singaporean foodies when it comes to food delivery. We can say goodbye to fast-food delivery and hello to upmarket dining experience in our comfy pajamas. Read the release: On-demand Delivery Service for High-End Restaurant Cuisine, Deliveroo, Comes to Southeast Asia, Australia and Middle East 7) Last but not least, know the power of press releases In a recent blog post written by Tim, he stresses the importance of quality content and how a great piece of article can get picked up and redistributed by many media outlets. Besides setting up a blog and touching base with journalists on social media, it is also important to distribute quality press releases to well-known targeted media. Hong Kong-based startup Quantifeed recently submitted a funding-related press release to PR Newswire a few days back. The release was picked up and rewritten by their targeted media sites such as Tech in Asia and E27. Quantifeed did a great job in storytelling because they localized their content and included visuals and insightful quotes from the co-founder. Read the blog post: Startup PR 101: How to Write a Funding-Related Press Release
Catch ‘Em All! How to Captivate Your Audience on Relevant Awareness Days? [SlideShare]
As marketers, we could only wish that our audiences would be passionately on the hunt for our content like they would with the new Pokémon Go game. The reality is some of our content often just sits on a sad shelf collecting dust and might not ever get discovered. Another aching struggle is when we run out of fresh ideas for content. Although we don’t always have a mind full of compelling stories that we can create from scratch, fortunately, we can get some inspiration from the existing buzz, popular observances, or trending topics. [Tweet "Blog: How to Captivate Your Audience on Relevant Awareness Days?"] Piggybacking on notable days in your content plan is a tried-and-true marketing tactic that could help you increase the visibility and expand the reach of your content. Besides the popular awareness observances like Earth Day and World Aids Day, there are other unique and zany observances – from Pi Day to World Emoji Day – that could be used as a springboard for some interesting and engaging content. Of course, before you put the petal to the metal, you will need some resources. Besides the 2016 PR calendar that lays out all the major holidays, awareness days and events in APAC, PR Newswire also recently published a free eBook to share tips on how to write engaging holiday and event news stories and features some great release examples. See some tips featured in the eBook below: [embed]http://www.slideshare.net/PR-Newswire-Asia/the-ultimate-guide-to-writing-engaging-holiday-and-event-news-stories[/embed] 1. Identify the awareness days that will resonate the most with your audiences When selecting the appropriate awareness day, choose one that aligns with your brand messaging or has a strong tie to the services and products that your company provides. More importantly, keep your audiences in mind and ask yourself if this particular awareness day has any relevance to your target audiences’ interest. Why should they care? How can you angle the story in a way that resonates with them? Do not just blindly jump on the awareness bandwagon if you do not have a good story to tell. 2. Include those key dates in your editorial calendar As communications professionals, the chance is high that you will have an editorial calendar to keep a consistent flow of content. Besides planning the content topics you will publish, include a few awareness days and observances that are relevant to your business and audiences in your calendar would help you track additional details and get a bird-eye view on the upcoming trending topics people might talk about. For example, if you are targeting teachers, you need to bookmark World’s Teachers’ Day or the Anti-Bullying Day. If you are a startup selling pet gadgets, you might want to circle International Dog Day. It does not mean that you have to highlight every single relevant awareness day to create a comprehensive set of content around it; sometimes even by doing a simple Facebook post can remind your audiences that you care. 3. Focus on the why An awareness day in itself is not a news story. Use it as a hook, discuss the trend and explain its relevance to the reporter’s audiences. As audience interest accelerates, marketers can also incorporates the latest market research, polls, and voices of key opinion leaders to trigger new story angles and shape the discussion. Catering to people who are not aware of pancreatic cancer, this multimedia news release on World Pancreatic Cancer Day was a great example of incorporating interesting facts and compelling visuals to attract people’s attention, drive engagement and prompt them to act. 4. Highlight the human elements Although a launch release on a women’s rights charity campaign may be informative, an engaging story is what touches the audiences’ hearts. Demonstrate the problem and highlight the solutions or benefits you are bringing to the table. Can you include a video interview of one of the beneficiaries and share how your campaign has made an impact in her life? Can you turn the dull data and statistics into a fun and easy-to-understand infographic so your audiences can quickly grasp the essence of your story? No matter which awareness observance you choose to leverage, human connection should be at the forefront of your storytelling efforts. Think about what interests your audiences and develop a relevant story that can revoke the right emotion and inspire them to act. 5. Time is of the essence It is essential to keep the time frame in mind when you execute your marketing communications. Journalists will not want to receive your story if it’s too late, but they might not feature it if it’s too early either. Do your research on the editorial calendar of your targeted media and check how far in advance they look for stories. 6. Consider sending multiple press releases Stories do not end in one chapter. Your press release strategy should not be one and done either. Writing multiple press releases around a trending topic or awareness days can help amplify your message and showcase different story angles that may pique your audiences’ interest. For example, Sands China, known as one of the top green companies in the world, switched off their lights at all Sands China properties for one hour during Earth Hour this year to raise environment awareness on climate change. On March 10, it sent out a pre-event release to announce its participation in this global initiative and spotlight Sands China’s other ongoing sustainability efforts, keeping its audiences aware of their upcoming initiative. The story did not just stop there. After the day of Earth Hour, it sent out a post-event release that features the lights-off pictures at all Sands China properties. To keep its well-kept green brand image in its audiences’ minds, Sands China also sent out another release to announce its ranking as one of the top greenest companies in June. For more tips on how to write better holiday- and event- related news stories, download the eBook now to learn more! Eki Isabel Lau is the Marketing Executive for APAC (excluding China) at PR Newswire.
![Catch ‘Em All! How to Captivate Your Audience on Relevant Awareness Days? [SlideShare]](https://static.prnasia.com/pro/media/asiamarketing/pic/blog2_080216.jpg)
Meet The Media: Aaron Kearney at The Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia's state-owned and funded national public broadcaster. The ABC plays a leading role in the history of broadcasting in Australia. ABC International Development is the international development branch of Australia’s national public broadcaster. I have great pleasure to talk to Aaron Kearney, prominent broadcaster, journalist and sports commentator at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He shares with us about his work and his insights on the changing Australian media landscape Background of Australian Broadcasting Corporation International Development ABC International Development works in remote, often sparsely-populated developing nations and yet communicating effectively in an ever-changing media environment is at the forefront of everything we do. Digital disruption, the pressure on traditional media models and the capacity for social media to democratise communications are as real in Nuku’alofa, Kokopo and Honiara as they are in Sydney, London or Dubai. Can you tell us more your work? As a reporter, content producer and trainer for ABC International Development, I am currently designing and delivering Media and Communications courses across seven Pacific nations. I am deeply engaged in these issues and have spent a lot of time forming strategies to navigate this unfamiliar and ever-changing landscape. Everyone wants the same magic formula. How do I make people engage with my content? How do I get noticed amid the noise? How do I handle traditional versus new media? I am learning as much as I am teaching because I am amazed how even in completely different cultural and economic contexts, the issues mirror those I have faced as a working journalist on radio, television, newspapers and online over more than two decades in the highly-competitive and developed media markets in Australia. One of the things we discuss in our workshops is how the new media environment has brought with it a great many more options for exposure, but also far greater complexity. Strategic communications have never been more critical. There are so many more ways to be heard and so many more ways to be misunderstood. Anyone who says there is no such thing as bad publicity has never tweeted something controversial. What can you tell us about the changing media landscape in Australia? Speaking from the perspective of someone who, until six months ago, was deciding what would make it into news broadcasts, I’d noticed that the dynamic media landscape was changing my news and content priorities. Once upon a time, and it wasn’t so long ago, the model was that we, as a traditional mass media outlet, held the audience and there was fierce competition to reach that audience with a good story pitch. With the audience at the forefront of my mind, I would demand first access to the information, exclusivity and I wanted the hardest news angle possible. This was true even if I had approached them with the story idea, angle or rumour. These days I am aware that many organisations have curated their own loyal audiences, some of whom pay for privileged access. Accordingly, exclusive breaking news is often reserved for them, in the form of a tweet, breaking news on Facebook or via some distribution list. Such a strategy also allows the organisation to retain control of the message, of course. So in that context, my approach to what made news changed. Suddenly, I was looking for a deeper dive, a progression of the story, or sometimes a counter-reaction. Now, in my new role in the development space, I’m working with people trying to generate stories for both the mainstream media and their own curated audiences. Done poorly, this can be a disaster. Done well, the new media environment opens infinite opportunities. Just because it is easier to get noticed, doesn’t mean you are creating a good impression. What advice can you offer to the PR people in view of this changing environment? The key to effective communications in the modern landscape appears to me to be the same key to success in most areas of life – effective relationships. There are just a lot more relationships to manage now. Your followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, your client distribution list, fan club members, the local newspaper editor, the industry blogger, TV reporters, and the syndicated radio host, to name but a few. It is easy to become overwhelmed and so here is how we simplify it on our workshops. The old saying was “information is power”. Information is now ubiquitous and varies wildly in quality so its currency has been devalued. But time remains as precious as ever. Everyone is competing for someone else’s time and attention. The President is competing with a dog on a skateboard, health warnings are competing with cats playing pianos. The good news is; we are all welcome to join the new media party. The bad news? We are not guaranteed anyone will chat to us once we are there. It doesn’t matter if you are a sportswear company, an environmental lobbyist, a radio show or a blogger, you need to have a relationship with you audience that allows you to be a preferred source of information. You need to be good company. If you want someone to spend the precious currency of time with you, then you’d better be worth it. And that is as true in Ngerulmud as is it in New York. About Aaron Kearney Aaron Kearney is a multi- award winning journalist, broadcaster and commentator at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Please visit http ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Kearney for more information Charmaine Chow is the Media Research Manager at PR Newswire. For more media related news, follow us at @PRNA4media.
Media Q&A: Bloomberg News (Singapore Bureau)
“What is a typical day like at Bloomberg News?” one might ask. According to Singapore Bureau Chief Stephanie Phang, every day is different. The team of editors, reporters and analysts she oversees have their hands full with covering a broad spectrum of news – energy and commodities, economy, government, stocks, bonds, FX, banks, real estate, treasuries and the regional bond markets. They also conduct interviews and write insightful analyses on financial markets. As bureau chief, Phang is responsible for operations within the regional hub, overseeing more than 70 staff members and ensuring that they are reporting the Singapore story in a meaningful way that is valuable to their readers. “I make sure we are all over the breaking news, help to headline and edit stories, and support reporters and editors to produce cool enterprise. When needed, I provide the check and balance on stories that we produce here on Singapore. I also identify talent, nurture and retain them, and try to make sure the people in the bureau are happy and well,” she added. Founded in 1990, Bloomberg News grew rapidly over the years from a team of six to 2,600 journalists and analysts in over 120 countries. The industry leader in financial news has evolved based on the needs of its readers by broadening the way it delivers news both on the Bloomberg terminal and the website, and through platforms such as magazines, TV and radio. Phang said, “We have the Gadfly product that provides fast commentary, live blogs for major events and Daybreak, which is basically your morning brief.” She continued, “It [Daybreak] gives you all the news you need to know in a very concise and easy to digest format. Our clients can read it during their morning commute and come into the office ready for the day.” She elaborated, “Readers’ habits are changing. Nowadays, people get their news on Twitter, Facebook and other different social media apps. Therefore, they’re used to consuming news in different ways. To match the evolving needs of our readers, we have mobile alerts, Twitter and an Asia-specific website tailored to the Asian audience.” While Bloomberg News has become a global brand, there is still a misconception of it being a news wire. According to Phang, they see themselves as “an international media organisation rather than a news wire per se because we [they] are not limited by the way our [their] news is distributed.” “We don’t have people who are just responsible for writing stories and headlines that are then packaged and sold to other news organisations. That’s only a small part of what we do, as we’re a multi-platform news organisation. Everyone who works for Bloomberg News works for all the different platforms within the company – print, TV, radio, magazines and newsletters,” she said. [Tweet "Bloomberg SG Bureau Chief Stephanie Phang discusses current media trends & tips for pitching."] How has the rise of digital media affected Bloomberg News? It has provided an additional resource for reporting and disseminating news. In terms of reporting the news, there will be places when something blows up suddenly but we don’t have reporters in every single town worldwide. The first you might hear of it might be on social media, and that tips us off as well as provides another side to an issue that we might not have been aware of through official channels. How has the Singapore media landscape evolved? I think the news cycle turnaround has become a lot faster. Even newspapers have websites. Instead of waiting for the news to come out in the next day’s edition, the news comes out instantly on their websites. With technology, the way we receive and disseminate information is a lot faster. Does long-form journalism have a place in the mobile-centric world? Yes. News is complex. You can’t tell everything in 140 characters. I think everyone wants different lengths at different times. If you’re a trader, you want something that’s short and quick. However, if you’re an investor or CEO, you want the context and history, so you might go for our longer publications like Businessweek, which comes out weekly and is a nice weekend read, or Markets. The rise of various websites, blogs and social media platforms has allowed for many discussions to take place, resulting in the audience getting distracted by meaningless information and easily believing something they read without fact checking. That being the case, journalism plays a crucial role in separating the noise from the signals. Has all the noise in this digital era created more miscommunication? It certainly has created the potential for more miscommunication, but like all technology and communication tools, we as users need to make it work for us, and as people get more familiar with it and the technology evolves, we will all learn to be more discerning. How can journalists identify which social media indicators are a useful and reliable barometer of public opinion on issues? The way journalists do anything. Investigate, research, observe, and of course, keep an open mind. Now that we have other ways such as blogs and social media to disseminate news, is the press release still relevant? Goldman Sachs, for example, announced its earnings last year on Twitter instead of distributing it via independent business wires. I think everyone’s very used to press releases. That’s what people will look at by default. If you’re putting your announcement on Twitter instead of sending out a press release and can get that information out to everyone, that’s fine. Otherwise, the press release will catch those who are not watching for it. There is a lot of noise on social media. Unless you’ve got someone staring at your website all day and refreshing it every second, people might miss that announcement, especially if it’s an unplanned or unscheduled one. For press releases, the best ones are those that get to the point in a short and sweet manner in the headline. A good example would be a recent one from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, which had the headline “MAS directs BSI Bank to shut down in Singapore”. It tells you what it is immediately in a very concise manner, which is perfect because a long headline will cause your message to be lost. What should PR professionals take note of when pitching to Bloomberg News? The six areas we focus on are business, finance, markets, economics, technology and power. Keep in mind that every story we write has to be relevant to our global readers – global investors, finance professionals, bankers and traders across different asset classes such as FX, equities and commodities. We write news that help inform people so they can make the right decisions about a particular asset class, country, market or economy. There are a lot of stories that are pitched to us that might be more suitable for the local media to cover. An example of what we might care about, in terms of local breaking news, is a tanker collision in the straits. We might look at that from both a human interest angle, as well as how it will impact companies, government policy and even markets. Although some pitches do not have immediate relevance to our readers, it doesn’t mean that there’s no news value. For example, you might not think that Singapore’s education policy is a Bloomberg story, but we did do a feature about how the Singapore government is trying to encourage parents to be less focused on university education because they’re realising that the job market and the needs of the economy are changing. This is something of interest to people who are looking at where the Singapore economy is heading, how government policy is changing and how that might affect companies that are looking to operate here or looking to hire people here. This becomes a Bloomberg story as it’s relevant to government policy and markets. What does the future of Bloomberg News look like? Bright. We’ve got very smart people running the organisation and we’ve got really smart reporters and editors here. What spelling / grammar mistake irks you the most? Compliment vs complement. Advice vs advise. Compared to and compared with. Most people don’t bother too much with it [the last one on compared to/compared with] so I’ll let it pass. It also irks me when a press release gets the name of their company / executive or the title of the executive wrong. Janice Tan is the Senior Audience Development Executive in Singapore at PR Newswire. If you would like to be featured, please get in touch. Follow us on Twitter for more media-related news.
MEDIA NEWS: Asia Media Moves for the Week Ending 29 July 2016
PR Newswire’s Media Research Department makes thousands of updates to the database of journalists and bloggers that underpins our media targeting and distribution platform. Below is a sampling of recent media moves and news across Asia-Pacific from the research team. Hong Kong Bloomberg News - Hong Kong Bureau Mr. Benjamin Robertson joined as Editor Indonesia Bisnis Indonesia Mr.Yodie Hardiyan joined as Reporter Ms.Amanda Kusumawardhani joined as Reporter Mr.Arif Gunawan joined as Reporter Mr.Oktaviano D.B. Hana joined as Reporter Malaysia August Man Malaysia Ms.Jessica Fang left as Writer Singapore Berita Minggu Mr.Mohd Saat Abdul Rahman replaced Mr.Mohd.Guntor Sadali as Editor, Berita Harian & Berita Minggu Mr.Ismail Pantek left as Weekend Editor To see the rest of the recent media moves and news across Asia-Pacific click here Compiled by Charmaine Chow, Media Research Manager at PR Newswire. For more media related news, follow us at @PRNA4media
Content we love is quality content: This is why it matters
A quality company does not just have quality products, or quality marketing, or quality press releases; the best companies have quality everything On July 5 at around 19:00 Beijing time, PRNA editorial received a press release from Shenzhen-based UAV manufacturer DJI headlined ‘DJI Go App Now Includes GEO Geofencing System’. I confess that, being something of a Luddite, I had little to no idea what that meant until I read it, and had it not been for what happened later I would probably have just checked it, processed it, submitted it and moved on to the next task in the inbox. But this little press release was destined for bigger and better things. On their way to the U.S., Europe and APAC, the English versions of the release crossed the wire between 09:15 and 09:45 eastern time (21:15-21:45 BJT), as normal, but what happened next, for anyone who is interested in journalism and the way news stories can evolve – especially those stories that begin with a press release – is what gives the job we do meaning, and goes to show that, when it comes to respected companies that produce quality news, the world is all ears to what they have to say. I’m British, so I don’t have much to shout about at the moment, but as far as global news organizations go I think the BBC is a pretty good one, and at roughly 18:00 BST, four hours or so after we at PR Newswire distributed our release, an article by the BBC’s technology desk editor Leo Kelion was published by the BBC. The headline of the article? ‘DJI drones gain geo-fencing safety feature opt out’. See the similarity? Kelion’s piece is not just about DJI admittedly, but we can surmise from the headline, content and timing that the drone manufacturer’s PRNA-distributed release provided a good amount of background information. Also mentioned are perspectives from a robotics expert at Imperial College London, and a source from the UK Department of Transport (it is the BBC after all), so while it may or may not have been the original inspiration, the DJI release was perhaps the final piece of the puzzle Kelion needed for an article that takes a broader look at the current discussion surrounding drone safety. And one thing that is for sure, it was DJI that got their name in lights. For me as an editor, to process a release and then see that release, or at least an evolved version of it, appear in the international media just a few hours later is genuinely satisfying. I get a kick out of that. And in terms of what our clients pay us for, their company name appearing in the headline of an article on one of the world’s leading international news organizations – an article that is then subsequently picked up and redistributed by dozens of media points that cover the industry – has to be considered a good return on investment, and is testament to the role press release dissemination plays in the wider world of news. But this kind of respect, this kind of industry influence cannot be bought or assumed, it needs to be earned and DJI is a stand up example of a company that, for want of a better expression, has got their shit together. It’s no coincidence that when they do something, the industry pays attention. The reason they only need to use our English products, for example, is because they provide us with all the translations we would normally provide for our clients as part of the service. This not only probably saves them time and money, it also, more importantly from my point of view as a writer, gives them total control of the content they distribute in every market they reach. They prove that a quality company does not just have quality products, or quality marketing, or quality press releases, or, even worse, a clever but empty gimmick; the best companies, the market leaders, do everything properly, from start to finish, and as their chosen news distribution partner, we are a part of that chain that begins with their PR and marketing teams, and in a perfect world develops into a feature article by the most well-known global media. This is why press releases matter; this is why quality matters; and this is why when, as editors, we send our client’s news releases on their way, the story is often only just beginning.
Why SK-II is Well-Loved by Women Globally
I recently attended the Digital Publishing Innovation Summit in Singapore, where more than 20 keynote speakers shared their insights on content creation for the new digital age. I had a fruitful session at the summit, with speakers from Skyscanner, Mashable Asia and Marina Bay Sands, etc. sharing with us their successful content and media strategies. Content is appearing everywhere in your email inbox, social media pages and even your old-school letter box, vying for your 10-second worth of attention. So what makes a good content? As I was going through a list of press releases on en.prnasia.com the other day, SK-II’s release on their “Dream Again | SK-II #changedestiny” campaign caught my eye. Together with some key takeaways I learnt from the summit, let’s find out why SK-II is a good storyteller. 1) Be authentic During the summit, I came across speakers from Skyscanner and Clozette who stressed the importance of being truthful to your customers. Authenticity is the way to go when it comes to building trust and confidence among customers. To do so, your story must be in-line with your brand value and company vision. The proliferation of social media has made it easy for customers to review your brand online and offline. Over promising your customers may work well at first, but as time passes, and the truth unfolds, they will shun away from your brand, and also spread negative comments to their network of friends, thus affecting your brand equity in the long run. SK-II has always been under the spotlight for premium skincare. Due to its unwavering commitment for creating quality products using The Secret Ingredient, SK-II has become the trusted skincare brand among women globally. It resonates with its female customers not only in the area of skincare but also in other aspects of women’s lives. 2) Humanize your brand using stories Storytelling comes into play when customers want to know more about your brand. SK-II could have just talked about the endless skincare benefits of using its popular facial treatment essence. However, pure explanation of the benefits does not really work well in this content-cluttered era. Daniel Yong from Marina Bay Sands shared during the summit that readers crave for contents that are infused with personalities and emotions. Brands should improve their storytelling tactics by infusing emotions together with relatable real-life experiences to make their stories come to live. For its latest “Dream Again | SK-II #changedestiny” campaign, SK-II has again won the top spot for tugging at the heartstrings of its females-including myself-because it reminds women that happiness lies in their hands. This campaign was inspired by the Global Dream Index Survey conducted by SK-II. The survey results showed that half the world’s female population have given up on their dreams and are not satisfied with their current lives. With this in mind, the storytellers of SK-II went on a mission to get young kids to encourage women of all ages to never give up on their dreams. This heartwarming video can be viewed here. SK-II’s “Dream Again” story carries a powerful message to all women all across the world to do things that make themselves happy. 3) Social listening for better content strategy Social listening can uncover key topics in online conversations, making your content even more interesting. Good storytellers pay close attention to social issues and trending topics that matter to their target audience. Victoria Ho from Mashable Asia mentioned during the summit that the digital generation cares about social issues and causes. This is one of the reasons why Mashable Asia’s content resonates well with its internet-savvy readers. Women’s rights has always been one of the social issues being discussed on social media, and SK-II has done a pretty good job in positioning itself as an Asian skincare leader as well as an advocate for women’s empowerment. When “Dream Again | SK-II #changedestiny” campaign was launched in June 2016, “Change Destiny” and “Dream Again” have become the trending topics on social media in Asia. A good and memorable story will lead to your readers talking about your brand online and offline. Read SK-II’s release on trending topics for “Dream Again” 4) Localize, localize, localize! Localizing your content to suit the needs of your customers shows that you truly care for them. At the summit, Sushmita Mohapatra from Skyscanner shared some examples on how she localizes the content for each of the markets. Examples include consolidating travel tips for Korean students who are keen to embark on a Europe trip as well as recommending travel destinations for empty nesters in the United Kingdom. SK-II launched “Dream Again | SK-II #changedestiny” campaign in 10 cities, from the Great Wall of China in Beijing to Seoul’s iconic Gangnam and New York’s magical Madison Square Park. As every market is different, the execution of the campaign was done differently in each city. In New York City, children surprised adults by approaching them in Madison Square Park where they counselled them to dream big. Local Influencers like Olivia Palermo, Danielle Bernstein and Arielle Nachmani also shared their dreams and encouraged women to dream big. In Singapore, the campaign was executed in the heart of the city where young kids spoke to women on their dreams. After which, each woman was given a coffee tumbler with her dream printed on it - a constant reminder to dream big! Read SK-II’s release on how “Dream Again” campaign was executed in different cities 5) Refine your dissemination channels The next step after creating a good story is to amplify it. Many brands are disseminating their content via social media channels and social hashtags. To reach out to a wider base and create more buzz, getting influencers with a strong base of followers to tell your story (engage those who are a firm believer of your brand) can elevate your brand status and build more trust in your brand. Besides international celebrities who are fans of SK-II’s skincare products, SK-II is also actively reaching out to locals who resonate well with their customers. Chriselle Lim, a YouTube Star and Fashion Expert, Priscilla Shunmugam, a Singaporean Fashion Designer, and Lin Ching Lan, a Taiwanese Professional Dancer are some of the faces of SK-II. Another reason why SK-II’s storytelling strategy is a huge success is partly due to the use of press release distribution that reaches out to thousands of journalists globally who will spread the heartwarming story to their readers. Read SK-II’s release on engaging beauty influencers to talk about Oscars After reading this post, I hope you are inspired to refine your storytelling strategy. If you want to learn more about engaging your target audience with your brand stories, download our eBook: 10 Tips to Leverage the Power of Storytelling now. You may also want to tune in to our webinar on July 29 on how to write quality press releases that ensure media pickups. Register now!
MEDIA NEWS: Asia Media Moves for the Week Ending 15 July 2016
PR Newswire’s Media Research Department makes thousands of updates to the database of journalists and bloggers that underpins our media targeting and distribution platform. Below is a sampling of recent media moves and news across Asia-Pacific from the research team. Hong Kong South China Morning Post Ms. Celine Jing Ge joined as Reporter Indonesia indonesia expat Ms.Angela Richardson joined as Editor Ms.Cara Nissa Djatmiko joined as Reporter Malaysia HWM Malaysia Mr.Bryan Chan joined as Sub-editor Mr.John Law joined as Senior Writer Singapore Marketing Magazine – Singapore Ms. Rezwana Manjur replaced Ms. Rayana Pandey as Regional Editor. Ms. Venus Hew joined as Senior Journalist To see the rest of the recent media moves and news across Asia-Pacific click here Compiled by Charmaine Chow, Media Research Manager at PR Newswire. For more media related news, follow us at @PRNA4media
Startup PR 101: How to Write a Funding-Related Press Release
“Startup XYZ Raises $10 Million in Series A Funding for a Commercial Project.” “FinTech Startup ABC Closes $2 Million in Series B Funding.” These are some common headlines we see in press releases from startups who received massive funding from investors. Distributing press releases of such nature is important to new startups because It is one of the most cost-effective communication methods; It creates brand awareness, recognition and confidence among target audience as well as potential investors; It helps attract talent to work for you. So what should you look out for when writing a news release that sparks interest from the media? Read on to find out more. 1) Make your title concise and informative Writing quality content is important, but if the heading does not pique the interest of your readers, your efforts will be put to waste. A good heading should be free of punctuations and easy to understand; avoid any use of financial jargon that may deem difficult for a layman to grasp the meaning. As a general rule of thumb, your heading should also give an overview of the content with the following details - Your company name Investment amount and period (The investment amount indicates the value of your upcoming project, and how your project impacts the industry.) Funding series (The development stage of your company is an important piece of information for your future investors.) Investors who are funding your business (Riding on renowned investors’ coattails may help establish your company’s reputation.) Read the release: EHANG Raises $42M in Series B Financing and Brings Four Executives From Global 500 and Public Hi-tech Companies Onboard 2) The first paragraph should contain the most newsworthy information Crafting a meaningful title is not enough. The first paragraph of your press release should provide a quick synopsis of the article, allowing readers to decide if they want to read further. This is because humans, on average, can only stay focused on an article for 30 seconds and read the content in an F-shaped pattern. This means most of them will only read the title and first paragraph before skimming to the rest of the content. To make full use of the condensed reading timeframe, you can adopt the “Inverted Pyramid” writing style where the most important details are in the first paragraph. As a guideline, basic information of the investment should be provided in the first paragraph, supplemented with the investors’ information and the impact of your company or the industry after the capital injection. For example, use words like “first round” or “largest funding/financing” etc. to make the content even more exciting and lead your readers to the next paragraph. Read the release: WeLab Raises US$160M in Series B Financing from Khazanah and ING Bank 3) Explain the significance of your project For your readers to understand the intention of the funded initiative, substantiate and elaborate your points in the coming paragraphs. Providing such information not only builds trust and confidence in your brand, but also allows them to understand the significance of your project to the society, community, economy or market. Here are some guidelines to follow: What is the performance and market position of your company after the capital injection? How does the funding solve market problems or cover market gaps? Who are your investors and what are their thoughts on providing capital to your project? What are your founder’s comments on the impact of the funded project? What is your business model and how do you foresee the growth of the business and market? Are your company’s core values in line with the funded project? Read the release: FinTech Startup Bento for Business Closes $7M Series A Financing Round Led by Comcast Ventures Read the release: uuzuche.com Secures $10M Series A Investment, Funds Will Allow Company's Service to Penetrate All Tier-1 Cities in One Year 4) Evoke emotions by sharing the founder’s story A great piece of financial article is incomplete without the founder’s endorsement. The person who started the business and grew the company to greater heights should personally tell the story to the readers. This kind of personal touch can strike the emotional chords of the readers. Also, including the founder’s background, work experience, entrepreneurial experience as well as achievements in the article may spur interest from the media who are interested to interview successful entrepreneurs. Scoring an interview with the media may boost the founder’s profile in his industry and also create more awareness for your enterprise. Read the release: KAfe Group Closes US$5.5 million First-Round Financing to Accelerate Expansion of First Urban Fusion Cafe Chain Across Vietnam Don’t forget to take note of the following points when writing the news release: Highlight the funded amount instead of the value of your company - The value of your company is intangible, hence reporting the funded amount carries more significance. For the media, the estimated value of your company might be too intangible for them to include as a solid piece of information. Many journalists would be more interested in reporting the exact amount of fund you receive to add some credibility to their stories. Regular updates of your financing news can be a double-edged sword - No doubt that disclosing your financing information to the media builds brand awareness. But regular updates may trigger malignant competition over startup funding from fellow startup competitors. Present true data without over committing - If you over commit and your company performs below expectation, it may be difficult to obtain the next round of funding from investors.
The Earned Media Opportunity
PR Newswire recently called on Outsell, a research and advisory firm that focuses on the rapid convergence of information, media and technology to conduct an independent research with CMOs and other key marketing decision-makers in the United States on their use of earned media and how earned media plays into paid, owned, and earned aspects of marketing. The research revealed that the rise of earned media is eroding the growth of paid media. Although Asia Pacific market was not represented in the research, the findings should be of interest and may have implications to the day-to-day activities of the marketers, communicators and PR practitioners in this part of the world. Three key earned media questions were particularly answered during the research. These questions are critical for CMOs who want to monetize earned media as an element of their marketing programs. Question 1: Is Earned Media Effective? Among the three type of media, Marketers rate owned media as the most. However, earned media is widely rated as more effective or equally effective as paid media. The research analyzed marketers’ rating of the problems they encountered and identified that two problems are suited for earned media to resolve. 72% rate “Difficulty identifying and engaging with the right prospects at the right time” as a problem and barrier toward achieving their marketing objectives. The No. 1 ranked factor for allocating spending is “Maximizing pre-qualification of our prospects” In earned media, the fact that influencers can choose at their own will create a domino effect, influencing many others to convert at higher rates than paid media. This makes earned media especially effective in increasing prequalification of prospects and increasing engagement with the right prospects. It is noted that CMOs are shifting their marketing budget allocation to have equal weights on paid and earned media, with remaining 20% to owned media. They are starting to see needle moves with more sharable content, more invitations to speak at conferences (vs paying to speak) and more media pickup (vs paid advertorials). Question 2: Is Earned Media Widely Used, or on the Bleeding Edge? The studies show that earned media methods are largely used by B2B marketers with the following findings: Earned media is rated as much more effective by marketers under 40 than by those over 55. Top earned media methods: regular press releases, pursuing speaking slots, encouraging testimonials, publishing case studies, and monitoring social media. Technology, biotech/pharma, and financial services firms rate earned media the highest. Having said that, CMOs also felt that earned media cannot work in a silo, and as the lines between paid, owned and earned media continue to be blurred, the use of which media is also dependent on the specific goal of the marketing campaigns. Question 3: Can Firms Improve Their Earned Media Results? To improve the results generated by earned media, marketers are using the following methods: Hire and Assign Staff to specifically monitor and engage on social media services. Manage Customer Communities to foster buzz, provide customer service, and repair negative buzz. Publish Press Releases Regularly using PR services. While frequency is key, it is also important to know the tips on writing a good press release to ensure it grabs the eyeballs of your target audience. Pursue Side-By-Side Rankings by industry analysts or consumer ratings services. Seed Story Ideas to journalists and industry analysts, including using a PR agency to assist Pursue Speaking Engagements at industry conferences. Purchase Native Advertising Stories that appear on branded media channels. Encourage or Incent customers to rate your product or service on Yelp, Amazon, or another third-party review service. Rely On and Encourage Testimonials on your own sites and marketing materials. Continually Generate Case Studies and Success Stories on your own sites and across multiple platforms. Although it was found that large firms gave these methods higher ratings, the top four listed methods are also rated effective by 40% or more of marketers in small firms. This research underpins the importance of earned media and that it is here to stay for many years to come. It will become increasingly critical to include earned media in the marketing mix with its ability to drive strong ROI. In addition, marketers, communicators and PR practitioners should invest in engaging with and nurturing relationships with influencers and blending them into the marketing mix appropriate to each situation in order to amplify the reach of earned media. Creation of quality content through effective storytelling is a way to engage with your target audience and gained earned media via word-of-mouth. Download the ebook: 10 tips to leverage the power of storytelling and learn tips which will help to transform your content marketing effort. Last but not least, success is also dependent on the use of analytics with touch points embedded throughout the customer journey to encourage feedback so as to improve on marketing campaigns. A full copy of the research report is available for download here.
MEDIA NEWS: Asia Media Moves for the Week Ending 30 Jun 2016
PR Newswire’s Media Research Department makes thousands of updates to the database of journalists and bloggers that underpins our media targeting and distribution platform. Below is a sampling of recent media moves and news across Asia-Pacific from the research team. Hong Kong South China Morning Post Ms. Alun John joined as Banking Reporter Ms. Laura Warne joined as Web Editor Indonesia Ayahbunda Ms.Bonny Hall joined as Managing Editor Ms.Tussie Aulika joined as Managing Editor Ms.Prita Apresianti joined as Editor Malaysia Cosmopolitan-Malaysia Edition Ms.Nisa Halid joined as Deputy Editor Ms.Nana Ghazali joined as Beauty Editor Ms.Sri Azni joined as Fashion Writer Singapore 8 Days Ms.Sarah Chang left as Writer To see the rest of the recent media moves and news across Asia-Pacific click here Compiled by Charmaine Chow, Media Research Manager at PR Newswire. For more media related news, follow us at @PRNA4media.
MEDIA NEWS: Asia Media Moves for the Week Ending 17 Jun 2016
PR Newswire’s Media Research Department makes thousands of updates to the database of journalists and bloggers that underpins our Agility media targeting and distribution platform. Below is a sampling of recent media moves and news across Asia-Pacific from the research team. Hong Kong Agence France-Presse (AFP) Ms. Laura Mannering joined as Asia Editor Indonesia Bisnis Indonesia Ms.Agnes Savitri joined as Reporter Malaysia Sinar Harian Ms.Wan Nor Rosida Wan Hamad joined Editor Mr.Ahmad Syahrul Bin Derauh joined Editor Ms Fouziah Amir joined as Assistant Editor Mr.Badruldin Zakaria joined Editor Ms.Azwani Abdul Ghani joined Editor Ms.Wan Suryana Ton Mohamad joined as Editor Mr.Mohd Syairi Mohamad Shaari joined as Chief Reporter Singapore Today Mr.Tan Yo Hinn left as Deputy Sports Editor (Sports Desk) Mr.Gerard Wong joined as Sports Reporter Taiwan The News Lens Ms. Joey Chung joined as Co-Founder & CEO To see the rest of the recent media moves and news across Asia-Pacific click here Compiled by Charmaine Chow, Media Research Manager at PR Newswire. For more media related news, follow us at @PRNA4media.
Content We Love: Vivid Sydney’s glow takes over the city
If the process of writing and submitting a quality press release were as easy as memorizing the law of sines or even the quadratic formula*, just about everyone would be a press release expert. Unfortunately, the process can be complex one fraught with difficulties, especially when the release is an important one. Luckily, PR Newswire has plenty of resources available on its website for those who would like to expedite the process. For those who want one quick tip in terms of what to do in order to possibly attain amazing results, I would recommend sending out a multimedia news release(MNR)! **VividSydney Songlines Artist Donny Woolagoodja credit Destination NSW Why should we send one of those out when we can just send out a normal text release with a photo or two for much less? The answer to that question really depends on what your goal is when sending out a release. But in the end, if you offer quality visuals you will create deeper connections with readers and increase audience engagement in a way that drives MASSIVE results. The single biggest difference between a multimedia news release and a normal press release is additional control over the finished product and of course more options in terms of optimizing your message. After browsing through numerous outstanding MNR’s I chose one that was particularly mesmerizing, an MNR by Destination NSW. With the headline, “Vivid Sydney’s glow takes over the city”, it’s not hard to see why this release did so well. Let’s take a quick look at what Destination NSW did right while also taking note of how this MNR differs from the average release. Inclusion of both a Video and Photos MNR service includes several photos. The Vivid Sydney release included two high resolution photos showing one of the beautiful sights around Sydney during the Vivid Sydney festival. The festival, which is billed as the world’s largest festival of light, comes to life via the photos and the majestic views are further seared into the mind of the reader after watching the professional video which shows up in the embedded video player, another multimedia release perk. If that isn’t enough, clients can also upload the MNR video to Chinese video portals such as Youku and Tudou among many others. While Destination NSW, the source of this release, has ample visual resources, it should be noted that even clients with limited resources can still harness the power of pictures via PRNewswire’s partnership with Shuttlestock. Boasting a huge library of more than 80 million images, free access to Shuttlestock photos is provided for clients paying for MNR distribution. Customizable Landing Page Multimedia news release service includes free landing page customization. The client has full control over the presentation of the press release and can turn it into a true work of art. Note the splash of vibrant colors throughout that mix together in a way that energizes readers while hinting at the beautiful colors and designs people see at Vivid Sydney. Full control over the landing page gives clients an additional way to communicate their message via design with the audience. Examples of possible landing page designs for other MNRs include a basket of tomatoes and celery for a release by a supermarket chain, a chic design for an art exhibition and of course even something simple like a photo of ocean waves for a release about yachting. Additional Calls-to-Action The subheadlines in this MNR included links to additional footage and were followed by a short video showing the city of Sydney in all its splendor. Image gallery of Vivid Sydney available here Broadcast quality footage available here These two calls-to-action appear before the dateline which is something is only possible in a multimedia news release. Note that the release also includes calls-to-action at the end, which together forms a dynamic approach that is sure to convince readers to take action in order to learn more. Speaking of taking action, social media is a wonderful way to help increase traffic to your webpage. Increased Social Media Presence Every good release has a call to action as does this release. Destination NSW, just takes it up a notch with not only plenty of calls to action but also by utilizing the enhanced social media capabilities that MNRs provide. Readers will immediately notice the Twitter and Facebook updates sections which allow readers to view social media posts without even having to go to another page! Instead of merely adding relevant social media links to their release, Destination NSW has added visuals that WILL produce interest and WILL drive traffic to their website resulting in an exponential increase in interest. In short, MNRs truly are an innovative and personalized way to stand out from the competition and are worth considering the next time you plan to send out an important release.
Meet The Media: Yahoo 7 Australia
Ever wonder how to pitch the media in Australia? Today I have the pleasure to talk to Trevor Treharne at Yahoo 7 Australia. Can you give us some background on Yahoo 7? Yahoo7’s mission is to make the world’s daily habits inspiring and entertaining. By creating highly personalised experiences for users, we keep people connected to what matters most to them, anywhere, anytime and across any device. Yahoo7 is a partnership between Yahoo Inc. and Seven West Media, a national television and broadcasting company. The partnership combines the strengths of Yahoo’s global network with Seven West Media’s TV, magazine and newspaper brands. Yahoo7 is a web portal, providing email, online news and lifestyle content, as well as weather, travel and retail comparison services. At Yahoo 7, what do you do on a daily basis? It’s mainly about cultivating and publishing content. Most of our content is produced in-house, so I work with our journalists on a daily basis. We have so many sub-sections on Yahoo7 – news, sport, lifestyle, entertainment, health, fashion, food etc. – that we need to communicate what we are working on between the teams first thing in the morning. These days much of my time is spent on social media too, making sure our Twitter and Facebook posts are out there. Since you must have hundreds of emails coming in everyday, what kind of emails will definitely get your attention? Emails that have a short punchy subject line will get my attention. Nothing with company names or details of new appointments (we don't cover those unless they are major). New research or survey results are often good, especially if it involves Australia on any level. In general we try to cover 'news you can use'. So not just information, but tips that readers can actually go away and implement, such as how to save more or make smarter purchasing decisions. And with the news releases as well – what kind of news releases – in terms of their format, wordings etc will be used by Yahoo 7 Finance’s Editorial? What advice can you offer to these people? Firstly, it’s better if it’s specific to Australia, or about an Australian company. 95% of our traffic is Australian, so we look for stories that impact them directly. Our core areas on the Finance section are personal finance, wealth generation tips, property, technology, plus employment/jobs. We also publish a lot of ‘listicles’, so ‘Six ways to reduce your tax bill’, for example. If you are going to pitch, just email, a follow call won't help, but a follow-up email might if you really think the story is worth it. Start the email with 2-5 bullet points of the most important details and why this is especially interesting Your overall perception on the Australian media industry? Like media industries across the world, it is in a state of flux and change. In many ways it is well-developed and mature, with a range of outlets across the political spectrum. In other ways it is behind the US and Europe in terms of new media and digital. I have a lot of time for Aussie journos though – direct and to the point. No messing around! With so much change in the Aussie media industry, we have focused on video as a major component of our approach. Some other outlets have done this, but we believe that's an especially strong focus for us. About Trevor Treharne Born in England and started as a journalist. Trevor has worked as an Editor at Haymarket Media and as Managing Editor at Key Media for the past 6 years, mainly in the field of business & finance. Trevor has been in Australia for the 9 years. He is now the Finance News Editor at Yahoo 7. Written by Charmaine Chow, Media Research Manager at PR Newswire. For more media related news, follow us at @PRNA4media.
MEDIA NEWS: Asia Media Moves for the Week Ending 29 May 2016
PR Newswire’s Media Research Department makes thousands of updates to the database of journalists and bloggers that underpins our Agility media targeting and distribution platform. Below is a sampling of recent media moves and news across Asia-Pacific from the research team. Hong Kong am730 Mr. Jason Lai left as Senior Reporter Indonesia Antara Mr.Aditia Maruli Radjajoined as Editor-in-Chief Malaysia Business Times Mr.Moses Rajan joined as Executive Editor Singapore The Independent Mr.Howard Lee replaced Mr.Balji PN as Editor Mr.Ravi Philemon joined as Editor South Korea Munhwa Ilbo Ms. Ae-Ri Oh left as Senior Reporter – International News Division Mr. Sang-Hyub Kim joined as Chief of Social News Division Mr. Seung-Bae Bang Joined as Senior Reporter – Economic & Industry News Division Taiwan Traveler Luxe Ms. Wei-Ching Li joined as Features Editor To see the rest of the recent media moves and news across Asia-Pacific click here Compiled by Charmaine Chow, Media Research Manager at PR Newswire. For more media related news, follow us at @PRNA4media.
A is for Authenticity: Global Study from Cohn & Wolfe Defines Authenticity in the Eyes of Consumers and Reveals the 100 Most Authentic Brands
Reading about Volkswagen’s emissions scandal last year was like witnessing a chandelier fall and shatter all over the floor. The German carmaker who earned its global reputation for its engineering excellence and reliability was found to be cheating on emissions tests by installing software that could make their cars look cleaner, while they were actually emitting between ten to forty times the legal limit of the major atmospheric pollutant nitrogen oxide. That is a real crash. When I got to this press release Global Study from Cohn & Wolfe Defines Authenticity in the Eyes of Consumers and Reveals the 100 Most Authentic Brands, published in April by global communications agency Cohn & Wolfe, I could not help but look for Volkswagen’s place in the chart. (Source: Quotefancy.com) Cohn & Wolfe has been studying authenticity as a guiding principle and business practice since 2012. In its latest release of Authentic 100, an annual index of global brands ranked by 12,000 consumers from 14 countries around the globe based on their perception of authenticity, it is revealed that there is a large "authenticity gap" between brands and consumers, with 75 percent of consumers surveyed indicating that brands and companies have a credibility problem. The agency defines authenticity by citing seven attributes, which can be condensed into three distinct “drivers” of authenticity: - Reliable: It demonstrates that authenticity is primarily about delivery to the consumer. The first is ‘delivers on promises’ and the second is ‘high quality’. - Respectful: It is simply about managing human relationships carefully. There are two attributes in this cluster; the first is ‘treats customers well’, and the second is ‘protects customer privacy and data’. - Real: It is to many observers the most obvious interpretation of authenticity. So it is perhaps surprising that, to consumers, it comes in third. The two attributes that fall under this cluster are “communicates honestly’ and ‘acts with integrity’. It always pays off to be real, and not just in monetary terms. Encouraging findings from this Cohn & Wolfe study are that approximately nine out of 10 consumers are willing to reward a brand for the authenticity it exhibits. 52 percent would recommend the brand to family and friends; 49 percent would pledge loyalty to the brand. In the 2014 edition of the same study, 47% of the surveyed consumers even said they would be happy to work for these authentic brands. Consumers are no fools, they will find out sooner or later — it is just a matter of time. Boasting about the benefits and strengths of your products/services may work well at first but as time passes, the truth unfolds. Falling short of consumers’ expectations and not delivering on your promises inevitably devalue your brand image and drive consumers away in the long term. While the cheating software may have helped the brand pass the emissions tests (at least for a while before the scandal broke out), it might not when it comes to the test on brand authenticity. Well, this is my belief — initially. So it is surprising to see Volkswagen taking 71st spot on the list. Perhaps the following quote by Donna Imperato, CEO of Cohn & Wolfe explains this a bit: “In fact, consumers will forgive the occasional corporate misstep if a company is upfront, and addresses the issue head-on.” My takeaway from the survey? We can convince ourselves that there is always a silver lining — consumers are both forgiving and forgetful creatures. --------------------------------------------- The blog was written by Abby Tsang, Editor at PR Newswire.
MEDIA NEWS: Asia Media Moves for the Week Ending 15 May 2016
PR Newswire’s Media Research Department makes thousands of updates to the database of journalists and bloggers that underpins our Agility media targeting and distribution platform. Below is a sampling of recent media moves and news across Asia-Pacific from the research team. Hong Kong Hong Kong Economic Times Ms. Annie Liu joined as Journalist (China News) Indonesia SWA Mr.Sudarmadi joined as Senior Editor Mr.Eddy Dwinanto Iskandar joined as Editor Mr.Asep Mohammad B S joined as Editor Mr.Teguh Sri Pambudi joined as Senior Editor Mrs.Henni T Soelaeman joined as Senior Editor Mrs.Herning Banirestu joined as Reporter Ms.Dede Suryadi joined as Editor Malaysia Media Hiburan Mr.Syafil Syazwan Jefri left as Journalist Mr.Hairul Hasraf Niwan joined as Reporter Ms.Nor Azira Hadi joined as Reporter Ms.Norhaslina Md Nor joined as Reporter Ms.Wan Rahayu Wan Mohd joined as Reporter Mr.Zulqarnain Abu Hassan joined as Reporter Singapore L'Officiel Singapore Mr.Kenny Loh joined as Features Editor South Korea Newsweek Korean Edition Mr. Jin-Woo Cha left as Senior Editor Taiwan Harvard Business Review (Chinese Edition) Ms. Li Yu-Yee replaced Ms. Zhang Yu-Wen as Editor To see the rest of the recent media moves and news across Asia-Pacific click here Charmaine Chow is the Media Research Manager for PR Newswire. For more media related news, follow us at @PRNA4media.
Meet the Media: Business Capital Asia
Have you ever needed industry-specific information and details on key businesses across the region but find it time-consuming to gather information about individual companies? Business Capital Asia (BCA) offers a convenient solution to C-level executives and potential investors by profiling businesses, keeping them informed of the investment and development opportunities that deserve special attention in these economically tumultuous times. Published by Business Capital Intelligence (BCI), BCA is an online B2B bi-monthly magazine, offering timely insights on investment opportunities, products, solutions and services across the region. Several renowned companies have been featured in its latest issue, including Tong Eng Group, Aurum Land, UM Land and Hatten Group. BCA has established its credibility by attracting 35,000 subscribers comprising top-level management professionals, investment consortiums, venture capital companies and individuals with a net profit of USD five million and above. Click to view “A lot of the times, when you are looking for vendors of a particular product or service to complement your own organisation, you are spoilt for choice,” said Mohan Raj Valliappan, Founder and Research Director at BCI. “Every vendor or solution provider that you speak with is going to say they are the best, but there is always a need to substantiate such claims of one’s standing amongst counterparts. Our magazine offers companies the platform to put their best foot forward and market themselves as preferred solution providers who can best caters to their needs.” The magazine covers industries from environmental technology, ICT, maritime, manufacturing and telecom, to food & beverage, travel and tourism, and construction and property. According to Mohan, “These industries have the most need when it comes to sourcing for vendors and investment opportunities. Many times, someone who is looking to invest a sizeable amount of money would look at safe, low-risk investments like property development or open up a food and beverage franchise. These are the industries that make the economy work.” His decision to start BCI stemmed from his experiences in the events and online digital marketing industries, where he encountered numerous clients who were spending large amounts of money to become an event vendor just to reach out to their target audience or clients attending events, in hopes of finding suitable vendors to address their needs. Soon, Mohan realised there was “a huge gap between giving the right information and making money”. He said, “Quite often, the company organising the event or conference is more focused on making money rather than giving the right information for investors to learn more about solution providers. We are trying to bridge that gap by providing detailed, useful information in our magazine.” In order to ensure they only feature the best of the best, BCA’s research team lays the groundwork by investigating companies’ value propositions and key differentiators, as well as determining what makes them tick. Besides reading a wide selection of international business magazines and researching the internet, the team also speaks to senior management officers, corporate associations and its members, to gather credible information to best present the companies they work with. [Tweet "Meet the #Media: Business Capital Asia shares its goals and work processes."] As most companies are hesitant to reveal such detailed information, Mohan’s approach towards them is simple. “Having integrity in speaking about your company builds your business in the long run, because that differentiates you from the rest, especially those that are offering similar services,” he elaborated. “There also needs to be a platform where they can showcase their credibility alongside prestigious projects, and BCA can help them with that.” When asked if BCA will only feature MNCs, Mohan was resolute in his belief to maintain the magazine’s diversity by writing about SMEs and recognising their successes. “The Asia-Pacific region is a fertile ground for MEs that are up and coming. Although these established companies are not as large as MNCs, they are still earning about 20-30 million per annum.” Mohan strongly believes in quality over quantity, which is not only reflected in the magazine’s editorials, but also within the team at BCI. Rather than overseeing a group of 100-200 individuals, he works with the core team and their auxiliary staff who are equipped with skill sets that enable them to effectively communicate clients’ messages through writing, graphic design and marketing. “We basically have a team of individuals that are able to understand a company’s main differentiator, flow that objective down the lines and present our content accordingly, to what the real time news is all about,” he said. In its April/May issue released on 15th April 2016, the team has bagged a few noteworthy projects. Recently, the magazine did a special coverage on the 2016 Singapore Yacht Show, one of the premier boating shows in Asia- Pacific, and will cover the International Property Awards in its upcoming issues. Mohan added, “We will also be working closely with various franchising sources to address the various food and beverage franchising opportunities available in Asia-Pacific. We often see a lot of franchising coming from the west to the east, so we are trying to focus on whether there is an opportunity for franchises in this region to go west.” BCI plans to roll out more digital solutions such as EDM advertising and leverage the power of social media to advertise clients’ messages. Also, Mohan aims to eventually publish the magazine in different languages and delve into events management. Whilst the team has aspirations for the company and the magazine, their ultimate goal for now is to be the go-to resource for individuals and companies, through their publication. Individuals and companies interested in joining the team or advertising in the magazine may email Mohan or drop him a message on LinkedIn. About Mohan Raj Valliappan: Mohan Raj Valliappan has over 22 years of business development experience in various industries ranging from property, manufacturing and ICT to transportation, airports and events. He enjoys reading up on a wide range of topics, including current affairs and major corporate acquisitions. Mohan believes, “It’s not about the sector that you work in, it’s about what you can bring to the sector, the difference that you can make.” *Editor's Note: PR Newswire has rolled out a new online survey, titled “2016 Journalists’ Working Status and News Gathering Habits in Asia-Pacific”, to explore how the new era of digital communication has impacted the professional lives of journalists. The short survey welcomes input from the media community in six major markets – Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan, and is open for participation until May 16, 2016. Stand a chance to win an iPad Air by taking part in the survey! Janice Tan is the Audience Development Executive in Singapore at PR Newswire. If you would like your publication to be featured, please get in touch. Follow us on Twitter for more media-related news.
MEDIA NEWS: Asia Media Moves for the Week Ending 29 Apr 2016
PR Newswire’s Media Research Department makes thousands of updates to the database of journalists and bloggers that underpins our Agility media targeting and distribution platform. Below is a sampling of recent media moves and news across Asia-Pacific from the research team. Hong Kong Sky Post Mr. Patrick Ng joined as Editor Ms. Cynthia Chak joined as Senior Reporter Indonesia CNN Indonesia TV Mr.Avandi Wiradinata joined as Senior Producer Malaysia The Edge – Malaysia Ms.Kathy Fong joined Executive Editor Singapore Cleo- Singapore Edition Ms.Jo Upcraft left as Editor Ms. Chua Kit Wei replaced Ms.Kamei Cheong as Lifestyle Editor Ms.Lui Kai Ying replaced Ms. Katherine Teo as Editorial Assistant Ms.Claire Starkey joined as Editor-in-Chief South Korea Maeil Business Newspaper Mr. Jack Son left as Senior Reporter Mr. Jong-Seong Hong left as Reporter – Enterprise Management News Division Ms. Yu-Jin Lee left as Reporter – Distribution Economic News Division Ms. Hee-Young Cho joined as Reporter Mr. Jack Son joined as Reporter Mr. Seong-Hoon Song joined as Reporter Mr. Seung-Hoon Lee joined as Reporter Mr. In-Soo Kim joined as Chief of Social News Division Taiwan Business Weekly Ms. Sandra Chiu replaced Mr. Zhang Yi-Jun as Managing Editor To see the rest of the recent media moves and news across Asia-Pacific click here Charmaine Chow is the Media Research Manager for PR Newswire. For more media related news, follow us at @PRNA4media.