Public Relations in China

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Public Relations in China

Ron Theis PRNewswire - Doing Business in
China October 18, 2007
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Public Relations in China

• Automotive Public Relations
• Regions
• Media
• Professionalism

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Public Relations in China

• Country not homogeneous
• Markets may seem alike
• Can have many similarities.
• In truth, each area is different.
• Strongly urge use of local counsel.

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Public Relations in China

• PR Basics Apply Everywhere
• Develop strategic public relations plan
• Closely follow business plan
• Establish realistic budget and timetable
• Press kits essential
• Planned events can be very successful

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Public Relations in China

• Reputation is an open book.
• Information vacuum will be filled by whatever
  information is at hand
• Potential customers want to know

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Public Relations in China

• Professionalism
• PR business immature, but coming of age
• Good tacticians, but need strategic
  experience and direction

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Public Relations in China

• Public Relations
• Can be difficult
• Relationships very important
• Shanghai rapidly becoming center of auto
  industry and business heart of Asia
• Media controlled by government

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Public Relations in China

• PR (cont)
• Media very large in numbers and circulation
• National media maturing, but local still very
  young and inexperienced
• Extremely competitive

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Public Relations in China

• Mainstream Business Newspapers
• China Business Beijing
• 21st Century Business Herald Guangzhou
• International Business Daily Beijing
• China Business News Shanghai
• China Economic Times Beijing
• Economic Daily Beijing
• Economic Observer - Beijing

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Public Relations in China

• Automotive Industry Newspapers / Mags
• China Automotive News Beijing
• China Industry News (weekly auto section)
  Beijing
• China Automotive Review (English language)
  Beijing
• Automobile Industre Magazine
• Automobile Parts Magazine

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Public Relations in China

• Publications of Chinese Auto Industry Groups
• Shanghai Automotive News Shanghai
• Beijing Automotive News Beijing
• FAW Group News Changchun
• Dongfeng Automotive News Wuhan
• Guangzhou Automobile News - Guangzhou

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Public Relations in China

• Automotive Industry Websites
• China Auto News (www.qiche.com.cn)
• Oriental Automobile (www.oauto.com)
• Sohu Auto (www.sohu.com)

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Public Relations in China

• Pay for Placement
• IPRA study shows practice commonplace in
  certain parts of the world
• Less of a problem in developed areas

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Public Relations in China

• Four rules of
• PUBLIC RELATIONS IN CHINA
• 1. Everything is possible!
• 2. Nothing is ever finished.
• 3. When things are going poorly, think of
  rule 1
• 4. When things are going well, think of rule
  2

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Public Relations in China

• THINK GLOBALLY
• ACT LOCALLY

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Public Relations in China

• Contact information
• Ron Theis
• Theis Communications, Inc.
• 460 Wooddale Road
• Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301
• Tel [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email rlt_at_theis.com