| What
is the highest realm of public relations? Whitney Small, managing
director of The Hoffman Agency Asia Pacific offers her perspectives…
It Is Important
for Public Relations to Solve Practical Problems
Beijing Modern Business
By Luo Qiaoxin
Photographed by Lin
Meng
I interviewed Whitney
F. Small on an overcast evening. It was her first trip to China
after being appointed the managing director for The Hoffman Agency
Asia Pacific on June 18. She had a tight schedule.
Her bright smiles and
vivid expressions leave a strong first impression. She is comfortably
dressed and wears no jewelry except for a large red carnelian ring
on the middle finger of her left hand. Her expressive face and hands
do much of the talking.
When asked about what
kind of media influenced her most, Whitney said she had been influenced
by all kinds of media. You can see this from the way things are
arranged in her office: a notebook computer connected to the Internet,
the TV blaring in the background, and a constantly ringing telephone.
At home, many magazines are on her nightstand: history, business,
adventure travel or whatever catches her eye.
All communications
is 2-way
Modern Business
(MB): Do you think of doing an interview as a PR tactic?
Whitney Small (W): PR is two-way communication,
in which one party transmits information with the hope of consideration
and acceptance from the other party. Meanwhile, I also think it
as a learning process, as it enables me to better understand the
concerns and needs of the Chinese, in general, and the interests
of your readers, in particular. Communications must always be a
two-way process.
MB:
What is your understanding of PR? What is its highest realm?
W: In my opinion, PR does not have any such “highest
realm”. PR emphasizes problem solving. It involves understanding
the needs of an enterprise, the challenges it faces, its goals and
the methods in which its problems would be solved so as to meet
its goals. PR therefore focuses on achieving results that help the
enterprise concerned solve its problems and therefore meet its needs.
Planning and enforcement of certain guidelines is the way problem
solving takes place. PR is also a form of communication with the
public, which means we also need to understand who the target audience
is, and what idea we need to communicate to them, in a way they
are be most receptive to the idea. Equaling PR with media relations
is a common mistake, media relations is only one aspect of this
field.
MB:
Is there a possibility that PR would overemphasize favorable conditions
in an enterprise and overlook unfavorable ones, with the cost of
accuracy?
W: Merely presenting the image of an enterprise
as an attractive package is not enough. Communication with the target
audience must be based on the reality of the enterprise concerned.
We always keep this principle in mind. Every company and every agency
has a distinct culture. Disseminating information on the unique
characteristics of the enterprise concerned is the greatest challenge
we face as PR professionals.
PR activity, including
marketing or government relations, is responsible for the success
of an enterprise. The public image of an organization can be effectively
established by creating sound and practical products, providing
good customer service and building sound management mechanisms shaped
by its corporate culture.
Crisis Management
emphasizes quick responses
MB:
Is “Crisis PR” the biggest test for a PR professional?
W : Dealing with a crisis in an enterprise is no
doubt a challenge facing many PR experts. In fact, work begins even
before the crisis occurs-in the form of preparation. Enterprises
should utilize their daily management staff and practices to anticipate
a crisis, and use PR to manage it. This is an ongoing process. That
will make the crisis easier to resolve when it actually presents
itself.
MB:
What was your most successful case concerning “Crisis PR?”
What measures did you adopt?
W: Crisis PR must be able to respond promptly and
create an open communication channel to the public at all times
– this is essential.
In 1992, Johnson &
Johnson manufactured a new medicine for headaches. However, shortly
after the medicine entered the distribution system, news broke suddenly
that someone died after taking the medicine. We took immediate measures
towards damage control: we recalled all the medicines within 24
hours, unpacked and checked every bottle. Fortunately, the medicine
had only entered the wholesale market, so no serious damage had
been done. At the same time, we did everything we could through
advertisement and media to let the public know that Johnson &
Johnson had made the decision and had taken active measures.
I was glad to see that
the company drew from past experiences with similar problems, and
that the high level of management in Johnson & Johnson attached
a lot of importance to the incident. Acknowledging and solving problems
is the best way to save the market and reputation. Being on the
lookout for problems and paying sufficient attention is very important.
The attitude of “It is no big deal.” is the most dangerous.
MB:
Do you think there is a gap between the PR industry in China and
in the West?
W:(laughs) I am not in a position to answer this
question right now, as I am still learning, but I hope I will be
able to answer in six months.
I am, however, in a position
to say that I don’t think China is at an obvious disadvantage
in this industry, as PR is a growing field, both here and globally.
If we look at PR as a form of communication, we will notice that
many means of communications are developing rapidly. For instance,
before the Internet, people were concerned only about media coverage.
With the emergence of the Internet, the targeted group and the effectiveness
of the media are of much greater concern. For instance, we just
handled a PR case entirely online. The case targeted an audience
of only 5,000, with daily communication entirely on the Internet.
MB:
Are there any differences when doing PR in China?
W: Regardless of geographic location, human beings
have many common core values that cut across cultural, ethnic, racial
and geographical differences. However, the priority given to each
value may differ, based on these differential factors. Therefore,
the main goal of PR is to understand which values the local market
gives importance, in what order, and effectively correlate the values
of the enterprise with the target group.
Creativity is
the foundation of good PR
MB:
As one of many internationally known PR agencies now in China, what
does The Hoffman Agency have to offer its clients?
W: The Hoffman Agency was established in the Silicon
Valley, and serves mainly high-tech companies. Different from other
PR agencies, we deliver specialized services tailored to technology
companies with unique and intelligent thinking.
MB:
How has your work experience with Disney helped you provide effective
PR service to the high-tech industry?
W: When I worked with Disney, I acquired valuable
skills in business management and operations, which enabled me to
better understand the needs of the clients for whom I provide PR
services—I learned to look at problems from a client perspective.
Overall, I believe my experience in the communications field serves
me well in any industry.
MB:
Keeping in mind the downturn in the high-tech industry last year,
what do you think of your decision to join Hoffman and provide PR
services for this declining sector?
W: A downturn can mean more opportunities, because
when a certain sector goes through a recession, it needs to spend
more on PR services. As a relatively new industry, the high-tech
sector is constantly changing, and therefore leaves plenty of room
for creativity on new challenges. You can learn something new everyday,
and this is what I find appealing. Adversity often brings out the
best in people, acting as an incentive for them to be more creative
and productive, as well as more practical. Difficulties can help
clients prove who is the best!
MB:
Do you foresee any insurmountable hurdles?
W: (A long pause) None! Nothing can stop us. We
will stop to readjust if drastic changes in the market take place,
since we need to understand the market in its entirety while continuing
to provide our services. Although we will continue to adjust and
readjust as required, our final goal will remain unchanged.
MB:
As Managing Director of Hoffman Asia Pacific, how do you view management?
W: The enterprise should give everyone an opportunity
to learn new skills, and should therefore have a good learning environment
that would be conducive to career development. This is important,
in order to prevent employee boredom that can
set in, once employees master their day-to-day tasks. I simply prefer
a professional, friendly and progressive work environment.
MB:
Is the work environment at Hoffman really as relaxed as you described?
Do you really have no set method of supervising and evaluating your
employees?
W: Creativity is the most important attribute for
PR professionals, but the effective implementation of goals and
ideas is vital to their success in this field. Without this process,
PR would mean nothing to the clients. PR professionals need to be
able to work well, both independently and as part of a team. If
while assigning tasks, the president does not communicate to his
or her employees the purpose of the assignments, his or work will
not fit in effectively with the team, as no team members will understand
what to do. The manager must therefore clearly communicate the purpose
of each assignment to his or her employees, so as to facilitate
a better understanding of each project, particularly in terms of
where it fits into the larger scheme of the organization.
MB:
Your biography tells me that all your work experience has been strictly
in the PR sector. Do you plan to remain in this industry for the
rest of your life, or have you considered moving on to a more challenging
industry?
W: Although I have worked only in the PR industry
all along, my experiences have been anything but monotonous, as
I deal with different clients differently, always keeping their
needs in mind. PR is about constantly adapting to change. If you
prefer predictable working conditions and an unchanging set of responsibilities,
PR may not be the right profession for you. But if you thrive on
change and excitement, you will enjoy this industry.
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