CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Focus On Asian Public Relations Management

Asia, like many regions all over the world, has its own set of systems, beliefs and cultures which is unique to it. What does this have to do with public relations practice? The answer is: application. In all of my previous blog entries, I have covered a whole spectrum of public relations theories, practices, case studies and examples.

Several times, I have listed out what should and what should not be done when doing PR.

However, one must remember that none of this is set in stone. A campaign that has worked for someone else may not necessary work for you. A campaign that has worked for you before may not necessarily work again. Everything is dependent on many factors such as time and situational aspects. In this case, we are discussing regional/geographical and most importantly, cultural factors.

Let's use the case study of a campaign mascot for example. A cute, round pig dressed in a brightly-coloured outfit may be suitable for promoting a related product in the USA or Australia. But doing that in countries such as Malaysia or Indonesia where Islam is the dominant religion is highly unacceptable as the pig is seen as a "dirty" creature and has many negative connotations.

In the end, it all comes down to research and professionalism.

Before venturing and conducting any form of PR in a region or country that the agency has not previously accessed, background research and analysis is of utmost importance. The better your understanding of the local culture, customs and practices, the easier it will be to reach out to whichever target audience your company or client may be targeting.

To end of, here is a video of the popular Russel Peters who takes a lighthearted look at different cultures and behaviors.

CHAPTER TWELVE: New Media And Public Relations

With the advent of the internet and other new media platforms like podcasts, many new and creative avenues are opened up for PR agencies to run their campaigns. Many advertising and PR agencies now consider the internet as one of the main media channels to conduct campaigns. In fact, through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, entire campaigns may be run online without the need for physical events.

While some might argue that an "online experience" will not be able to rival "real" experiences, there are several advantages that an online PR or advertising campaign may have when compared to running an actual, physical campaign or event.

COST

As significantly less physical resources and manpower are needed, costs can be cut from these areas. Approaches such as VIRAL MARKETING can even be done for free. Although this technique has been used even before the advent of the internet, the viral process which helps to build brand awareness is multiplied through the network capabilities of the internet. Videos on Youtube, for example, cost very little to manufacture. Yet, they have the potential to generate large amounts of publicity.

This is a funny viral video discussing viral marketing.

REACH

As mentioned previously, the internet is a global platform. A physical event held on a single day at a single location can only reach a certain number of people. However, a single website has the potential to reach billions of viewers all over the globe. The video below is an advertisement by a company that believes in the power of marketing/advertising through the internet.

Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter also offer many opportunities for companies to conduct PR campaigns. However, with all the advantages these sites offer, one has to be aware of the disadvantages as well. The video below takes a candid look at what plus and minus points an individual may have when using Facebook. Although the video addresses more of personal issues that users may experience, some of these issues will be similar to challenges faced by PR companies who are trying to utilise these online platforms.