How to Manage Media Relations - An Analysis (part 10)

Going Global: How to Manage International Media Relations (part B)

by

Charles Lamson

Cyberspace Lessens Importance of Geography

Marketing High Technology author William Davidow believes that in the information age, with citizens who live increasingly in cyberspace, "geography loses much of its importance as a defining element of history. Distance and physical barriers are spanned by the transfer of data over networks, not by the movement of people and goods over roads and bridges. Intangible assets such as intellectual property become more important than physical assets."

These trends have massive implications for media relations professionals. If your company is going global, you should be at the forefront of its efforts to position itself in the worldwide marketplace. Organizations with a global business strategy also need a global media relations strategy---with agreement on objectives, priority messages, target publics and product promotion plans from New York to New Zealand, from Asia to Africa.

Each country's media relations activities should not only support local operations but also reinforce the corporations global plan. The media relations strategy must align with the business strategy. The balance between global and local media relations programs depends on your company's or client's business strategy and organizational structure. For example, take the difference between a multinational and a global company:

• It may be appropriate for multinational companies with autonomous subsidiaries and independent strategies in each market to concentrate their communications on local plans, products, people, customers and competitors---for example, featuring local executives as the visible spokespersons and leaders while downplaying the connection to the corporate parent. Even so, consistency is a virtue. Johnson & Johnson is an example of a heavily decentralized organization that has worked hard to make sure they are speaking with one voice. A major element in making this happen is the public affairs advisory group, which includes key managers in the company and is heralded by J&J's corporate vice president of public relations.
• Global companies, on the other hand operate as one business---an integrated system in which headquarters and all the subsidiary entities are independent in terms of strategies and operations. Every decision takes into account the worldwide system. The sum of the parts is a whole lot more valuable to the bottom line than the pieces themselves. The Reader's Digest Association, for example, employs staff worldwide in more than 50 locations. Each of the international companies prepares a media plan as part of its annual business plan. The individual PR plans are based on local issues, local markets and local products---but collectively they all bear a remarkable similarity to each other because they also are based on the company's global communications strategy.

Taking Advantage of Technology Regardless of the country, the language or the politics, media will also be interested in the latest technology. So, too, are customers who want to be the first to learn of technologies yet to come. AT&T Bell Laboratories took this premise to its full conclusion by sponsoring in South Korea a one-day seminar for customers on "Technology Trends Toward 2010." To help ensure local support, AT&T partnered with Korea Institute of Science and Technology, and the Engineering and Technical Research Institute for cosponsorship. A group of five AT&T scientists presented state-of-the-art technologies in photonics, global networking, speech image processing and managed data network services. Additionally, the customers were given a communications and computing overview of the latest technology and predictions into the next century. The local AT&T public relations team combined the visit of the AT&T scientists with numerous interviews given to Korean daily and business press; Korean television and radio; computer, electronic and data trade publications; and regional trade publications. The number of total impressions generated by print and broadcast media was estimated at approximately 15 million. Unassociated with the seminar but clearly influenced by it, a Korean TV crew visited AT&T Bell Labs in the United States and the resulting show on KBS-TV (Korea) featured AT&T's speech recognition system for 17 minutes in "Science 2001," a prime-viewing program. The results from this initial program were overwhelmingly successful, enough so that AT&T conducted their similar additional seminars in Korea.

*SOURCE: ON DEADLINE: MANAGING MEDIA RELATIONS 4TH ED., 2006, CAROLE M. HOWARD AND WILMA K. MATHEWS, PGS. 155-157*

END

Taking Advantage of Technology

Regardless of the country, the language or the politics, media will also be interested in the latest technology. So, too, are customers who want to be the first to learn of technologies yet to come. AT&T Bell Laboratories took this premise to its full conclusion by sponsoring in South Korea a one-day seminar for customers on "Technology Trends Toward 2010." To help ensure local support, AT&T partnered with Korea Institute of Science and Technology, and the Engineering and Technical Research Institute for cosponsorship.

A group of five AT&T scientists presented state-of-the-art technologies in photonics, global networking, speech image processing and managed data network services. Additionally, the customers were given a communications and computing overview of the latest technology and predictions into the next century.

The local AT&T public relations team combined the visit of the AT&T scientists with numerous interviews given to Korean daily and business press; Korean television and radio; computer, electronic and data trade publications; and regional trade publications. The number of total impressions generated by print and broadcast media was estimated at approximately 15 million.

Unassociated with the seminar but clearly influenced by it, a Korean TV crew visited AT&T Bell Labs in the United States and the resulting show on KBS-TV (Korea) featured AT&T's speech recognition system for 17 minutes in "Science 2001," a prime-viewing program.

The results from this initial program were overwhelmingly successful, enough so that AT&T conducted their similar additional seminars in Korea.