biz.hk Jan 2013 Supplement

2013

www.amcham.org.hk

In Communications ADVERTISING BROADCASTING PRINT PRODUCTION PUBLIC RELATIONS PUBLISHING ALLIED FIELDS

1904 Bank of America Tower, 12 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong, China Tel: 2530 6900

Fax: 2810 1289

E-mail: amcham@amcham.org.hk

w w w. a m c h a m . o r g . h k

Over 500 pages in three major sections, including a complete guide to chamber services, corporate sponsors and AmCham Charitable Foundation. This directory lists over 1,800 members from over 700 companies and organizations.

ISBN 978-962-7422-18-1

LC 98-645651

GOING DIGITAL

David Jessop, Business Director of Isobar, speaks about the history, transformation, challenge and real-time benefits of marketing and communications through interactive media online biz.hk: How would you differentiate digital from traditional forms of communication?

Jessop: There is a huge difference, and it is something we always try to explain to our clients because it takes some persuasion for people to move away from their traditional methods. The main difference with digital forms is that the consumer can actually interact with a particular communication in real time.

With the traditional way of advertising in posters, TV or radio commercials, there is a delay from receiving the message to taking some form of action, for example making a purchase of a product or registering for a promotion. What we can do now is instigate an action immediately through a message and prompt a click or some kind of interaction through social media, a microsite or an interactive kiosk, for example. That’s what digital brings to the table. biz.hk: When did it start? How did it all happen?

Jessop: We had a dotcom boom in the late 90s when the Internet was just breaking into people’s lives. The move from fax to e-mail was one of the biggest leaps.

The method of communication through the Internet line opened up a whole world of opportunities. And of course everybody wanted a Website, but I don’t think people in general understood exactly how they should make use of a Website. It created a huge bubble in 2000, which crashed spectacularly. People were spending too much money without any thought of what kind of return they were going to get on their investment.

Then, some enlightened people learned how the Internet could really assist and benefit individual businesses and started to think a lot more carefully about how we could utilize this channel. This became the lead into a new digital era. From early 2000s and onward, the digital revolution started accelerating with

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more and more advanced ways to use the Web, to where we are now with people browsing the Internet, making online purchases and engaging with social media via their mobile phones. biz.hk: Are people in the industry ready for this new way of doing business?

Jessop: It depends on the type of company, how aggressive their marketing strategies are, and how willing they are to take a leap of faith. In many markets outside of Hong Kong, they are very advanced and have really grasped how technology can be implemented to support their business, Korea and Japan, for example.

Hong Kong is a little behind and people tend to be a bit more risk-averse. Instead of jumping in and doing something that has not been tried and tested, they’d rather wait and see what their competitors are doing and how the market is reacting. They tend to dive in and invest only when they are completely satisfied that the initiative is something they see as viable.

The important thing to remember is that the digital approach does not mean a complete cut-off from traditional forms of marketing. The idea is to integrate and make them work together seamlessly by joining the dots of all the different communication channels. biz.hk: Is integration of traditional and digital communication a challenge?

Jessop: It is a challenge that many of the traditional agencies have faced in the last five to 10 years. You now have an influx of “digital experts” pushing this new medium while a lot of the “traditional guys” may be very protective of their space.

The challenge from an agency’s perspective is to find talent who are able to bridge that gap and get everyone working together. The ideal candidates are digitally savvy people who are also experienced in traditional forms of advertising, and these are people with experience that will necessarily span more than 10 years. biz.hk: Do we have a shortage of skilled people for the digital era?

Jessop: Hong Kong tends to have a shortage of talent, and it means everyone in the marketplace is competing for people with the required skills and talent. Hong Kong is not a big market but it has a lot of small outfits as well as the big-name agencies all competing for the same business.

A lot of young people in Hong Kong are making an effort to learn about digital marketing, and it is relatively easy to pick up the basic skills. So, agencies are setting up everywhere and the local marketplace is

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becoming very crowded. Some of the more experienced experts from Hong Kong have found positions in China and around the region where opportunities in these bigger markets might be more attractive. As such, there is a shortage of senior, experienced digital

David Jessop

professionals here.

The key to retaining your staff, apart from salaries and benefits, has to be your culture and work environment because people want to work with a good team.

They probably don’t want to be working 18 hours a day; so, you need to have a well-resourced operation, make them feel that they are working at a place that values them and can offer them opportunities and something challenging. biz.hk: How do you find the right talent?

Jessop: It is a constant challenge to find the right people with the right talent and skills that can take you to the next level. Usually, we recruit people through referrals, word of mouth or people we know in the industry. To go out and recruit from the marketplace, you’ll need to offer something over and above what other agencies are offering. You need to bring more to the table, whether it is your work environment, atmosphere and company culture, and of course, as well as good salary and benefits. Saying that, it is quite a cut-throat market here and people tend to look at salaries first when they make their choices. biz.hk: What do you offer your clients in the digital medium?

Jessop: The access to data is key to every digital project we execute. The bottom line comes down to the information or data that can be made available and what it all means for their business. The beauty of digital marketing is that we can record activities through every step of the consumer journey, in real time. From that data, we can learn so much more about consumers, their behavior and preferences.

The more we understand our consumers we can talk to them in a way that is relevant and target them with specific communications. We can learn what products and services they prefer and what behavior they show and are then able to target consumers with content they want to engage with. We can even know what time of day they will be most receptive. This

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access to data and our ability to analyze it and learn from it is really the key.

The analysis of data is quite scientific; however, what you do with that information and how you interpret it is really important. Good analysts and strategists can really offer something special to clients because they can uncover the insights that allow us to craft communications that are truly relevant. It is something you can only learn from experience. We need to utilize the right research methods because there is so much happening out there everyday. biz.hk: What are the keys to making digital marketing work?

Jessop: Digital marketing is about communicating with consumers; so, make sure you have good, solid insights before you go to market with any kind of messaging. It is also about setting expectation with clients, and you can do that through benchmarking and looking to industry averages.

Clients will always want to push for a better result.

We can be aggressive when we think we have good insights or ideas, and this is where creativity comes in.

The more creative an idea, the more engaging the idea, and the more response you will get.

The question is: can we offer clients something they don’t already know? Yes, they will have their own ideas who their consumers are and how they behave; however, what we can throw in is additional research, analysis and strategy. Discovering insights that the clients have missed and leveraging them to develop relevant communications at the right touch-points is where creative digital agencies can offer real value. biz.hk: What other challenging issues do you see?

Jessop: The challenge for digital agencies, particularly in Hong Kong, is that clients have tended to hold back from investing too much in digital marketing; they are now starting to understand the value and are more willing to invest. Because Hong Kong is a small market and an expensive place, it is not easy to stand out from hundreds of others and be profitable at the same time. Many survive by outsourcing some of their work.

Ideally you need a setup that is able to operate within a manageable level, and staff retrenchment should not be an issue if you grow organically.

Above all, you need to deliver successful initiatives and campaigns to clients. At the end of the day, it is the result that counts and there is no hiding from the results. When clients are willing to invest a little more, they will usually see the benefit of that decision in the quality of the solution. But, for many clients it is very tempting to go with the cheaper option, and, unfortunately, this does happen rather a lot in Hong Kong.

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COMMUNICATIONS AND THE AGE OF REAL-TIME MARKETING How Brands can more effectively reach their target audiences in the right place at the right time, writes Managing Director of GolinHarris Jeremy Walker Jeremy Walker

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onsider this: Consumers engage with seven different sources of information, ranging from TV and radio to mobile, social media and more every day. News is shared in seconds and not just by the news outlets. In a media landscape where news happens 24/7, companies are required to use all available communication channels with speed and agility.

Gone are the days where new opportunities are first discussed around an agency’s boardroom table, and then acted upon. The concept of time has shifted and companies must produce sparkling and relevant, real time content to satisfy the consumer’s attention-deficit disorder in a society craving instant gratification.

Real-time marketing (RTM) is crucial to any marketing communications program. RTM is systematic, multi-channel engagement based upon real-time insights to grab attention. In 2012, we at GolinHarris commissioned a global study to look at the impact of RTM initiatives in five key countries. It showed that exposure to RTM campaigns produced, on average, double-digit increases in consumer’s likelihood to act, generally between +20 to +25 percent. Interestingly, initiatives in China involving social media interaction and news media coverage registered more

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forcefully with consumers than in the US, the UK, and Germany. The study also found that exposure to RTM led to a 24 percent increase in awareness and consideration of a brand among Chinese consumers. This confirmed our belief that RTM significantly enhances mainstream marketing communication efforts.

This is insightful information, but acting fast is not enough. The future of marketing communications lies in the ability to produce great content, and lots of it. The continued consumer migration to digital channels requires brands to change the way they market. They’ll need to shift from one-off campaigns to continuous and real time stories containing multiple narratives. Why? Because according to the China Internet Network Information Center, 50.9 million Chinese consumers started using the Internet for the first time in 2012. This brings the total number of Internet users in Greater China to 564 million!

The mobile Internet surfing population increased 18.1 percent to 420 million, with mobile phones becoming the primary channel for Web surfing.

This is what companies and brands have to consider if they are to get their fair share of engagement.

Brands like Red Bull are already competing admirably in this space. In October 2012, they

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dropped a man from space to break the sound barrier! This is the brand that has ripped up the marketing handbook and re-written it as a series of tweets, status updates, video clips and amazing digital experiences. The marketing lesson here is that Red Bull has pursued a very single-minded strategy of extreme sports sponsorship that has given them an abundance of one thing - really great content. This content initiated by the brand and now continuously being co-created with the help of their fans, tells their story every day.

The idea that “Content is King” still rings true, but with the addition that “Community is Queen”. This relationship between brand story (content) and community (the audience) is not the type of one-sided relationship we’d associate with traditional marketing. Although effective marketing communications still requires companies to ensure content shared is aligned with strategic goals, this relationship is equal and collaborative. Content needs to be compelling, continuous and real-time to engage a community.

This creates a virtuous cycle where the community shares brand content which exposes more

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people to it, meaning more people opt-in to the brand’s story through likes, shares and follows.

Thus, a continuous, real-time story takes shape as a joint product of the brand and the audience.

At GolinHarris, we do this through The Bridge, our real-time marketing communications center. It provides our content strategists with critical business insight to uncover real-time news, stories, and trends as it happens, and allows them to act on it to influence conversations and behavior. In short, it allows us to deliver the right message (content) at the right time to the right audience.

RTM provides demonstrated value for companies that apply it Brands can create meaningful connections that help move customers closer to that important purchase decision. RTM can no longer be regarded as the icing on the cake for marketing communication plans, but an essential ingredient for effective brand communication. At GolinHarris we believe that in 2013, the successful companies and brands will be those that learn to harness the power of communities through continuous and real-time engagement.

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FROM STRENGTH

TO STRENGTH SPRG’S SUCCESS STORY

By Daniel Kwan

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t’s difficult to imagine how he could have achieved so much in such a short period of time. Richard Tsang, Founder and Chairman of SPRG (Strategic Public Relations Group) was head of Burson-Marsteller’s financial communications practice in Hong Kong before striking out on his own in 1995. Today, SPRG is the largest public relations consultancy in Hong Kong.

“When I worked for Burson-Marsteller, they were the biggest PR firm in Hong Kong. Now, we are the biggest in Hong Kong. They had 105 people when I worked there. I was the group head when I was 25,” Tsang recalls how he started out about 20 years ago.

Recognitions SPRG’s success today is not just measured by its size but also recognitions from the industry. In 2012, the Group and Tsang have won a total of 19 awards, both regional and local, including the SABRE Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Tsang himself.

Tsang launched SPRG with just four employees.

Today, the firm has about 300 professional staff and about half are in Hong Kong. It has offices in seven cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia (and even not counting its vast international partner networks).

And according to Tsang, the group is looking at opportunities of adding more in 2013 – with cities in Southeast Asia and Western China. In short, SPRG is looking at expansion rather than cutting back in spite of the less than satisfactory market conditions in 2012.

That’s quite an ambition taking into account how the market performed last year. Already an

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Richard Tsang

established market leader in financial PR, SPRG did extremely well from 2009 when the number of IPOs in Hong Kong shot through the roof. Last year, however, Hong Kong’s IPOs dropped from 101 in 2011 to just 64. Nevertheless, SPRG continued to be the No 1 IPO communications consultancy in Hong Kong, completing 14 new listings in 2012. They included some of the “talk-of-the-town” listings – the Tsui Wah Restaurant (Hong Kong’s first ‘Cha Chaan Teng’ that has gone public) and DYNAM JAPAN HOLDINGS Co, Ltd (the first primary listing by a Japan-incorporated company in Hong Kong). “In 2012, we managed to carry on with our momentum in 2011 and our business or income level last year was about the same as in 2011,” Tsang says in the interview with biz.hk.

Over the years, SPRG has scored a number of “first.” It handled the first Russian listing in Hong Kong (UC RUSAL), the first Mongolian IPO (Mongolian Mining Corporation), the first Brazilian Hong Kong Depositary Receipts (Vale), and the largest private Chinese enterprise IPO (Rongsheng). On the corporate PR and marketing side, SPRG is equally impressive. It has a mix of technology, consumer and corporate clients, who include companies such as Volkswagen, BMW, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Google, KFC, Fox International Channel, Lindt and P&G.

Trust, familiarity and communication In sharing his “secrets” of success, Tsang identified three essential elements in financial PR: trust, familiarity and communication. By trust, he means that PR agencies need to help companies to be more transparent and forthcoming in communicating with stakeholders – not just shareholders,

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fund managers and analysts but also the public. In addition, the messages should no longer be just the positives but also give honest account of business.

“People in the past say that PR only promote the good side of business, but more companies nowadays understand that investors would value them more if they are honest,” Tsang says. “Today, building trust is critical especially in financial PR.” Given the sophisticated and fast-changing regulatory environment in the financial industry, Tsang says financial PR practitioners need to stay on top of the industry and rules and regulations related to their clients (one-third of SPRG’s staff who are in the financial practice have financial background).

Using UC RUSAL as an example, Tsang says he is particular proud of how SPRG has succeeded in promoting Russia to the Hong Kong public in arranging the public listing of the world’s largest aluminum producer in Hong Kong in 2010.

“Five years ago, if you asked people [in Hong Kong] what do they know about Russia? Probably very little,” Tsang says. “Today, the answer can be very different.”

“Likewise for Brazil, most people in Hong Kong know about Brazil because of soccer, Samba dance and maybe BBQ,” he adds. “They probably don’t know some of world’s biggest companies, banks and financial institutions are all in Brazil.”

“So familiarity is very important. In dealing with financial PR, we also need to guide our clients so that they understand what they need to be aware of in the local market when they come to Hong Kong especially a lot of the companies see Hong Kong as a stepping stone into markets like China.”

The PR veteran points out that good financial PR must also be strong in communications. “Sometimes the clients say we have communication already – we advertise and organize events every year. But this is not good enough. Communications also needs depth and quantity – how frequent is your exposure? This is especially true for international companies that are not based here,” he explains.

Online vs face-to-face With his wealth of experience, Tsang observes that financial companies need to be more careful in how they may use social media to engage stakeholders.

Apart from legal constraints and the handling of price sensitive information, companies need to understand that social media is just communication tool. While careful employment of social media can help companies to target specific audience, it has its limitations such as time lag. He believes that the “good old fashion” ways of communication can be more effective compared with online communications.

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“Communication is not just about the transmission of messages. Social media takes care of the transmission of messages but I think it has its shortcomings,” the communication veteran says. “[Social media] is very handy and efficient if you just want to convey a message or factual information. But I would say the old traditional stuff – conferences, meetings and luncheons – are actually more important. In PR, we still very much treasure the two-way communications,” Tsang says.

“If we are in a conference, even if I avoid answering questions, you’ll know I am avoiding.

That’s very important. I would say one very special attribute of PR is the two-way communication,” he adds.

Career advices While Tsang obviously has a very busy daily schedule in managing his business, he actually spends one-third of his time in teaching. In fact, he has lectured at his alma mater, the Chinese University Journalism and Communication School, since 1994 and offered mentorship to probably over 100 graduates over the years.

When asked by biz.hk what would be his advices for young communications professionals who may be interested in the PR field, Tsang is clear: find a good company, and be hard working.

“Find a good company, and stay there for a long time. Don’t switch jobs all the time. In our industry – PR and advertising, people always talk about changing jobs. I would say that’s not good for career development.”

“And if you want to develop your career in an industry or company, most probably you will need to stay there long enough. A small company may not be a bad company but you will have to see if it has potential. But if you find a good company, stay there.”

“Second, be hard working. When I first started, I never left the office before midnight. Ok, it’s not an easy life. But the good thing is that you’ve earned all your experiences two or three times faster than other people do. When you are young, you have the energy and you can afford to do that.”

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Anna Fang Public Relations

APCO Worldwide

EBA Communications Ltd

Edelman Hong Kong

Suite 2810, 28/F, Block B, Kornhill Gardens 25-27 Hong Shing Street, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Unit B, 19/F On Hing Building, 1 On Hing Terrace, Central, HK, China

701 Central Plaza, 18 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2537 8022 Fax: (852) 2537 3012 Email: info@ebacomms.com Website: www.ebacomms.com

Tel: (852) 2804 1338 Fax: (852) 2804 1303 Email: hongkong@edelman.com Website: www.edelman.hk

Company Activities: Anna Fang Public Relations is a boutique PR consultancy focused on serving CEOs and Managing Directors of MNCs and HK companies. We utilise media relations and PR events to raise the profile of the CEO and the company in the business community and media.

19/F, Cambridge House, TaiKoo Place, 979 King's Road, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2866 2313 Fax: (852) 2115 9818 Email: info@apcoworldwide.com Website: www.apcoworldwide.com Key Contacts: Amy Wendholt, managing director Mark Michelson, senior counselor Tamora Chan, director Year Established: 1997 Staff Size: 25 Major Business: Strategic Communication, Media Relations, Government Relations, Corporate Responsibility, Financial Communication, Investor Relations Major Awards / Projects: Large PR Firm of the Year by PR News; Public Affairs Agency of the Year and Public Affairs Agency of the Decade by The Holmes Report; Asia-Pacific SABRE Award for Public Affairs/Issues Management Campaign of the Year for the Hong Kong Wine & Spirits Industry Coalition.

Company Activities: APCO Worldwide is an award-winning, independently owned global communication consultancy with offices in major cities throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Taking advantage of the unique geographic position in the region, APCO’s Hong Kong office plays a strategic role in advising multinational companies on corporate positioning, issues management and stakeholder engagement activities across Asia-Pacific. The APCO team also assists clients in both the public and private sectors on policy research, civic engagement and issue advocacy in the local Hong Kong market. Our staff in Hong Kong includes specialists experienced in strategic communication, media relations, government relations, corporate affairs and financial communication.

Bite Communications

The BlueCurrent Group

Tel: (852) 2535 9198 Email: info@annafangpr.com Website: www.annafangpr.com Key Contacts: Anna J H Fang, Director Year Established: 2002 Staff Size: Sole Proprietor Major Business: Media Relations, CEO Branding and Corporate Communications Major Awards / Projects: Grand Award and Award of Excellence (APEX™-USA) winner since 1995 with over 16 international Awards in 16 years.

Clients included MNCs like Center for Creative Leadership, Right Management, DDI, YSC, SHL, Oxbridge Applications; bestselling authors like Andrew Matthews; organizations like HKABPW, Corporate Women Directors Int’l; art galleries / artists / int’l events like Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery, Brian Tilbrook, Danilo Giannoni, “Hong Kong in Venice – Venice Biennale in Architecture”; and events like the Sedan Chair Race.

Key Contacts: Claudia Choi, MD Year Established: 1987 Staff Size: 60+ Major Business: Integrated marketing communications consultancy services Major Awards / Projects: See our website: www.ebacomms.com Professional Associations: The Council of Public Relations Firms of Hong Kong Limited Company Activities: Established in 1987, we provide a broad range of marcom services from strategy to implementation. We focus on technology and technology-rich industries. EBA has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

Key Contacts: Andrew Kirk, Managing Director, Hong Kong & Tawain Andres Vejarano, Senior Director, Consumer Marketing & Technology Darby Doll, Senior Director, Corporate Practice Corliss Ruggles, Regional Director, Financial Communications Year Established: 1986 Staff Size: 62 Major Awards / Projects: Top ten “Best Places to Work” (Glassdoor 2013); Corporate Social Responsibility Award–CIC ZCB (Marketing Excellence 2012); Employee Engagement Award–DAMCO (SABRE 2012); Asia Pacific Consultancy PR Agency of the Year and Digital AOTY (The Holmes Report 2012); Best Places to Work (Ad Age 2012); PR Agency of the Year (Adweek 2011); PR Consultancy of the Year – Bronze (Marketing AOTY 2011); Global PR Agency of the Year (The Holmes 2011); Agency "A-List" (Advertising Age 2011) Professional Associations: member of the cPRf HK Company activities: Edelman is the world’s largest public relations firm, with 66 offices and more than 4,500 employees worldwide, as well as affiliates in more than 30 cities and has a presence in 11 markets 23 offices in Asia Pacific.

Edelman owns specialty firms Edelman Berland (research), Blue (advertising), A&R Edelman (technology), BioScience Communications (medical communications), and agencies Edelman Significa (Brazil), and Pegasus (China). Visit http://www.edelman.hk for more information.

Fleishman-Hillard Asia Pacific

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26/F, 46 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong

Suite 1501, Cityplaza 4, No. 12 Taikoo Wan Road Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong

Suite 1501, Cityplaza 4, No. 12 Taikoo Wan Road, Taikoo Shing, HK

Tel: (852) 2973 0222 Fax: (852) 2973 6900 Email: apacinfo@biteglobal.com Website: www.biteglobal.com Key Contacts: David Ketchum, President, Asia Pacific Paul Mottram, Executive Vice President, Asia Pacific Year Established: 1995 Staff Size: 100 in APAC Major Business: Marketing Services Professional Associations: Asia Digital Marketing Association, Council of Public Relations Firms of Hong Kong Company Activities: Bite is a global marketing services agency. Bite offers strategy and insight, public relations, marketing communications, creative and content, and digital and technology products and services to our clients around the world including the Asia Pacific region. Bite Communications has 300 consultants in 15 international offices worldwide, and is in every major Asian market, including Bangalore, Beijing, Hong Kong, Mumbai, New Delhi, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney. Bite’s Asia Pacific clients include many of the world’s leading names in technology, manufacturing, financial, and consumer products. Our multicultural team has a twelve-year track record of helping local, regional and multinational brands communicate with a range of stakeholders. Current clients include Citi, HTC, Marriott, Parallels, Qantas, Siemens, Sony, SWIFT, and Toys R Us. Bite’s Asia Pacific team includes experts in both online and traditional media and channels, helping clients enhance reputation and drive sales.

Tel: (852) 2967 6770 Fax: (852) 2116 9281 Email: james.hacking@bluecurrentgroup.com Website: www.bluecurrentgroup.com

Tel: (852) 2530 0228 Fax: (852) 3105 1583

Key Contacts: Lynne Anne Davis, Regional President Rachael Catanach, MD Hong Kong

Key Contacts: James Hacking, Vice President Year Established: 2011

Year Established: 1994

Staff Size: 10

Major Business: B2C and B2B Social Media Campaigns, Search Engine Marketing, SEO, Community Management, Social Advertising, Online & Digital Marketing, Monitoring Solutions, Digital Training, Branding/Marketing/Advertising, Website Development, Employer Branding/Recruitment Marketing, Employee Engagement Communications Company Activities: The BlueCurrent Group is a network of agencies, wholly owned by Omnicom Group and a sister agency of global communications company, Fleishman-Hillard. BlueCurrent Hong Kong operates in the sweet spot where social media, search and public relations converge.

Since its establishment, BlueCurrent Hong Kong has worked with many businesses in Hong Kong and across Asia Pacific by providing fully integrated brand building and public relations services. The business leverages the experience and expertise of Fleishman-Hillard’s global network to take a modern and innovative perspective on approaches to publicity and relationships in the digital era.

who’s who

Email: fhapac@fleishman.com Website: www.fleishmanhillard.com

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Staff Size: 55 Major Business: Public Relations, Corporate Reputation Management, Public Affairs, Media Relations, Crisis/Issues Response, Executive Media Coaching Employee Communications Major Awards / Projects: In 2011, Fleishman-Hillard was named 2011 Asia-Pacific Consultancy of the Year by The Holmes Report.

Fleishman-Hillard was named “Asia Pacific PR Network of the Year” by MEDIA/PRWEEK

In 2004 and again in 2008,

Company Activities: Fleishman-Hillard Inc., a part of Omnicom Inc., is one of world’s leading public relations firms. Fleishman-Hillard based on extraordinary growth, strong interoffice cooperation, PR/digital innovation, and high employee and client satisfaction and retention. The firm is widely recognized for excellent client service and a strong company culture founded on teamwork, integrity, and personal commitment. Based in the US, the firm operates throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, South Africa, Middle East, South Africa, and Latin America through its 80 owned offices.

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9

Grey Group Hong Kong

Hamilton Advisors

31/F, 169 Electric Road, North Point, Hong Kong

2909-10, 29/ F, China Resources Building, 26 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2510 6888 Fax: (852) 2510 7541 Email: danny.mok@grey.com Website: http://www.grey.com/hongkong

Tel: (852) 2488 8866 Fax: (852) 2975 8042 Email: info@hamiltonadvisorsltd.com Website: www.hamiltonadvisorsltd.com

Key Contacts: Danny Mok, CEO

Key Contact: Robert Grieves, Chairman

Year Established: 1917

Year Established: 2009

Gartner Hong Kong Ltd Suite 2204 – 06, 22/F DCH Commercial Centre, 25 Westlands Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 3402 0402 Fax: (852) 2824 6138 Website: www.gartner.com Key Contacts: Gabriel Young, Country Manager Year Established: 27 Sep 1994 Staff Size: 20 Company Activities: Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company. We deliver the technology-related insight necessary for our clients to make the right decisions, every day. From CIOs and senior IT leaders in corporations and government agencies, to business leaders in high-tech and telecom enterprises and professional services firms, to technology investors, we are the valuable partner to 60,000 clients in 12,000 distinct organizations.

Through the resources of Gartner Research, Gartner Executive Programs, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events, we work with every client to research, analyze and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual role.

Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A., and has 5,200 associates, including 1,280 research analysts and consultants, and clients in 85 countries.

Gartner Research Process Our research process embodies a way of thinking that turns complex information into insight you can use for business advantage.

Research Methodologies Gartner methodologies consist of research practices, procedures and rules that distill large volumes of data into clear, precise, actionable insight so our clients can formulate plans or make difficult business decisions.

Gartner for IT Leaders Gartner for IT Leaders is an indispensable strategic resource, delivering timely, reliable insight to guide your key decisions and get the most from your highest-priority initiatives. A service that more than pays for itself, it includes contract reviews that identify real savings, connections to peers who have walked in your shoes, and tools that save you time and money.

Gartner for Supply Chain Leaders The supply chain can make or break an organization's competitiveness, but with unstable raw materials costs, volatile demand patterns and rampant supply risks, using it to drive profitable growth and product innovation is no small feat. What's more, corporations must create demand-driven supply chains that embrace sustainability, or risk falling behind more innovative competitors. Gartner for Supply Chain Leaders delivers objective, actionable insight and best practices to help supply chain professionals build, manage and transform their global supply chains—maximizing productivity, minimizing risks and driving revenue and competitive advantage.

Gartner for Technical Professionals Gartner for Technical Professionals delivers resources tailored to the needs of your technical architects and engineers. Written by technologists for technologists, this research provides detailed technical guidance on technical planning and architecture design. GTP benefits IT organizations to accelerate project timelines, mitigate risk and develop your staff.

Major Awards / Projects: Cannes, One Show, New York Festivals, London International Awards, Spikes Asia, AdFest, LongXi Awards, Effies, MAA Worldwide GLOBES, Promotion Marketing Awards of Asia, Asian Marketing Effectiveness Awards, Digital Media Awards, ROI Festivals.

Company Activities: At Grey, we believe in making famously award-winning advertising and creating effective communication that work for our clients. We have been FAMOUSLY EFFECTIVE since 1917, in making our clients remarkable and rich for 96 years.

GolinHarris

Hill+Knowlton Strategies Asia

8/F Oxford Hse, Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, HK, China

36/F PCCW Tower, Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2522 6475 Fax: (852) 2810 4780

Tel: (852) 2894 6321 Fax: (852) 2576 3551

Email: ghhk@golinharris.com Website: www.golinharris.com.hk

Major Business: Public Relations, Investor Relations, Brand Building, Crisis Management, Digital and Social Media, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Professional Associations: American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Council of Public Relations Firms of Hong Kong (CPRFHK), Hong Kong Investor Relations Association (HKIRA) Company Activities: Hamilton Advisors is a Hong Kong-based consultancy providing premium strategic communications services to financial institutions, listed and privately-held companies, and professional associations. We help clients build brand and reputation, strengthen stakeholder relationships and achieve business objectives. Our team includes multicultural public relations experts with extensive experience in media relations, investor relations, brand building, crisis preparedness and management, digital and social media, and CSR program development.

Email: john.morgan@hkstrategies.com Website: asia.hkstrategies.com

Key Contacts: John Morgan, President and CEO, Asia

Key Contacts: Jeremy Walker, Managing Director

Year Established: 1962

Year Established: 1993

Staff Size: 80

Major Business: Corporate communications, marketing communications, financial communications, public affairs, risk management and crisis communications, training and digital communications

Notable Clients: Airport Authority Hong Kong, China Everbright, Plan International, China Light & Power, Hongkong Electric, Hongkong Land, Hung Hing Printing, Jardine Matheson, Li & Fung, Mandarin Oriental, Shell, The Dairy Farm Group, TransUnion, VTech Holdings, Zespri, Galaxy Macau, Pernod Ricard Hong Kong, San Miguel, Amex, SCAD Foundation

Notable Clients: Ping An Insurance, China Minsheng Banking Corp, McDonald’s Restaurants, Research in Motion, Sony Corp., PetroChina, TCL Communication Technology, KKR Asia, HSBC, Mongolian Mining Corp., Swire Properties, Chevron, China Railway Group, Rolex, Wing Tai Properties, Nagacorp, Pandora, Jones Lang LaSalle, Tata Communications, Korean Air.

Major Awards / Projects: 2012 PRWeek International Agency of the Year 2011 and 2009 PR Consultancy of the Year, Asia Pacific PR Awards 2011 Best Large Agency to Work For, Holmes Report 2010 PRWeek Large PR Agency of the Year

Recent Major Awards: 2012 Asia-Pacific Public Affairs Consultancy of the Year, Asia-Pacific SABRE Awards 2012; Best Financial PR Company in Asia, 2nd Asian Excellence Recognition Awards 2012; Bronze, Excellence in Launch Marketing, Marketing Magazine’s Marketing Excellence Awards 2012.

Professional Associations: Council of Public Relations Firms of Hong Kong, American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

Professional Associations: Council of Public Relations Firms of Hong Kong Company Activities: GolinHarris is one of the world’s leading public relations firms. We provide holistic communications, integrating the deepest insight, boldest ideas and broadest engagement into real-time conversations that connect in a complex world.

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Major Business: Advertising, Planning, Digital, Below-the-line & Events, Shopper Marketing

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Company Activities: Hill+Knowlton Strategies offers communications consultancy services, bringing extensive technical expertise and strategic wisdom to help strengthen our client’s brands, reputations and bottom lines. Whether it is corporate communications, financial communications, risk management and crisis communications, research insights, digital communications, media relations, marketing communications or public affairs, H+K Strategies leads this new digital era in strategic communications and business advice. The consultancy is built on a solid foundation of trusted advisors and creative experts with an unequaled passion, standard of excellence and ability to execute. We have been in the wisdom business for more than 80 years and today, we are a global network of 83 offices in 46 countries.

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Information Express (Asia-pacific) Ltd

International Herald Tribune Ketchum Hong Kong

7/F, 705-07 China Merchants Bldg, 303-307 Des Voeux Rd, Central, HK, China

1201 K Wah Ctr 191 Java Rd, North Point, HK, China

Tel: (852) 2818 9475 / (852) 8108 0805 Fax: (852) 2817 1556 Email: news@clipping.com.hk Website: www.newsmonitor.org

Tel: (852) 2922 1188 Fax: (852) 2922 1190 Email: hongkong@iht.com Website: global.nytimes.com

Key Contacts: Joanna Leung, Customer Service Mgr Eliza Leung, Mktg Mgr Year Established: 1988

33/F, Two Chinachem Exchange Square, 338 King's Road, North Point Tel: (852) 2566 1311 Email: simeon.mellalieu@knprhk.com Fax: (852) 2510 8199 Website: www.ketchum.com/greaterchina Key Contacts: Mr. Simeon Mellalieu, General Manager

Key Contacts: Randy Weddle, MD A/P Philip McClellan, Deputy Managing Editor

Year Established: 1980

Year Established: 1980

Major Business: Public Relation

Staff Size: 70

Staff Size: 30

Staff Size: 20 Major Business: We provide professional News Monitoring and Clipping Services Professional Associations: IMS, HKCA Company Activities: InformExpress (Est 1988) is a professional News Monitor & Press Clipping Agency, which provides tailor-made research services for Ad & PR firms, research houses and corporate bodies. We specialize in Ad News Monitor, PR Press Clipping and Brand Data Search. Customer Service Hotline (852 8108 0805) set up for special inquiry.

Company Activities: Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. Ketchum partners with its clients to deliver strategic programming, breakthrough creative and measurable results that build brands and reputations. Areas of expertise include consumer engagement, corporate communications, financial communications, issues and crisis management, media relations, social media campaigns and training.

Major Business: Newspaper Publishers Major Awards / Projects: IPD Award for Best Int’l Newspaper 1997 & 1998

Branches: Bangalore, Beijing, Chennai, Guangzhou, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Shanghai, Taipei

Professional Associations: PANPA, PATA, SOPA Company Activities: The International Herald Tribune (www.global.nytimes.com) is the premier international newspaper for opinion leaders and decision makers around the globe. It combines the extensive resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 40 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries. Based in Paris since 1887, the IHT is part of The New York Times Company.

International Offices: North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East Affiliates: Bangkok, Chengdu, Hanoi, Islamabad, Jakarta, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo

Kreab Gavin Anderson

Madison Communications Limited

20F, Chinachem Hollywood Centre, 1-13 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong

Rm 05, 10/F, Eastern Harbour Centre, 28 Hoi Chak Street, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Isobar 16th Floor, 633 Kings Road, North Point, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 3962 4500 Fax: (852) 3962 4567

Email: david.jessop@isobar.com Website: www.isobar.com

Tel: (852) 2523 7189 Fax: (852) 2810 1239 Email: adminhk@kreabgavinanderson.com Website: www.kreabgavinanderson.com

Key Contacts: Jean Lin, CEO, Isobar Asia Pacific & Global Chief Strategy Officer, Isobar Global Chris Ryan, CEO, Isobar Hong Kong & International Client Director, Isobar Asia Pacific David Jessop, Business Director, Isobar Hong Kong Howard Smith, Integrated Business Director, Isobar Asia Pacific

Key Contacts: Walter Jennings, Managing Partner, Hong Kong and China Year Established: 1984

Year Established: 2003

Major Awards: Winner of the Asia Pacific Corporate Consultancy of the Year at the 2102 Asia-Pacific SABRE Awards

Staff Size: 2,500+ in 34 markets Major Business: Full service digital; modern communications Professional Associations: Internet Advertising Media Association (IAMA) Mobile Marketing Association

Malaysia: Association Of Accredited Advertising Agents of Malaysia 4A’s Hong Kong

Company Activities: Isobar is a modern communications agency network made up of over 2,500 talented individuals in 34 markets around the world. We've brought together the finest digital pioneers with the smartest traditional marketing talent. This combination is reflected in what we do and how we do it. We work hand-in-hand with our clients, through a culture that can't be faked – open, honest and collaborative. We aim to bring people and brands together, like never before. We reconnect brands with their fans and customers. We create irresistible ideas that combine creative, planning, technology and data. Ideas that demand a response, that invite a next step, take on a life of their own, become self-financing, self-perpetuating, get picked up, passed on. Ideas that make it inevitable people will choose to get involved.

Company Activities: Kreab Gavin Anderson is a global communications firm with outstanding expertise in Financial, Corporate and Public Affairs communications, and Issues and Crisis Management.

We employ over 350 experienced consultants in 25 countries.

In Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific region, Kreab Gavin Anderson has built its market-leading position by delivering seniorlevel communications strategy for high profile financial transactions, corporate crises, regulatory engagement, social media and reputational issues. In recent years we have advised on China's first-ever contested takeover battle, Asia's largest-ever debt default, and the region's most closelywatched governance-related proxy battle.

Our creativity, innovation and results are the reasons why we have been chosen as partners by some of the world’s leading international brands – Procter & Gamble, Kellogg’s, adidas, Coca-Cola, Nokia, and Toyota, to name a few.

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Tel: (852) 2881 8612 Fax: (852) 2881 8716 Email: info@madison.asia Website: www.madison.asia Facebook: www.facebook.com/madison.asia Key Contacts: Mr Samuel Mak, CEO Mr David Chau, General Manager Year Established: 2004 Staff Size: 12 Major Business: advertising, public relations, public affairs, event marketing and digital marketing Company Activities: Madison Communications is a creative agency offering integrated communications services: advertising, public relations, public affairs, event marketing and digital marketing. We offer innovative and powerful solutions that help client’s objectives: enhance brand values, product launches, gain stakeholders’ support, restore consumer confidence or rectify rumors.

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Ruder Finn Asia Ltd

Sinclair Communications

Unit 1501-2, Chuang’s Enterprises Building, No. 382 Lockhart Rd, Hong Kong

Units C-E 24/F Neich Tower, 128 Gloucester Road, Hong Kong

22A, Wing Cheong Commercial Building, 19 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 3944 5000 Fax: (852) 3944 5001

Tel: (852) 2521 0800 Fax: (852) 2521 7088 Email: hkoffice@ruderfinnasia.com Website: www.ruderfinnasia.com

Tel: (852) 2915 1234 Fax: (852) 2805 1357 Email: talk@sinclairasia.com Website: www.sinclairasia.com

LEWIS PR

Email: hellohongkong@lewispr.com Website: http://www.lewispr.asia/

Key Contacts: Emma Jenkins, Associate Director and Annie Ho, Account Director Year Established: 1995

Key Contacts: Jean-Michel Dumont, Chairman Elsie Leung, Deputy General Manager

Staff Size: 40

Year Established: 1989 Staff Size: 261

Major Business: LEWIS PR is known for delivering bold digital communications campaigns that enhance revenue, value and reputation for globallyambitious brands. LEWIS' digital communications services span PR and media relations, analyst relations, crisis communications, event management, social media marketing, search engine optimisation and digital content production.

Professional Associations: CPRF Notable Clients: Breitling, Emirates, Canali, StarWorld Macau

Company Activities : LEWIS PR is a global PR and digital communications agency. It works with leading and emerging brands across multiple sectors, including automotive, consumer, government, healthcare, insurance, legal, non-profit, technology and telecom, to implement integrated communications programs on an international scale. LEWIS has 24 wholly-owned offices across the US, EMEA and Asia Pacific, with regional headquarters in London, San Francisco and Singapore.

Company Activities: Ruder Finn Asia, a subsidiary of Ruder Finn Inc., one of the world’s largest privately-owned PR networks, combines the strength of a global agency with the flexibility and speed of smaller strategic agencies. It represents multinationals in areas including healthcare and life sciences, technology, corporate communications, issues and crisis management, automotive, consumer marketing, arts, CSR, travel and tourism. The INSIGHT team focuses on research and trends, producing the China Luxury Forecast, the CSR Index and others annually.

RLM Finsbury

Strategic Public Relations Group

501 Henley Building, 5 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong

Room 2402 & 29A, Admiralty Centre I, 18 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 3166 9888 Fax: (852) 3166 9818

Tel: (852) 2527 0490 Fax: (852) 2804 2789 Email: enquiry@sprg.com.hk Website: www.sprg.com.hk / www.sprg.asia

Email: enquiries-hk@rlmfinsbury.com Website: www.rlmfinsbury.com

Key Contacts: Alastair Hetherington, Partner & CEO Asia Year Established: Created in 2011 from the merger of Robinson Lerer & Montgomery (RLM), founded in 1986, and Finsbury, founded in 1994

Key Contacts: Richard Tsang, Chairman of SPRG

Staff Size: 15 in Asia, c.250 globally

Staff Size: 300

Professional Associations: Council of Public Relations Firms of Hong Kong, American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

Major Business: PR consultancy provides IPO, investor relations and corporate marketing communications

Global Offices: Hong Kong, London, Brussels, New York, Los Angeles, Abu Dhabi, Dubai Major Business: Corporate, financial and transaction communications, crisis and issues management, investor relations and public affairs Company Activities: RLM Finsbury is a global leader in strategic communications and a trusted adviser to boards of directors, senior executives and legal counsel of many of the world’s most successful companies.

RLM Finsbury has managed some of the most complex communications challenges, financial issues and corporate crises of the last three

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Major Business: Corporate & Public Trust; Life+Style; Health & Wellness; Global Connectivity

Year Established: 1995

decades. These include high-profile litigation, mergers and acquisitions, executive changes, restructurings and proxy fights, as well as brand positioning campaigns, product launches, and long-term corporate reputation efforts. The firm also provides advice on corporate affairs, public policy, regulatory affairs, thought leadership, issue advocacy campaigns, strategic marketing initiatives, employee communications and sustainability / philanthropy campaigns.

The firm works extensively with corporations in the Fortune 500, FTSE 100 and Eurofirst 300, as well as numerous public and independent companies around the world.

The firm is part of WPP, the world’s largest communications services group.

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Major Clients: AEON Stores, Air China, Bank of China, BMW, CFA Institute, China Blue Chemical, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Fairwood Holding Ltd., Fortune REIT, Fuji Xerox, Hong Kong Deposit Protection Board, K. Wah International Holdings Ltd., KFC, Lenovo, London Business School, Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd., Microsoft Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble, Sarasin Rabo Investment Management, The Hong Kong Institute of Director, UC Rusal Professional Association: Partner of Public Relations Organisation International, Inc Company Activities: Established in 1995, Strategic Public Relations Group (SPRG) is one of the largest public relations networks in Asia and Hong Kong’s largest public relations consultancy.

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Key Contacts: Kiri Sinclair, Director Year Established: 2009 Staff Size: 12 Notable Clients: 208 Duecento Otto, 22 Ships, caffè HABITŪ, Altaya Wines Limited, Gaia Group, Singapore Tourism Board Major Business: A boutique brand communications, marketing and public relations agency that produces dynamic ideas to ensure corporate, event and lifestyle clients stand out from the crowd.

Creative, connected, and colourful – Sinclair Communications’ team produces engaging messages and holistic campaigns on behalf of clients.

Our emphasis is on working closely with clients on strategy that translates across multi-cultural and multi-faceted markets.

Built on strong brand messaging and excellent media relations we capitalise on consumer behaviour and marketing trends.

With over 300 professionals working from nine offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, SPRG is currently advising over 250 MNC and local clients on a retainer basis in Asia.

In the past 5 years, SPRG has been accredited with the following recognitions: • “Silver – Greater China Independent Agency of the Year 2012” – Greater China Agency of the Year by Campaign • “Local Hero of the Public Relations Agency of the Year” – Agency of the Year 2010, 2011 and 2012 by Marketing Magazine • “Financial Consultancy of the Year” – Asia-Pacific SABRE Award 2011 by the Holmes Report • “Asia-Pacific Network of the Year” – Asia-Pacific PR Award 2010

by Campaign • “Local Hero of the Media Relations Agency of the Year” – Agency of the Year 2010 by Marketing Magazine • “Hong Kong Consultancy of the Year” – Asian Consultancy Report Card 2009 by the Holmes Report • No. 1 PR Advisor to Asia-Pacific Mid-Market M&A: Volume in the Year 2008, Value in the year 2009 in the mergemarket League Table of PR Advisers

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Thomson Reuters

10/F Cityplaza Three, Taikoo Shing, Quarry Bay, HK Tel: (852) 2520 3688 Fax: (852) 2154 6463 Website: www.thomsonreuters.com Key Contacts: Michael Tsang, Managing Director, North Asia, Thomson Reuters Staff size: 700 Major Business: Financial, information and data provider

ble a l i a v A h

Major Awards and Projects: -Ranked second in the 2011 list of the Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies and first for social responsibility and global competitiveness -Ranked 39th in the BusinessWeek’s Interbrand listing of top global brands in 2010 -Named as one of 50 major Canadian companies in the Corporate Knights Best Corporate Citizens -Hong Kong office won its eighth Caring Company award in 2011 Company Activities: Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 55,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges (symbol: TRI). For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

Marc

3 1 0 2

Your Best Guidebook for Settling in Hong Kong Living in Hong Kong is a compendium-style all-you-need-to-know guide for newcomers to

school, getting settled when arrived and enjoying life in Hong Kong. This consumeroriented book is designed as a sort of “hotline” with useful phone numbers and contacts to other sources of help.

Living in Hong Kong bookshops in Hong Kong. AmCham members often buy the book for their relatives and Americans), the book is one of the best-selling publications for AmCham.

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Contact: AmCham Publication Department Advertising Manager: Regina Leung Direct Line: 2530 6942 Email: rleung@amcham.org.hk

2013

www.amcham.org.hk

In Communications ADVERTISING BROADCASTING PRINT PRODUCTION PUBLIC RELATIONS PUBLISHING ALLIED FIELDS

1904 Bank of America Tower, 12 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong, China Tel: 2530 6900

Fax: 2810 1289

E-mail: amcham@amcham.org.hk