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| Asia Pacific Management Meeting in Malaysia |
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CEO Harris Diamond, President Andy Polansky and Asia Pacific Chairman Tim Sutton joined the Asia Pacific leadership team in Malaysia late February, following the firm's outstanding business performance in the region in 2007. Anne Gabriel, managing director in Malaysia, hosted the group during its three day regional management meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
Speaking to staff at the close of his visit, Harris Diamond said, "Our continued growth across the Asia Pacific region is a testament to the quality of our people and client work, epitomized by our team in Kuala Lumpur. Having had the opportunity to meet so many of our staff and clients during my time here, I have every confidence that we will continue on a high growth trajectory in 2008." He continued, "Malaysia and the rest of the Asia Pacific region is pivotal to our global network and a part of the world where our business has every opportunity to flourish."
Malaysian staff hosted the leadership team at their new offices, shared with IPG sister companies. Guests were treated to a taste of the country's warm hospitality during an evening that included a kompang drum performance and "palm painting."
"Malaysia is a truly extraordinary country", said Harris Diamond. "Its rich heritage is matched only by the friendship and willingness of its people. I shall leave here with memories of a vibrant and exciting place and very much look forward to returning soon."
Weber Shandwick currently has 15 offices in 11 markets across Asia Pacific. Some of the firm's top clients in the region include MasterCard, Microsoft, P&G, Temasek and Honeywell. The Malaysian business has doubled the size of its operation since 2005.
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President Andy Polansky, Malaysia Managing Director Ann Gabriel and CEO Harris Diamond |
Powell Tate
Executive Vice President John Russell, Shanghai and Guangzhou
Managing Director Darren Burns, Asia Pacific Chairman Tim
Sutton and Ian Rumsby, Asia Pacific executive vice president,
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| The Hong Kong team, here represented by Carol Lau and Christy Chan, took home a Caring Company award for the fifth year in a row |
In recognition of its outstanding corporate citizenship, Weber Shandwick has once again been awarded the annual Caring Company award in Hong Kong.
Weber Shandwick in Hong Kong has been designated a Caring Company by Hong Kong's Council of Social Services for five consecutive years. Since 2002, the Hong Kong team has devoted 60 hours of pro-bono work each year to a carefully selected cause. This programme has been a rewarding experience not only for the selected charities, but for Weber Shandwick staff as well.
The agency's structured application process ensures pro bono services are best applied to reach those in need. The process includes a briefing session comprised of an introduction to Weber Shandwick and an overview of the community service programme for staff-nominated charities. Those interested then submit a proposal outlining their mission, goals for the project and requirements for PR support. After a stringent screening process, the selected non-profit organization is awarded 60 hours pro-bono volunteer work. The charities that are not selected are eligible to attend a complimentary half-day open house public relations workshop that offers a presentation on the role and effective use of public relations, as well as a one-on-one consulting session where each charity's proposal is discussed and critiqued in detail by Weber Shandwick consultants.
In 2005 and 2006, Weber Shandwick supported the Hong Kong Cancer Fund and helped open its new CancerLink Support Centre, which was urgently needed to help provide information about the different types of cancer, treatment and emotional support to working professionals on Hong Kong Island. The campaign was honoured with a Gold Sabre award.
In 2007, Weber Shandwick Hong Kong supported Clear the Air, providing media training and a messages development workshop.
The Caring Company award also reflects Weber Shandwick's internal CSR initiatives, including flexible working hours for staff, health and wellness initiatives including foot reflexology and fresh fruit and internal collaboration.
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The Goodyear Blimp floated over the Bund in Shanghai |
Weber Shandwick has been named 2007 Goodyear China Best Supplier by the world's largest tire company at a ceremony in Shanghai.
Weber Shandwick has serviced Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's accounts in the important Chinese auto markets of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou for two years. The firm's success in securing media attention around the Goodyear Blimp's aerial "road show" to 11 Chinese cities already garnered a gold award at the bi-annual Shanghai PR Awards last November.
Goodyear Senior Vice President Chuck Sinclair called Weber Shandwick's work outstanding and an example of utilising PR as a positive branding tool in the Asia Pacific region.
"The 2007 Goodyear China Best Supplier award recognises Weber Shandwick's tremendous efforts to make media coverage 'take off' in China," said Daniel Zhang, Goodyear's PR manager in China. As a result of Weber Shandwick's work in media relations, the company registered publicity growth of 84.4 percent over last year.
"Weber Shandwick's highly recognised communications campaign for Goodyear is a reflection of the strong spirit of cooperation between the client and our professional team in China," said Darren Burns, managing director of Weber Shandwick in Shanghai and Guangzhou.
In addition to the Goodyear Blimp road show, Weber Shandwick has partnered with Goodyear on a number of high-profile campaigns in China including the "Women with Drive" initiative, communications for "Camp Jeep China" and the recent launch of Goodyear's Eagle Vector EV2+, an all-season tire with the unique ability to adapt to changes in driving and weather conditions all year long.
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| Representatives from InBev present
Chinese officials with the company's sustainability report |
Weber Shandwick China has been engaged by InBev, the world's leading brewer, to build the Belgium-based brewer's corporate reputation in China through corporate social responsibility (CSR) benchmarking, media communications and public affairs.
"InBev's goals are to enhance awareness of itself as a corporate leader in China and be recognised as the gold standard for 'responsibility' in the brewing industry. We are excited to be a part of its team," said Darren Burns, managing director for Weber Shandwick in Shanghai.
In its first move with Weber Shandwick, InBev released its 2007 Citizenship Report—the company's annual CSR report—to key Chinese stakeholders. This report earned InBev the distinction of being the first corporation in China to submit such a report to the China Corporate Social Responsibility Promotion Center's Center for Environmental Education and Communication (CEEC), part of China's State Environmental Protection Agency.
"This is an excellent start for InBev in building its industry leadership in corporate social responsibility in China. We are very happy to have full support from the Weber Shandwick team, from planning to implementation of the project," said Fei Che, InBev China's Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Asia Pacific. "We are impressed by the team's professionalism, efficiency and dedication, all of which are producing excellent results for this important project."
In this successful joint initiative between InBev and CEEC, Weber Shandwick worked to engage key Chinese government officials, industry associations, academia and media on the growing importance of energy conservation, emissions reduction and water purification for the brewing industry.
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| Baxter Jolly, managing director, Southeast
Asia |
In February 2008, Baxter Jolly, managing director of Weber Shandwick Southeast Asia, spoke to students at Singapore Management University (SMU) on public relations trends, practices and careers.
Alvin Pang, winner of the 2007 Asia Pacific PR Student of the Year award and currently an associate at Weber Shandwick in Singapore, also spoke to students, describing how the PR Student of the Year competition enriched his university experience and how it catapulted him into the industry.
The Q&A session following the talk was lively. "The SMU students show great enthusiasm and interest in public relations. I even received a good number of resumes after the talk," said Jolly.
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