In the Spotlight: Council for Third Age Background With nearly a third of its citizens over 50 years old, Singapore is one of the most rapidly ageing societies on earth. Recognizing this trend, the government established the Council for Third Age to promote active living among seniors. Our Singapore office has brought Longevity—GH’s ageing-issues specialty practice—into play, developing a public education campaign to re-brand the 28-year-old Senior Citizens’ Week (SCW). Objectives To inject a new perspective on aging into modern society that still resonated with today’s seniors. Campaign Team members conceptualized the Active Ageing Festival in place of SCW. The festival comprises three events: the Active Ageing Carnival, Grandparents’ Day and an Active Agers Awards. To kick start the campaign and generate public awareness for the festival, GH held a press briefing at The Arena, a club located in Singapore’s most vibrant nightlife neighborhoods, Clarke Quay. To sustain media interest, the Singapore team has embarked on a media drive, engaging stakeholders including retail organizations, community groups and key editors to promote the Active Ageing Festival message—Active Ageing, Active Living—and the Council’s message that “seniors have choices.” Results More than a dozen journalists were given a sneak peek of the various high-energy activities at the festival, resulting in extensive coverage. The media was excited by the unconventional choice of venue for the press conference—an area with many clubs typically frequented by young people and symbolizing an active lifestyle. As the Active Agers Award ceremony will later be held at this same location, this resulted in collateral pre-event buzz. Above: The press event—held in a nightlife venue—captured the spirit of Singapore’s “active living” message to seniors. Right: Advertisements for the Active Ageing Festival appeared in Singapore’s four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil.

Mio Names Maggie Q Spokesperson

“Lights, camera, action!” signaled the red-carpet appearance of Maggie Q—currently one of the world’s hottest Asian movie stars—at Shanghai’s Science Museum.

The event formally christened the celebrity as GPS (Global Positioning System) manufacturer Mio’s new spokesperson. Our Shanghai team organized the star-studded gala event and press conference.

Mio’s new spokesperson, superstar Maggie Q, turned heads at a press conference in Shanghai

Spanish Jeans in Shanghai Stores

China recently welcomed elegant-yet-sexy Spanish jeans brand Cimarron, and the Shanghai team executed the brand’s debut with a double “s”—strategy and style.

Supermodels show off Cimarron’s denim line up in Shanghai

Tokyo Motor Show Shifts to High Gear

Media examined the latest Land Rovers inside and out

Every two years, cutting-edge cars, news-hungry media and GolinHarris staff descend upon Tokyo’s top-ranked motor show.

One of the world’s “big five” automotive events—alongside Detroit, Frankfurt, Geneva and Paris—the 40th Tokyo Motor Show was held at Tokyo Bay’s massive Makuhari Messe exhibition center. Our Tokyo team drove coverage for three major clients: British automakers Jaguar and Land Rover, and one of Japan’s best known motorcycle manufacturers, Yamaha Motor.

Management and design leaders from Jaguar flew in to promote the New-Generation XF, and GH made sure their presence was felt. The team arranged interviews with key media and organized a reception and dinner at a top restaurant in downtown Tokyo.

Meanwhile, Land Rover exhibited its latest range of SUVs, including the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Discovery and Freelander. Journalists climbed in and out of the vehicles’ spacious interiors and compartments all day long, and GH team members climbed in with them, pointing out all the luxury automobile’ features.

Yamaha conveyed innovation with classical inspiration

Yamaha Motor, which has entrusted GH to help build its corporate PR program around the world, unveiled the highlight of the two-wheeler section—a range of next-generation, fuel-efficient motorcycles. The concept vehicles included prototypes marrying retro and futuristic designs and other Yamaha inventions.

With international media coming from as far away as Mexico to get a glimpse of Yamaha’s innovative products, the GH team became the crux of communication, assisting Yamaha representatives field questions by foreign journalists and providing quality control for the English-language version of the CEO’s media address. 

Shanghai Team to Take a Greater Part in Sprite Music Chart

The Sprite Music Chart has grown to into a major musical event

Since 2000, Sprite Music Chart has been China’s only music chart that is authorized by the China Culture Bureau. Although our Shanghai team has worked on this account since 2005, GolinHarris will play an even more important role next year.

Our team has been assigned to generate media awareness for the event and coordinate major media promotional alliances to further ensure that the chart gets the attention it deserves.

The Sprite brand team identified the chart as one of their key marketing programs in 2005. Every January, the final award presentation is held in a different major city. It has grown to become a major event for musical artists and fans. On average, 40-50 famous musicians participate in the grand event.

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Insidedge Enhances Managers’ Communication in China

Our specialty practice for internal relations, Insidedge, recently aided one of the world’s largest IT management software providers in China. CA’s (formerly Computer Associates) management team knows that engaged employees drive business results, which is why they asked GolinHarris to develop platforms that would help the company’s managers grow as communicators.

Because the program’s success hinged on its ability to reflect the attitudes and needs of the managers, GH held focus groups and solicited participation from nearly 100 managers from around the world to help gain a better understanding of how they communicate. For example, the Beijing office conducted two focus groups with CA managers there, gathering considerable input for developing a broad, company-wide communications strategy.

Following the focus groups, GH’s Insidedge professionals reviewed the data, identified common themes and worked with CA to develop strategies that will ultimately drive a “manager-as-communicator” culture within the company.

Internal communication is the key to employee engagement, and these types of activities create opportunities for employees to talk about the company and the management team as openly and candidly as possible. The participants were appreciative of the focus groups, and the management team has gained a better sense of how they can help develop their managers further.

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Cisco’s Human Network Takes Hold in Hong Kong, Macau

Though a person on the street in a high-tech metropolis like Hong Kong has probably heard of Cisco, that person might not be able to tell you exactly what it is that the company does.

Cisco is “the company that powers the Internet,” the world leader in Internet networking solutions. This fact is well-known by people in the IT industry. Now Cisco is moving closer to the end-user, which is why the company launched its “Human Network” campaign in 2006.

The initiative is designed to establish Cisco as the company with the original vision to enhance people’s lives through the Internet, enabling them to stay in touch with others anytime, anywhere and changing the way they live, work, study and play.

Cisco and GH worked closely together to begin building this recognition by highlighting the company’s leadership through commitment to IT education, nurturing talent and enhancing the IT infrastructure of Hong Kong and Macau. Other objectives were to reinforce Cisco’s image as an authority in the industry within the government and business community.

Following an intensive stakeholder engagement, thought leadership and media campaign, Cisco has found its relationships with key stakeholders markedly improved, achieving record sales growth in FY 2007, with Hong Kong sales increasing 30% and Macau sales more than doubling. The campaign was also recognized with a certificate of excellence at the 2007 Asia Pacific PR Awards and by our agency’s own Golin Awards as the best technology campaign of the year.

The campaign was recently recognized at the Asia Pacific PR Awards: (Left to right) Nicola Clarke (Media), Charlotte Fan, GH Hong Kong; Karen Chu, Cisco; John Morgan, GH Hong Kong	Prof. Michael Enright, a renowned expert on the Pearl River Delta, addresses senior executives at a Cisco-sponsored forum

GolinHarris Celebrates 10 Years with Marriott

Kennes Young (front row, far left) together with Marriott representatives at the annual conference

Among PR firms, GolinHarris is known for its family-like corporate culture. Among hotel companies, Marriott International is known for its family-like corporate culture. Little wonder that our two families get along so well!

At Marriott’s annual conference for its PR agencies from around the world—held this year in exotic Cancun, Mexico—GH Hong Kong account director Kennes Young accepted a special recognition for the companies’ 10-year relationship during the conference’s welcome breakfast from Ed Fuller, president and managing director for Marriott International Lodging.

Marriott first approached GH a decade ago, and the two companies continue to partner on everything from corporate communications to marketing. Here’s to another 10 years!

Fitness Fanatics Get a Berocca Boost

Berocca, a multivitamin formula that improves energy and mental alertness, is already a very popular product in Australia and the U.K., where many people see it as essential to their daily health regime. However, awareness in Hong Kong could be higher, so Bayer HealthCare brought in GolinHarris’ marketing and brand strategy (MBS) team to generate buzz.

GH wanted to promote Berocca as a lunchtime alternative to more traditional caffeine beverages among health-conscious crowds, so consultants arranged a partnership between Berocca and Fitness First, the world’s largest fitness chain, enabling gym members to sample Berocca during the busy lunchtime rush.

Kiwifruit Called Best Post-Workout Fruit

Zespri kiwifruit is a nutritious post-workout snack

Following last year’s hugely successful campaign positioning ZESPRI New Zealand kiwifruit as an antidote to sleeping disorders, our Taipei team once again boosted kiwifruit sales by promoting kiwifruit’s dietary, nutritional and health benefits.

GolinHarris secured the endorsement of celebrity Wu Chun, who was previously a personal trainer, at this year’s event, which was held at a fitness club to target active, weight-conscious women. Research indicated women are famished after working out but do not know what to eat afterward that will not negate their efforts.

Hong Kong Has a Crush on Berrys

In May, fine wine merchants Berry Bros. & Rudd extended their relationship with GH from London to Hong Kong. Now, just six months later, Hong Kong is all abuzz about Berrys as the city continues its love affair with the world’s best wines.

Recently Simon Berry, chairman of the company and representative of the seventh generation of the family, was in town. He took time to chat with the South China Morning Post, one of Asia’s leading English-language dailies, and a videocast of Simon Berry’s interview is also scheduled to run on SCMP.com. Meanwhile Prestige, a glossy magazine celebrating luxury and travel, sat down with Simon to talk about wine-buying trends in Hong Kong and Asia.

Other media that are discovering the Berrys story include HK Magazine, The Peak, Escape, Baccarat, Cup, Cosmopolitan and Esquire, many of which have focused on the company’s unparalleled access to and knowledge about the world’s finest wines and chateaux. Just six months into their relationship, Berry Bros. & Rudd and GolinHarris have witnessed a buzz buildup in the Hong Kong media scene about the world’s leading fine wine merchants.

Despite its 300-year-plus history, Berrys is one of the most innovative companies in its field, and Hong Kong will see firsthand what kind of exciting new things are in store over the next several months!

GH now works with Berry Bros. & Rudd in Hong Kong as well as the wine merchant’s home base of London

Toys “R” Us Captures Summer

Celebrities behind the wheel of a new Ferrari race car game and in front of the camera at the Toys “R” Us event

In a retail environment, PR efforts must strike a balance between promoting the store brand and what the store sells. In the case of Toys “R” Us, that means not overshadowing the thousands of great products the world’s top toy retailer has in stock. GolinHarris did just that during Toys “R” Us’ summer promotional season in Shanghai.

Over several weeks, our Shanghai office secured sustained media coverage for Toys “R” Us corresponding with the summer promotional season. Recently, GH invited celebrities to add to the festivities, strengthening the retailer’s position as a leading toy retailer in China.