Manning Selvage and Lee (MS&L) is looking to chart its next phase of growth in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets.
To boost presence in the Asia-Pacific region
MUMBAI: Manning Selvage and Lee (MS&L) is looking to chart its next phase of growth in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets. The public relations firm, with an Asia footprint and offices in Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo, has already had an affiliation with Indian PR firm Hanmer & Partners, which was acquired late last year by Publicis Group Company.
Following the acquisition, Glenn Osaki, president, Asia Pacific, MS&L, is bullish about India’s contribution to the company’s growth in the APAC region. Public relations in India in the organised sector is estimated at about Rs350 crore.
“Out of our presence in over 27 countries today, the Asia-Pacific markets are showing the fastest growth. By 2010, we expect about 10% of our revenues to come from countries like China, India, Vietnam, Japan and Korea,” Osaki said.
MS&L’s growth strategy is buoyed by its fairly successful growth in business in India.
“All eyes are on India since it is an emerging market. Even public relations is growing. We witnessed about 30% growth in our business revenue this year,” he said.
Further, Osaki has outlined “significant investments” in south-east Asia and new ventures are planned in Malaysia as well. “North America and Europe are more matured markets for PR. Even clients in Japan and Korea are spending well. The media relations model is different in each country and we would want to understand models in each country and then proceed,” he said.
Perhaps a model the media industry would not be proud of is China and as Osaki said, this year’s Beijing Olympics has a lot more riding on it, than mere sports events. The Olympics is one of the world’s most awaited sporting events and over 200 brands are associated with it, and several of them are MS&L’s global clients.
He said: “In China, there has been a strong influence of the government in setting the agenda for the media. There is a thin line between advertorials and editorials and the government tracks each and every story. Journalist’s licences have to be renewed periodically. However, with the Olympics round the corner, there’s some reform in store, it seems.”
Osaki said: “There are good signs that there’s some reform possible. China recognises that a global sporting event like Olympics is like a window to its world and they would like the rest of the world to know that the scene is not terrible as it is made out to be.”
He provided an interesting anecdote of the existing media scenario in China. “Say, as a journalist, you’ve listed a set of questions you want to ask in an interview and send across these questions through the PR firm. Strangely, when you meet the interviewee in person, and happen to ask any stray questions, you won’t get an answer. You’ll be refused.”
Perhaps that is why, in the age of digitisation, Osaki is bullish about communication process between brands and consumers becoming media-independent and more of “multi-logues” instead of mere dialogue.
“Almost all our global clients today, including Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and Philips, need a significant digital component to their marketing communication. There are social communities, users who are talking about your brand out there,” he said.
“The digital environment is such, that, in times of crisis, you need to respond very quickly. Perceptions are going to be driven by not just what consumers hear from the company, but also from what they hear from communities.”
c_arcopol@dnaindia.net
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