MEDIA RELEASE PR37550
Business 'Must Engage' Social Media in China, Finds Study
HONG KONG, Dec. 11 /MediaOutReach-AsiaNet/ --
Corporations should become more sophisticated and confident in their engagement with China's rapidly
growing social media if they are to influence policy and develop commercially, a White Paper released by
Edelman and PublicAffairsAsia magazine says today.
Following a survey of public affairs (PA) professionals and a roundtable in Beijing, the White Paper "The
Dragon and the Mouse: Social Media and Public Affairs in China" reports that social media is considered to be
the most influential communications medium in China. The study also signals that PA executives believe
blogs, bulletin boards and other social media will grow in importance "to their companies" over the coming 12
months.
The White Paper argues business leaders and senior-level PA practitioners must embrace a pro-active
policy of engagement with China's 181 million bloggers. Whilst it stresses there are risks of nationalism and
sensationalism, the report concludes that moving to an offensive strategy in China will help companies, NGOs
and the government shape opinions, influence policy and secure regulatory outcomes.
The key findings of this exclusive White Paper are:
*
The majority of PA professionals (66%) believe social media is the
most influential medium in China.
*
Western MNCs in China remain cautious as a result of the inability to
control messages in social media.
*
The majority of those who have developed a public affairs and social
media strategy have not yet evaluated its impact.
*
Moving from a defensive to an offensive PA and social media strategy
is the key challenge confronting MNCs, SOEs and Chinese corporations.
Commenting on the report, Edelman Asia Pacific President, Alan VanderMolen, said: "As China balances
being a global power against loud calls at home to participate in increasingly transparent dialogues on policy,
the implications are far reaching for domestic and foreign business, for domestic and foreign media and for the
government itself."
Craig Hoy, Executive Director of PublicAffairsAsia, added: "Even the most social media aware public affairs
professional is often on the back foot. The challenge is to move from a defensive to an offensive strategy,
while maintaining control of the message in pursuit of desired policy, legislative or regulatory outcomes."
The white paper can be downloaded in PDF from:
SOURCE: PublicAffairsAsia
Contact: Edelman: Alan VanderMolen
+852 9260 6274
PublicAffairsAsia
Craig Hoy
+66 8483 79403
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