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Andrew Pirie
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We’re already more than a quarter of the way through another
year – like me, you’re probably wondering where the time
has flown! I’m pleased to say our performance across
the region to date has been very encouraging: almost all markets
in Asia Pacific are growing and revenues are significantly ahead
of a year ago. Thanks to all of you for your hard work
and contributions giving us such a solid start to the year.
That’s the big picture – within this overall growth story
is equally encouraging news about our progress within key practice
areas. Take technology for instance; after being
in the doldrums for some years following the dot-com implosion,
our tech business is now in the midst of a strong recovery, spearheaded
by key global and regional clients such as Microsoft, Agilent and
British Telecom. In consumer, we are developing
much larger client relationships that span multiple markets, such
as Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and Coca-Cola.
In financial services, we are leveraging off our excellent
track record with the likes of MasterCard to service new regional
clients such as GE Money and La Salle Investment Management.
In healthcare, we are successfully building Singapore as
another regional centre of excellence, working closely with Hong
Kong on clients such as GlaxoSmithKline, Wyeth, Pfizer and Schering.
In public affairs, we are investing in a much stronger capability
in key markets such as China. And in corporate, we
continue to do great work for a host of clients in markets across
the region, notably Taubman Asia, one of our recent wins.
To my mind, one of the keys to our success so far this year has
been collaboration. And I don’t mean just collaboration
between Weber Shandwick and all our Interpublic Group sister brands
(although that of course continues to be an important factor).
I am referring to collaboration within our firm – between offices
and between colleagues with specialist expertise.
Geographically, the fact that many of us are participating
in a number of late night conference calls for global clients, is
evidence we’re becoming more connected with colleagues in other
regions. More and more large clients are buying into the concept
of a global agency service offering – it’s a growing trend
worldwide. The great news is that we have spent the past five
years shaping our processes, technologies and culture to improve
our global offering – so we’re in a great shape to leverage
this trend further.
We’re also seeing more collaboration, particularly in terms
of knowledge sharing, within our region. P&G is
a good case in point. The Singapore office recently pitched
successfully for regional work with P&G’s beauty care division;
our China colleagues work on a number of P&G’s beauty brands
so they played a key advisory role for the pitch with one of the
China team, Adrian Heng, travelling to Singapore as part of the
pitch team. This clear commitment to share expertise was welcomed
by the client. And the trend is continuing. Since the win,
Malaysia and Thailand have been invited to pitch for P&G business
and are working closely with both the China and Singapore teams.
Collaboration between the various practice and specialty areas within
our firm is also vital. These days, the reality is that no
client’s needs can be covered by a single practice area.
Is Microsoft, for instance, a technology client, or B2B corporate,
or consumer/lifestyle? The answer is, it’s all these,
and more. J&J is another example; it has a strong portfolio
of consumer products, but is often positioned as a healthcare company.
And while we do great consumer work for Coca-Cola, we recently also
conducted an investor relations workshop for their executives in
greater China.
One of the biggest benefits clients can get from working with a
large agency such as Weber Shandwick is access to a deep and broad
range of expert resources, covering all their potential needs.
That’s a key deliverable behind our tagline, “the power
to influence outcomes”. It’s vital that we assess
the needs of our clients, and then assemble the right team, across
whatever practice areas are relevant, to give them the best possible
solution.
Andrew Pirie
President Asia Pacific
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Jill Mortensen on TVB a Hong
Kong and Chinese community television channel.
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Patients across Asia are becoming more resourceful and knowledgeable
about their health conditions before and after visiting the doctor,
a new study commissioned by Weber Shandwick's Asia Pacific healthcare
practice, has found.
While doctors still top the list as information providers, patients
across China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan rated the Internet
and the news media as reliable sources of medical information. Not
only are patients proactively seeking more information, they're
using it to confirm their diagnoses and even request specific prescription
medicine.
The results indicate that Asians are following a growing global
trend of patients who don't just rely on what they're told in the
doctor's clinic. The survey is believed to be the first of its kind
conducted in Asia.
"As professional communications consultants, we believe an
informed patient is a more committed and ultimately, healthier patient,"
said Jill Mortensen, managing director, Asia Pacific Healthcare,
Weber Shandwick. "The result of our survey is good news for
patients and doctors, as doctors have less time to spend with patients
everywhere in the world, including Asia. The survey shows that the
news media and the Internet if used correctly can help serve as
important supplements to information about ongoing management and
treatment of medical conditions."
In the study, involving 817 patients, more than half (55 percent)
of patients in the survey said they discuss new information they
learn about from the media with their doctors, and 37 percent said
they ask their doctors about specific brands of prescription medication
after learning about it from the media.
"As patients take greater control of their health, they will
need reliable information about symptoms and treatment options available
for any medical condition they might have," said Stephen Potts,
regional director for healthcare market research at research firm
TNS, which conducted the survey for Weber Shandwick. "The
responsibility is now on the healthcare community to provide credible
information and reassurance that patients require."
"The cost of not taking medication long-term can have a significant
impact on patients, their families, the healthcare system and local
economies," said Jill. "With more patients taking ownership
of their treatment decisions and receiving reassurance through traditional
and online media, compliance may become less of an issue."
For more information about the survey to obtain a fact sheet outlining
the results across the region, please contact Jill Mortensen: jmortensen@webershandwick.com
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The Singapore team at the awards ceremony. |
Based in Singapore, the IPRS PRISM Awards www.iprs.org.sg encourage, recognise and reward excellence in public relations and
communications. Weber Shandwick in Singapore did especially well
in this year's awards, taking four honours:
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| Rita Chia won Young PR Professional
of the Year 2006. |
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Winner: Young PR Professional
of the Year 2006 - Rita Chia |
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Merit Award: Best Investor
Relations Programme (for companies with market capitalisation
of more than S$300mln) category for STX Pan Ocean's
Initial Public Offering (IPO) |
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Merit Award: Best Public
Service Campaign (for budget of more than S$500k) category
for Fresh Air for Women |
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Merit Award: Best Strategic
Positioning/Corporate Reputation Management category for
Strengthening the Discovery Networks Asia Brand |
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The award winning Beijing Technology
Team.
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Weber Shandwick's technology team in Beijing was named "Best
Agency PR Team 2005" by the editors of Communications magazine,
a professional publication in China which focuses on the public
relations industry.
The "Editors Choice" honour was for the team's commitment
to clients, excellence in client work, great public relations results
and client evaluation. The team was also recognized for its stability
and close to 100 percent staff retention for the last 13 months,
unique in today's fast growing PR industry in China. Team members
have benefited from a clear career path that includes continued
learning and development. The selection was unanimous and according
to Communications editors: "Weber Shandwick's technology
team best matches the criteria that we defined for the best public
relations team and is considered a dream team."
"Our technology team has established itself as a strong force
in PR serving key clients and winning accolades from clients, media
and the industry. We are committed to delivering creative and strategic
communications campaigns that provide results to our clients,"
said Walter Hueber, vice president of Weber Shandwicks's technology
practice in China. "It is an honour to be recognized by the
editors of Communications magazine for the work that we do for our
clients."
Strong leadership, a record office growth, and focus on clients and
people were key ingredients influencing David Liu's recent acknowledgement
as Weber Shandwick Manager of the Year. Under David's leadership the
Beijing office grew by more than 50 percent in 2005, making it the
fastest growing Weber Shandwick office in the network. The office
now has the largest workforce of any office in Asia Pacific.
David Liu's leadership has been a crucial factor in driving this
exceptional growth.
"But the impressive growth trend is only part of the story,"
said Andrew Pirie, Weber Shandwick president, Asia Pacific.
"It is David's focus on clients and people that have differentiated
Weber Shandwick in the market," Andrew continued.
David, who joined Weber Shandwick as director in late 1999 and took
over management of the Beijing office in mid-2003, has along with
his team, played a key role in supporting several major global client
relationships including MasterCard, Agilent and Hitachi.
David's team is a blend of local and international talent. There
is also strong emphasis on developing and fostering local talent with
internship programs at several Beijing universities.
David works closely with Diane Wu, managing director of Weber Shandwick's
other China offices in Shanghai and Guangzhou. Together, David and
Diane have developed a powerful and united growth vision for Weber
Shandwick's business in China.
"With a population of more than 1.3 billion and a burgeoning
consumer economy, China represents a vast market opportunity,"
Andrew commented. "Clearly, Weber Shandwick's Beijing office,
working together with colleagues across China, throughout the region
and around the world, is capitalising on that opportunity by focusing
on top quality work and by developing its very talented staff".
He concluded, "congratulations to David Liu and the team on all
of the successes."
Albert Shu and Georgeana Fung have been promoted to senior vice
president of the corporate and consumer marketing practices respectively.
In their new roles, Shu and Fung will focus on helping to build
on the success and growth of the Hong Kong office.
New Team Members Come Onboard
Two new team members have also been welcomed in the Hong Kong office
consumer team: Helen Lo as account supervisor and Wendy Cheung as
senior consultant.
Helen will focus on clients such as Coca-Cola, Wellcome and Dun
& Bradstreet (D&B) in the consumer industry; she also plays
a role in business development. Helen joins Weber Shandwick from
ProAsia Communications where she focused on event management and
sponsorship programs.
Wendy, who currently works with consumer clients to develop their
market positioning and media relation strategies, joins from a leading
local PR agency. Her clients include Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola
and Itslmagical.
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| Jessica Lee |
Weber Shandwick in Taiwan recently welcomed two new members to its
team, bolstering the team's ability to better serve its clients.
Jessica Lee, the newly appointed general manager, came from specialty
chemical company Rohm & Haas, with over 13 years of marketing
experience in FMCG, OTC, and healthcare products. Her expertise lies
in marketing strategy, new business development, CRM, new product
launches, and she has generated excellent results for companies she
has served, winning awards for many of them.
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| Mandy Chao |
Another newcomer, Mandy Chao, has joined Weber Shandwick as associate
director for the consumer/healthcare team, where she will be involved
in managing and driving key consumer clients. She will also be involved
in the strategic planning and implementation of clients' public relations
programs as well as new business initiatives. Prior to joining Weber
Shandwick, she was a senior product manager for the pharmaceutical
company, Boehringer Ingelheim.
Weber Shandwick in Taiwan also promoted two new account managers:
Jessica Chiang and Claire Wang. Since joining Weber Shandwick three
years ago, Jessica Chiang has extensive experience in both finance
and consumer industry. Claire Wang will be responsible of the consumer
account with over two years of PR experience serving MasterCard.
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Dr. York Chow, the Secretary for Health, Welfare
and Food (third from the right) and the Weber Shandwick HK team.
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Weber Shandwick's Hong Kong healthcare team attended The Hong
Kong Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (HKAPI) 37th annual
dinner on 10 January 2006. The dinner was a gala event supported
by HKAPI members and guests from the community.
Two distinguished speakers provided an interesting and informative
backdrop to the ten-course Chinese banquet and lively discussion.
The team thoroughly enjoyed the night which was a chance to talk
to senior representatives from pharmaceutical companies and hear
an update on hot issues and challenges facing healthcare providers
in Hong Kong.
The first, by the President of the HKAPI, Dr. Anthony Chan, emphasized
the ageing population of Hong Kong and the need for further government
funding for pharmaceuticals. He also talked about the challenges
facing the pharmaceutical industry and the impact of new policies
and consumer attitudes on the future of the industry in Hong Kong.
As the special guest of Honour, Dr. York Chow, the Secretary for
Health, Welfare and Food, shared his views on reform of the healthcare
system in Hong Kong and the challenges that the sector faces, and
gave participants an overview of recent developments in drug regulation.
Dr. Chow is an avid supporter of the pharmaceutical industry and
the Weber Shandwick team was able to chat with him after the speeches
to discuss his views on the direction of healthcare communications
in Hong Kong.
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| John Russell |
China Strengthens Senior Team
Weber Shandwick continued to strengthen its senior team in China
with the announcement of a strategic internal transfer in Beijing.
John Russell transferred in early February to the new position of
executive vice president, Asia Pacific, and is responsible for the
firm's regional corporate and public affairs practices.
Until recently, John was CEO of Weber Shandwick's Brussels
office for six years and also led the firm's European public
affairs practice. John is based in Beijing, China, and also provides
senior counsel to clients of the firm's fast-growing China
operation.
John reports to the Asia Pacific regional president, Andrew Pirie
and works closely with Weber Shandwick's leadership team in
China: David Liu managing director, Beijing, Diane Wu managing director,
Shanghai/Guangzhou and Ning Shao, managing director of Powell Tate
| Weber Shandwick, the firm's public affairs and strategic
business consulting unit.
"John's experience advising multinational companies and governments
on complex, cross-border corporate and public affairs issues is formidable
and will add a powerful new dimension to our service offering in both
China and across Asia Pacific," said Andrew Pirie. "With
many companies seeking to expand their regional communications profile,
there is a growing market for managing regulatory and public affairs
issues and corporate reputations".
China Power House Grows
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| Christine Yin |
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| Tracy Wang |
Christine Yin joined Weber Shandwick in Shanghai in January as vice
president heading China's newly developed 'domestic division' with
Levin Yuan as senior account manager and Tracy Wang, account manager.
This division will specialise in events and local media and will play
an alternative-choice role to new business prospects.
Christine has eight years experience in Public Relations in multi-national
company sales & marketing. Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Christine
co-founded the Eastwei PR firm, which grew to become one of the top
10 foreign PR companies in China after two years of its inception.
Christine also served for two years as China VP in Opus Communications.
Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Levin Yuan worked for five years
in public relationship, sales
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| Levin Yuan |
management, marketing and project management in biotech, healthcare
and fashion in dustries.
Levin graduated from Hangzhou University of Commerce with a Masters
of Administration and a Bachelor of Economy, majoring in business
administration and marketing.
Tracy Wang joined Weber Shandwick in January also and has won the
"2004 TOP 10 PR New Star" award in Shanghai.
Tracy has over four years experience working in PR in media and
events on clients such as Channel [V], Nike and Motorola.
The public relations industry has witnessed an impressive growth in
China within a short span of time, with most agencies recording impressive
growth in their business. However, the awareness and enthusiasm about
the profession remains low outside the PR and media circles, especially
among students. This, combined with a fiercely competitive marketplace,
has made it difficult to find qualified professionals in the industry.
Moreover, few agencies have well thought-out plans for talent development
within, as well as outside, their organizations.
Weber Shandwick in China has been conducting a "Campus Lecture"
program since 2002 as a part of their campus recruitment initiative.
The program not only aims to identify and recruit bright young talent
to meet growth and expansion needs, but also to raise awareness of
the PR profession and position Weber Shandwick as an employer and
partner of choice among the future professionals.
Late last year, Weber Shandwick organised lectures at three top universities
in Beijing. Led by David Liu, a team of senior professionals from
Weber Shandwick participated and presented during the two-day lecture
series, attended by over 1200 students.
"A career is something for life, and
it is something you should give your 100% commitment and creativity
to..."
David Liu |
David shared his insights on what a PR career entails, and advantages
and the excitement associated with the profession. Through the use
of vivid examples and real life experiences, the presenters effectively
demonstrated the power to influence and they shed light on the industry's
potential in China. Beyond PR, the presenters also provided some practical
advice on career development, highlighting the difference between
a "job" and a "career". As David Liu advised,
"a career is something for life, and it is something you should
give your 100% commitment and creativity to. Only by doing so can
you realise your true potential and gain recognition for your contribution."
The lectures were well received and following, 24 candidates were
selected to work as interns in the Beijing office.
"The initiative has helped us secure young talent for future
recruitment to meet our demanding growth needs. It has also helped
advance Weber Shandwick's thought leadership in the market, by positioning
it as an industry spokesperson," said Weber Shandwick's HR manager
for Greater China, Maggie Guo.
For more information, contact Maggie Guo: mguo@webershandwick.com
For the second year in a row, the Hong Kong office has been named
a "Caring Company" by the Hong Kong Council of Social
Service (HKCSS), in recognition of its ongoing efforts in community
involvement.
The Caring Company honour is awarded every year to companies that
demonstrate exceptional corporate citizenship through support and
leadership in initiatives such as volunteering, mentoring and partnership
that build a strong caring community. The award is run by the HKCSS
and is supported by local industry and business organizations.
It was a great start to the year for Weber Shandwick in the US;
at the PRWeek awards in New York this month, four Weber Shandwick
campaigns received honourable mentions:
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Promotional Event of the Year: Dark
Chocolate M&Ms Launch – Masterfoods USA, Chicago and
New York |
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Product Brand Development: Making
a Household Name "Pop" – Sealed Air, New York |
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Business-to-Business Campaign of
the Year: Raising the Profile of a Quiet German Giant –
Siemens, New York |
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Consumer Launch of the Year: Monster
Thickburger Launch – Hardee's, St. Louis |
Weber Shandwick also received an honourable mention in the Large
Agency of the Year category after winning overall Agency of the
Year in 2005.
Weber Shandwick client Alticor was recognized as Large Corporate
Communications Team of the year. Led by a former Weber Shandwick
colleague, the Alticor team provides communications support for
a $6.2 billion diversified consumer product and manufacturing company
with 14,000 employees. During the past four years Weber Shandwick
in Minneapolis has provided media training and support for Alticor's
global CSR efforts.
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The Holmes Report (US) has named Weber Shandwick the Best Agency
to Work For.
"I am very proud and appreciative that the Holmes Report has
named Weber Shandwick the number one Best Agency to Work For among
our key competitors and number two against all large firms…"
said Harris Diamond, Weber Shandwick's chief executive officer.
"I recognise this as an honour bestowed on the agency by all
of you, and that I, along with the rest of the management team,
have to live up to this. It was particularly gratifying to see so
many of you telling us that you have confidence in the quality of
the leadership in your offices, and that you respect and value our
focus on clients, internal communications and the programs we offer
for your professional and personal development," Harris continued.
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