TIGERS & DRAGONS WORKING WITH THE MEDIA IN ASIA PACIFIC.

This article about working with the media in Asia will give you practical rips and insights to help your organisation determine the best approach to media relations in each country. This overview will be supplemented with helpful information about some key countries in the region.

Tuesday morning: It's the day for your regular meeting with the CEO. You've been told to expect a briefing on an initiative for your increasingly successful young company. Perhaps it's an exciting new range of products that R&D has been keeping under wraps, or perhaps it's the opening of the office you've been planning in Hong Kong.

It's quite a surprise to discover that it's actually a merger with a company headquartered in Singapore and with offices around Asia, and in Australia and New Zealand.

Your CEO tells you that they are going to start making the announcements in 24 hours and she wants excellent coverage of this exciting landmark in the company's history in all the major media in the Asia-Pacific region. The company you are to merge with has grown very rapidly, just like yours, and has never really bothered with PR, so your CEO is looking to you to take control of the media relations exercise.

You feel a moment of panic...and then you remember an article you saw in a recent edition of Communication World. Scrambling in your in-tray, you are delighted to find that it's still in the "important reading" basket.

Today most international companies have many years' experience in the Asia-Pacific marketplace. They know that dealing with the media in this region is different from dealing with the media anywhere else in the world. It's based on developing good personal relationships. But dig a little deeper and you'll find that "good relationships with the media" means very different things in the various countries.

Many companies believe they can send an experienced media practitioner from head office into the region and have immediate success with their media relations. After all, building good relationships is the same process everywhere in the world. Or is it?

Look at these tips from an experienced consultant and director with international public relations firm Golin/Harris Forrest, Emily Chen, in Hong Kong: KNOW YOUR SUBJECT WELL -- have a full understanding about what you're going to sell to the media -- a product or service, what's the market like: competitors, trends and issues ("Well, that's true wherever you are in the world," you say to yourself.) KNOW THE JOURNALIST -- are you calling the right journalist for your story? ("I could do a bit of research ... but where do I go to find out?")

WORK OUT WHAT THE NEWS ANGLE IS -- Don't rely on the journalists to discover it; you should be offering it to them. ("I know what the angle would be here in Philadelphia. But I wonder if it would be the same in Kuala Lumpur?")

CALL THEM AT THE RIGHT TIME OF THE DAY -- they won't be in a good mood to talk to you when they're rushing towards a deadline. ("Are they morning papers or evening papers - where do I check?")

ALWAYS BE HELPFUL - the media rely on media relations professionals for stories. They will remember you if you are helpful; for example, if you give them background information about the subject or issues. ("But just how much or how little are they likely to know about my company already?")

Emily Chen: "Many international companies write news stories that are U.S.-centric or Europe-centric. What works in the states or Europe does not necessarily work in Asia. I'd recommend that international companies seek advice from their counterparts in each market to understand the local and regional issues.

Crouching tiger

"It's a common mistake is to assume that Asia is a single market. The truth is, 'Asia' is a complex and diversified market with many different cultures and practices. The media operate differently in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan; even the style of press release writing is different in these three markets, and this is only the Greater China region."

Chen's other tips are:

IDENTIFY THE RIGHT MEDIA - work out exactly who your stakeholders are, understand the issues that concern them and through what media you can reach them.

UNDERSTAND THE MEDIA - knowing how the local media operate is very important. Is your press release good enough? Is your news big enough to justify a press conference? Or will a small group media briefing or a media luncheon work better? Media breakfasts do not work in this part of the world. Journalists - especially editors - tend to work really late, and their morning assignments normally do not start before 10 am.

TAKE CULTURE AND NUANCES INTO ACCOUNT - How well do the local media know you, your products/services? Above all, is your story relevant to the local market? Remember that what we might judge favouritism or bias may be part of an accepted way of operating business - stick to your own principles if it's important to you but don't judge others by applying values that don't apply in that society.

BE SENSITIVE TO THE LANGUAGE ISSUE - sending English press releases to the Chinese media in Hong Kong without translation will only annoy them.

Technology has made it possible to be in touch with journalists around the world within minutes, 24 hours of the day. So in theory it's much easier now to run a media relations campaign from anywhere.

Emily Chen: "Journalists are less and less patient because they are being bombarded by e-mails, especially press releases and invitations. What this means is that if we can't grab their attention in a few seconds, or we don't have a good headline and first paragraph, the e-mail will be deleted."

But a headline and first paragraph that worked perfectly well in Philadelphia didn't even get to first base in Kuala Lumpur.

Hidden dragon

One of the most frequent mistakes English-speaking companies make in New Zealand and Australia is to assume that, because the language is English, it is a common language and we think alike.

English is not a very exact language, and common meaning can't be assumed in another country. Try to be aware of expressions that are colloquial and the different words used in different countries - for example in Australian labour relations, the term "demarcation" is used for what in the U.S. is called "jurisdiction;" "layoffs" are called "retrenchments" or "redundancies" in Australia.

My experience is that differences between the apparently similar cultures of the U.S., Australia and New Zealand are far greater than they seem. At least when you're an American talking to an Asian journalist, you typically start from the assumption that there are cultural differences and take action accordingly. Far greater mistakes can be made when you assume a similar cultural context - as you might with an Australian.

Problems often arise when foreign companies use agencies in the Asia Pacific region as post boxes, according to Aisha Rashid, managing director of her company, Binakomm PR Sdn Bhd in Selangor (Ampang), a satellite city of Kuala Lumpur.

Aisha Rashid: "I've had cases where they've sent me a release to distribute and then wonder why they don't get coverage. One major U.S. brand recently got a release to me about a sponsorship for an international motor race two days before the race. While the parent company's name is quite widely recognised, the product was unknown in Malaysia. And the company had not given enough detail in the release for local journalists to do anything sensible with the story.

"It surprises us that large international companies are engaging in outdated practices like this that they wouldn't dream of in their home market. And it's certainly not the way we work with the media here.

"Some foreign companies think that because their brand is global, Malaysian journalists should automatically know about it. What we recommend to our clients is that they do face-to-face interviews with local journalists wherever possible, especially when trying to get stories on unfamiliar brands. As a general rule and understandably, Malaysians are most likely to be interested in stories where the foreign company's activities will result in benefits to Malaysian audiences and consumers. So it's much easier to get coverage for stories about transfer of technology, major foreign direct investments, education and new technology that can be utilised here."

The use of technology is not universal. Even in Australia, which has a reputation for being an early adopter of technology, until very recently journalists working for some Murdoch newspapers did not have desktop access to e-mail and the Internet. On the other hand, the very active technology press was early into accepting copy and photographs via e-mail.

Aisha Rashid: "In Malaysia it's becoming more common for journalists to use the Internet, but not as much as the y should. We still cannot send releases or advisories via the 'Net because of unfriendly systems in use by media owners. But they e-mail us for information to help with stories and confirmation of facts. And we find we're chatting more on mobile phones than before when contact was much more face to face. With the mobile phone, we can get them anywhere at most times. This is definitely an advantage."

In the Philippines, journalists still respond best to traditional methods. According to Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines director Veronica Tapia-Merk, a letter with phoned follow-ups gets results. "Younger journalists are receptive to SMS messaging, however, and also e-mail, because then press releases do not have to he re-encoded. Younger and more progressive journalists now also appreciate press releases and photo release submissions in the form of a digital photo file on disk with the hard copy, said Tapia-Merk.

Classic mantra 

But the basic principles of getting good coverage are still the same the world over, it would seem. Good relationships are critical and work well when they are based on mutual trust and understanding. Veronica Tapia-Merk: "Tell the truth and do it in such a way that the readers, viewers or listeners get the impression that you're telling the truth. In situations that are evolving (in other words, are not managed), make pro-active announcements particularly where negative feedback is likely to be the outcome. Be helpful. Promote the bottom line of your corporate announcement but make sure you angle it as an action that will be beneficial to the segment of your public that you're addressing. Make sure that this, like the best cream, always rises to the top."

Getting covered?

WORKING WITH THE MEDIA IN AUSTRALIA

Australian journalists rightly or wrongly have a reputation at home and in some other countries for being aggressive and biased towards the left. Today most Australian journalists are well educated, are interested in pursuing the facts and follow a code of ethics, but, as elsewhere, competitive pressures require them to play things very close to the line at times.

Practitioners who have been in media relations for many years have noticed a trend towards journalists taking what is often described as a more "sensational" approach to all stories. This is not only an Australian trend and is probably due as much to the challenge of getting attention in a cluttered marketplace as it is to the changing appetites of consumers and an increasing tendency towards voyeurism, represented in the success of reality TV programmes such as "Survivor."

Greg Price, manager, PR and corporate affairs for Coles Myer, Australia's largest retail chain, considers this both a challenge and an opportunity. His view is that the competitive nature of journalists and increasing numbers of outlets are putting heavier demands on organisations to satisfy the appetite for news.

Greg Price: "For the number of news outlets we're now expected to service, there just isn't enough news around to satisfy their demands. This, at times, leads to a lack of focus on the fundamentals and misinterpretation of information, which can lead to serious and irreversible implications for public companies."

Kerrie Douglass, an experienced radio and television reporter on politics, feels that the workload for journalists is increasing as they try to cut through the ever more sophisticated spin of the political minders to get to the real story.

Kerrie Douglass: "Political reporters face real difficulties in having to on the one hand 'make friends' with politicians to get the contacts and the 'exclusive' stories and on the other hand, report on negative stories on the same politicians or their side of politics. But I've never really had a conflict between getting a story and being true to journalism ethics. I guess that's the luxury of working for the ABC [Australia's government-owned public broadcasting organisation]."

Independence questioned

Recently, certain high-profile Australian media personalities in radio and television came in for scrutiny and criticism in a "cash-for-comment" scandal. They were considered to have used non-commercial air time to promote the interests of organisations from whom they were receiving financial benefits. As a result broadcasters are now required to declare on air when announcers have vested interests in the companies they are talking about.

John Arbouw, editor of Company Director magazine: "If journalists want their profession to be taken seriously by the reading and listening public, then they'd better apply the same standards of behaviour to themselves that they demand from politicians and business leaders.

"The issue is about transparency and about disclosure. Financial journalists have long disclosed whether they held shares in the companies they were writing about. But I have never heard one financial commentator on either radio or television ever disclose similar information before or after they went to air with a report. There shouldn't be different standards."

Some viewed the "cash-for-comment" situation as arising from Australia's "Tall Poppy" syndrome, which needs to be examined to understand the unfolding of some issues in this country. Australians tend to be somewhat iconoclastic and more egalitarian in outlook than most, and they have a very strong sense of what's fair ("fair go" is a common Australian articulation of this principle). They will express their views about their superiors quite openly if they feel they are not being given a fair go.

If circumstances do not allow them to express their views openly, they will often find ways for the media to do it for them. If a person in a position of authority gets too big for his boots, in their eyes, they will find ways to cut him down. A recent example was the CEO of one of Australia's biggest financial institutions (a U.S. citizen) who might be considered to have fallen prey to the "Tall Poppy" syndrome and was forced out of his position as a result.

Lively magazine and online markets

Given the relatively small size of the Australian population, the magazine sector is large and diverse, with many specialist magazines. It is a highly competitive marketplace, and tides tend to come and go as specialist areas come into favour and then fade. Murdoch Magazines and ACP Publishing are the two largest magazine publishers, the proprietors of both having significant interests also in newspapers and television

Competition for stories on both sides -- journalists and PR executives -- has been exacerbated by the growth of an extremely competitive online media sector. So the paper publications behind many of these are very keen to position their online initiatives strongly, according to the Australian manager of corporate communication for international IT and telecommunications company Fujitsu Australia, Gillian Lamrock: "The marker is very cluttered, particularly in the IT media sector, which makes monitoring the media very much more challenging than before."

B2B opportunities

Business Review Weekly magazine and the "Fin. Review" are the two major sources of general business and finance news for the business community in Australia. In addition, "Business Sunday" broadcasts nationwide every Sunday morning, featuring interviews with key executives from around the world on topics of interest to the Australian business community. And it is preceded by a half-hour weekly "Small Business Show," which often showcases startups and innovation.

Meredith Yardley has worked with journalists for nearly 15 years. As manager, media and PR, in one of Australia's largest financial institutions, Westpac Financial Services, Meredith said that her experience of working with the business media was generally positive.

Meredith Yardley: "You can usually rely on the seasoned journalists to be fair and balanced in their reporting. It's like most areas of business: mutual respect goes a long way to relationship building. There are three key aspects of dealing with the Australian finance press -- you have to be reliable, accessible and consistent."

According to Meredith's colleagues with many years' experience in major business centers including London and New York, the main difference between business journalists in Australia and the larger centers is that in a smaller market like Australia, journalists tend to be more knowledgeable about their subject.

Meredith Yardley: "In New York and London where there is so much to report on that business journalists don't have the same depth of knowledge about the companies that they cover, they are stretched a lot further. That equates to a credit for Australian journalists because they tend to dig more deeply and follow the progress of an unfolding 'business story' more closely. That's not taking anything away from the U.K. or U.S. business press -- there are some wonderful and insightful commentators and writers, but Australia is a tougher market in many ways, in selling a story."

More competition for "eyeball" hours

While digital TV is so new that almost no one believes it exists yet, radio still occupies a prominent position in Australia for many people as a source of news, and talk-back radio has a large following. There are five public broadcast television channels, two of which are state-owned, and two major cable television broadcasters, Foxtel and Cable & Wireless Optus. Channel Nine overall has the strongest ratings and SBS the smallest following.

Robert Gibbs, senior communication consultant to many Australian technology companies, says that cable does provide some limited local opportunities for company coverage, but as with all media relations, you need to match audience and story.

Robert Gibbs: "If your story has regional importance, the international cable channels such as CNBC Asia may be more relevant. They have correspondents in Australia, but it can still be more effective to target their journalists working directly out of their Asian offices."

Webcasting more common now

Pioneered in Australia by Robert Gibbs, on behalf of Australia's largest company, Telstra Corporation, webcasting is one of the techniques being used by business communicators for media relations exercises.

Robert Gibbs: "Webcasting is now being used by several companies to deliver their story directly into the newsrooms or onto the desks of journalists. It's rapidly becoming an integral part of communication strategies, especially around company annual general meetings, where financial media, analysts or even shareholders want immediate access to this information, but are not able to travel to the actual event."

Developing online news bureaus is as important for Australian companies operating in several countries or across the region as it is in the U.S. or Europe.

Robert Gibbs: "Geography is no longer an issue when you use company online news rooms effectively. When you make the webcast accessible via the news room, you can provide a total communication package, which can be delivered from anywhere to anywhere at any time." And that's vital in Australia, where local time is different from almost every other country in the world.

Guides and monitoring

For a detailed breakdown of the media in Australia, media relations practitioners use Media directory (hard copy) or Mediadisk (online), previously Media People, or Margaret Gee's Media Guide, also available in online and hard copy versions. Media monitoring services are dominated by Media Monitors (print and electronic) and Rehame (electronic media monitoring).

Shuna Boyd, who runs her own PR consultancy, has specialised in IT public relations services almost since the IT industry first started employing PR consultants: "One of the difficulties of relying on monitoring services is that they have been known to miss key articles even in major newspapers. Which is why it's a good idea to have someone on the ground in the country where your media relations programme is being rolled out to double-check on what's being covered and how. Clearly we have to rely on these companies to do the bread-and-butter monitoring, but I always check the major publications very carefully. I can't afford to have, as I did recently, a client calling me to ask where the clipping was for a whole-page story featuring quotes from my client."

So if you're thinking of getting covered "down under," give journalists here a "fair go," don't be a "tall poppy," remember the time difference, and you're set to make good friends with the media.

Meryl David, ABC, is Asia/Pacific region director for ABC and CEO of MD Communication with experience working in the Asia-Pacific region for a New Zealand company (headquartered in Australia) with operations in the U.S. and Malaysia as well as other Pacific countries.