Spotlight On: The Remarkable Repositioning of Levitra The creativity of Dramics was essential to Levitra's market success. The teams' entertaining solution to communicating across cultural mores created a media buzz. GolinHarris satisfied media demand with a well-attended press conference and seminar. The campaign was responsible for significantly raising awareness of ED and Levitra. Background Bayer HealthCare brought in GolinHarris' Hong Kong team to boost sales and awareness of its erectile dysfunction (ED) drug, Levitra, in a market notoriously reserved about sexually related issues and dominated by well-established competitors. The team discovered that Levitra was hindered by similarly styled campaigns that didn't differentiate it at all. Consultants proposed a complete overhaul of the product's positioning, resulting in a striking and irreverent marketing campaign that generated positive buzz and a significant increase in sales and market share. It also demonstrated PR's ability to lead an integrated marketing campaign. Objectives To separate Levitra from its competitors in Hong Kong To help men and their partners face ED positively by emphasizing the importance of communication Campaign Repositioning workshop – A key finding was that partners of ED sufferers tended to be influential in pursuing treatment. GH advised Bayer to emphasize strengthening relationships. Since it is faster-acting than the competition for many patients, GH also positioned Levitra as enabling spontaneity for couples. Dramics – To encourage people to discuss ED with their partner and doctor, GH created "Dramics," a series of print advertisements that combined elements of television drama and comic strips. A local actor portrayed multiple characters discussing ED in a dramatic and entertaining way, and GH placed Dramics in Hong Kong's most widely read newspapers and magazines. Press Conference and Seminar – In October 2006, GH and Bayer held a public seminar and media conference announcing the findings of studies on the attitudes of Asian men toward ED and the advantages of Levitra. More than 20 leading outlets covered the media conference. As for the seminar, GH fielded more than 200 RSVPs on the morning the announcement—which was made inside a Dramics advertisement—hit the newsstands, demonstrating the campaign's effectiveness in reaching target audiences. Proactive Media Relations – When news broke about fake Viagra hitting the shelves in Hong Kong, GH seized the opportunity to disseminate facts about Levitra which has had no such cases due to industry-leading, anti-counterfeit measures. The resulting coverage specifically mentioned Levitra as a better alternative to Viagra. Outcome Sales – Based on Bayer HealthCare data, in the first three months of the Dramics campaign (Jul-Sep 2006), sales of Levitra in Hong Kong shot up almost 244 percent year-on-year. For 2006, sales are up 77 percent despite the fact that there was virtually no marketing activity during the first half of the year. Market share – Based on IMS data, prior to the campaign with GH, Levitra market share was merely 7.9 percent. Just a couple of months into the campaign, cumulative sales rose approximately 60 percent and market share grew to nearly 13 percent. Product awareness – The Dramics campaign has helped the Levitra hotline average 10 to 15 calls a day, and there has been extensive coverage in the media, including The Wall Street Journal Asia (later reprinted in The Wall Street Journal) and Media Magazine on the innovation of Dramics.

Helping Employers Open Doors for the Disabled in Singapore

Representatives from Singapore's Ministry of Community Development and the National Council of Social Service were on hand for the OPEN DOOR main event.

When three quarters of Singaporeans reported a lack of opportunities to come in contact with disabled people, the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) initiated the Disability Awareness Public Education (DAPE) Campaign, an outreach program supported by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).

GolinHarris was tasked with launching DAPE 2006/2007 campaign, which focused on highlighting the employability of people with disabilities. As many employers were unaware that talented individuals have made significant contributions to their companies despite their disabilities, GH developed the OPEN DOOR concept to provide more employment opportunities for the disabled. 

The OPEN DOOR concept includes two key components: OPportunity (emphasizing job prospects) and ENabled (representing the many helping hands that make hiring possible).

For the official launch at a local hotel, GH invited more than 300 employers to a luncheon hosted by UBS Singapore and the MCYS. Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan kicked off the OPEN DOOR presentation, and eight disabled employees along with their employers shared their stories in a 15-minute video.
           
Employers expressed their interest in employing the disabled, and after the luncheon, they visited exhibition booths located in the hotel lobby.
           
Media coverage on the event was extensive throughout major print and broadcast media. 

Through further counsel by GH, NCSS recognized that even more could be done to help employers discover the true potential of the disabled. GH is now organizing a series of lunchtime sessions aimed at providing employers in the hospitality, manufacturing, finance and banking sectors with a focused platform to address their concerns in employing the disabled.

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Media Experience a Yamaha Test Drive in Tokyo

Photocredit: www.martinhladik.com.

Yamaha Motor, a longtime client of the Los Angeles office that is now working with the Tokyo team, recently held a test ride of the PAS electro-hybrid bicycle series in Tokyo's glitzy Aoyama district.

The motorcycle manufacturer has lived up to its motto of "Touching Your Heart" for more than half a century by introducing a range of quality products from two-wheelers to outboard motors, pleasure boats, snowmobiles, off-road vehicles and more. The PAS bicycle, launched in 1993, allows riders to pedal comfortably up steep slopes aided by an environmentally friendly, battery-powered engine.

Fourteen years on, the team in Tokyo was there to help Yamaha showcase the latest models—including a specially designed version for transporting children in a country concerned about its declining birthrate—to foreign correspondents, among which were representatives of TIME Magazine and Reuters television.

Following a technical explanation of the products, whose modern ECO-functions allow them to travel up to 104 kilometers on a single charge, members of the media whizzed around winding roads and weaved through uphill traffic, praising the machines for accomplishing high performance in an environmentally friendly fashion.

Yamaha Motor, which has been involved in the research and development of zero-emission vehicles for a number of years, is also known for cutting-edge electric scooters and more recently for its industry-leading fuel-cell motorcycles, soon to be made available to the general public.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Taps Hong Kong for Campaign Support

Fanny Wong, Director, Public Affairs, Hong Kong.

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GolinHarris Fuels Media Coverage of New Petrochemical Facility in China

Barry Cheung, Titan CEO, takes Hong Kong media on a tour of the company's new China facility.

Hong Kong client Titan Petrochemicals, an industry leader in Asia and China, recently opened a commercial oil and chemical storage facility in nearby Nansha—the largest of its kind in Southern China.

GH consultants helped Titan organize a visit in late January for a select group of nine Hong Kong business journalists to communicate the terminal's importance as well as Titan's key position in China's burgeoning oil industry, which includes two other facilities and hundreds of millions of US dollars in investment.

The day began in Hong Kong with a short presentation by Barry Cheung, chief executive of Titan, and updates on the China market. Following a lunch buffet, the group boarded a ferry for Nansha and then enjoyed a tour of the 1.8 million-cubic-foot facility, led by Cheung. The tour generated nearly 30 positive news clippings on the facility as well as Titan's investments in the China market.

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Media Call for Hong Kong Clients at World's Largest Telecom Conference

The Hong Kong team managed media relations for two key technology clients, resulting in extensive coverage.

The Hong Kong office put its technology and media expertise to good use last December for two clients participating in ITU Telecom World 2006, the world's largest telecom conference.

GH consultants managed media relations for Alvarion, the world's leading provider of innovative, wireless broadband solutions, and Ciena, a leading provider in high-performance network systems. Consultants arranged interviews with leading executives from Alvarion, which resulted in television broadcasts during the four-day event and numerous positive stories in local, regional and international media.

More than 1,500 media attended the event—held this year for the first time in Hong Kong—which also drew 62,000 participants and featured 700 exhibitors from nearly 40 countries spread across over 40,000 square meters.

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Taipei Adds Interactivity to the Fight against HPV

In late 2005, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) approached the Taipei office to conduct an educational campaign raising awareness of the link between HPV, the human papilloma virus, and cervical cancer.

Research has established the link between this highly prevalent, yet often misunderstood, sexually transmitted disease and cervical cancer, a deadly disease killing 500,000 women worldwide each year. But GH faced a challenging audience of young females who showed a general disinterest in the subject.

Research revealed the target audience preferred being involved and interacting with educational efforts. GH responded with a fun and friendly communication vehicle to deliver key messages and included credible endorsers to validate the campaign and generate interest.

Leveraging an existing MSD relationship with the non-profit Taiwan Association of Gynecologic Oncologists (TAGO), GH created 30 educational comics focusing on content and dialogue that clearly and correctly expressed key messages on HPV and cervical cancer. GH launched the comics on a new website featuring the three principal characters, Helen, Peggy and
Vicky.

GH increased interactivity through an HPV Film Contest for university students. Consultants designed posters and held briefings for students to relay key messages and filming techniques. Judges chose five finalists to participate in the awards ceremony, held in a real theater, where each film was played on the big screen.

The innovative campaign raised awareness of HPV, cervical cancer and the preventative vaccine, linking key messages with MSD and bringing home a Silver Award from the Taiwan government at the 8th Art and Business Awards. In total, GH distributed more than 63,000 comic books, generated 117 media placements and recorded 73,934 website hits—evidencing increased consumer awareness. Most importantly, using only PR methods, MSD achieved sales figures that were double its 2006 full-year target.

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GH Parties with Taiwan's Singles

The Taipei team invented a host of creative games and activities designed to infuse the Yahoo! Kimo Personals party with excitement.

Yahoo! Kimo Personals has led Taiwan's online dating platforms since its launch. In 2006, Yahoo! Kimo sought to expand its 1122 National Singles Day—a celebration where singles can find their match.

GH created a two-tiered media platform to generate and sustain media buzz on 1122 National Singles Day for more than a month. Targeting TV media for mass exposure and print media for in-depth coverage, GH allowed Yahoo! Kimo Personals to take ownership of singles-related issues.

At the same time, GH leveraged third-party promotions to attract new members and increase participation.

GH recommended that Yahoo! Kimo work with a local design house to create "Love Bracelets," wristbands carrying a unique "love code" that matched another one worn by someone of the opposite sex, generating discussion on the Yahoo! Kimo Personals message boards and also driving interest in the 1122 National Singles Party.

To launch the Love Bracelets, GH held media events featuring popular singer Fish Leong, the 1122 National Singles Day celebrity endorser, and also conducted an online questionnaire and hosted a celebrity charity auction.

The campaign culminated in the 1122 National Singles Day Party with a live performance by Fish Leong, a "First Dance" for partygoers, speed-dating sessions and interactive games.

Toys "R" Us Enjoys Successful Opening of China Flagship Store

Toys "R" Us Inc., the world's number one specialty toy retailer, recently selected the Shanghai office as its public relations agency in China. The GH team's expertise in securing media coverage proved essential for Toys "R" Us' first event, the grand opening of its flagship store in China at the bustling Super Brand Mall in Shanghai.

Seven thousand items in-store, 250 guests and VIPs, 12 life-size cartoon mascots, a giant Monopoly set, and hundreds of happy kids and parents—not to mention the presence of 60 media outlets, resulting in 90 media coverage reports—added up to one hugely successful grand opening for Toys "R" Us Shanghai... just in time for Christmas!

Company execs and VIPs were in attendance at the store's launch.	Toys "R" Us launched its new Shanghai store during the holiday season.

Natural Beauty Grand Opening Boasts Beauty Bar and Celeb

Mike Ho mixes a "Beauty Cocktail."	The dazzling media event showcased Natural Beauty's flagship store in Shanghai.

With the help of GolinHarris, Natural Beauty unveiled its flagship store in Shanghai by communicating its position as a leading cosmetics brand and reinforcing its premium, fashionable image.

GH invited 70 entertainment, beauty, lifestyle and interior design media, secured the attendance of Natural Beauty brand ambassador Mike Ho, a popular Chinese celebrity, and helped highlight the spa features of the new store.

In addition, GH created several interactive features for the opening ceremony, including a "Beauty Bar," for which media received a cocktail shaker invitation. Rather than serving beverages, guests were treated to Natural Beauty's "Beauty Recipe," a skin test followed by a personal beauty recipe that reveals the types of beauty products and facial treatments that can benefit each customer. Guests were invited to make their own "Beauty Cocktail" according to the recipe by mixing their own facial products under the direction of a certified beautician. During the event, Ho acted as a "bartender," demonstrating how to create one's own beauty cocktail.

More than 60 media attended this event, and GH has collected 33 media clippings to date, with double this number expected in coming weeks.

Chinese Consumers to Benefit from JCB Co-Branded Card

Executives from three companies unveil China's newest co-branded card.	The announcement took place at Da Zhong's premier location in Beijing.

Last December, the Beijing team helped client JCB roll out a co-branded credit card with Bank of China and Da Zhong Electronics Ltd. Da Zhong Electronics is a household name among Chinese home appliance retail chains and currently possesses about half of the sales market in Beijing. This special card, a first of its type for JCB, offers substantial discounts and other benefits for Chinese cardholders. 

To introduce the card, the GH team held a press conference at Da Zhong's flagship store in Beijing. With limited preparation time, GH successfully handled all strategic and design preparation, and event management, ensuring smooth implementation. Liaising between all three companies, GH guaranteed all executives were on message and properly briefed.

The conference decorations featured rich and vibrant colors, reflecting Chinese cultural symbols of fortune and good luck. To commemorate the launch, glass-encased ornaments gave way to reveal a gift beneath: a super-sized replica of the new card. 

GH also managed media relations, securing 25 out of the top 28 media. Executives from Da Zhong Electronics, Bank of China and JCB all gave positive feedback about the event, and media reported being pleased with the design, creativity and mood of the conference.

"We are really impressed by this particular credit card ceremony," said the Beijing Star Daily correspondent. "This is a really creative atmosphere."

Ringing in the Chinese New Year with Dow Chemical

GolinHarris set the stage for a Chinese New Year-themed press conference that generated media interest during a busy time of the year.

Chinese New Year is a special time filled with festivities when people all across the country gather to relax and enjoy each other's companionship. To help client Dow Chemical celebrate the festive season, GH organized a unique Chinese New Year media gathering on February 12 in Shanghai and on February 13 in Beijing.

With the New Year just around the corner, Dow Chemical wished to update the media in attendance on its business and get constructive feedback while relaxing in an intimate setting. To add a light mood to the luncheon, GH created a traditional Chinese market street as well as a group calligraphy activity for Dow executives and the media. 

Securing media turnout just before the Chinese New Year was a challenge, so GH planned well ahead for seamless activities between Beijing and Shanghai, resulting in attendance from seven top media in Shanghai and nine in Beijing. Media comments indicated that the luncheons were a great way for Dow to share its message, celebrate the New Year and strengthen relationships.