An Edelman/PublicAffairsAsia White Paper: December 2009

&the PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIALOGUES

THE DRAGONTHE MOUSEPublic affairs and social media in China

SOCIAL MEDIA AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN ChinaAn Edelman/PublicAffairsAsia White Paper - December 2009

This White Paper is produced by Edelman and PublicAffairsAsia. Research in conjunction with its production was conducted qualitatively and quantitatively using a survey of public affairs practitioners and at a high-level roundtable held in Beijing, China on November 17, 2009.

The survey was conducted over the internet between November 6 and November 13. A total of 132 interviews were submitted by the end of active data collection. The roundtable was attended by 26 public affairs and corporate communications professionals. Representatives and those surveyed included bluechip MNCs, Chinese corporations, SOEs, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tsing Hua University, The China International Public Relations Association, PublicAffairsAsia, Edelman and Pegasus. While the opinions conveyed at the seminar have informed this White Paper, for reasons of confidentiality no individual is directly quoted or referenced. The views expressed are not necessarily those of PublicAffairsAsia, Edelman or their subscribers or client base.

THE DRAGON& THE MOUSE

3

W hen I meet with clients and non-clients in China, there is one question

which dominates their agendas: What should we be doing with social

media? I get that question from foreign multinationals, from private Chinese

companies from state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and from government departments.

Most often, the question arises within the context of public affairs. In China’s

social media environment, nearly every public issue is fair game: Disaster relief,

mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property rights, anti-monopoly laws,

workers’ rights, environmental practices and health policies to name a few.

Participants and observers are both wrestling with the dynamics of this new

medium. Is open, web-based dialogue helpful or damaging to issues that touch

upon or directly target government policies? Is it too easy to manipulate

content? Are netizens overly sensationalist in their reporting techniques?

With PublicAffairsAsia as our partner -- and backed by the first ever survey

on the topic of social media with public affairs professionals in China –

Edelman convened a closed-door roundtable in Beijing on November 17, 2009,

to ask participants and observers the questions above.

There are no clear answers, but there are clear trends. 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.

We hope this White Paper gives you some insight into what is happening on

the “front lines”.

ALAN VANDERMOLEN,

PRESIDENT, EDELMAN ASIA PACIFIC

INFLUENCE: The majority of PA professionals believe social media is the most influential medium in China CAUTION: Western MNCs in China remain cautious as a result of the perceived inability to control messages in social media environments EVALUATION: The majority of those who have developed a public affairs and social media strategy have not yet evaluated its impact STRATEGY: Moving from a defensive to an offensive PA and social media strategy is the key challenge

KEY CONCLUSIONS

FOREWORD: ALAN VANDERMOLEN

media comment remains difficult in a political system

such as China’s. However one central conclusion is

clear from PublicAffairsAsia/Edelman research for

this White Paper. The majority (66%) of PA prac-

titioners believe social media is the most influential

medium in China – and a similar number expect its

influence to grow over the coming 12 months.

Taking ownership and control

SOCIAL MEDIA is, therefore, too important for

public affairs executives in China to leave to others

within the corporate hierarchy, although opinion

is divided on the best strategies for engagement.

Three key concerns remain about the medium:

that it is often sensationalist, can be driven by

nationalism and can be difficult to manage. For

public affairs practitioners representing Western

multinationals, engagement with social media,

therefore, is not without risk. But that does not

mean it is something to be avoided.

Our research shows an increased fo-

cus among PA professionals on social

media strategies, although evaluation

still appears patchy – and just eight

per cent of survey respondents said

their PA department was responsible

for “strategic social media communica-

tions” in China.

Fundamentally the debate centres

on whether MNCs should view social

media as an “active” or “reactive”

medium. Even the most social media

aware public affairs professional is

often on the back foot, in a crisis scenario, when en-

gaging with China’s netizens. The challenge, as this

White Paper identifies, 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.

CRAIG HOY,

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PublicAffairsAsia

THE LANDSCAPE, OPINIONS & ATTITUDES

From the Sichuan earthquake to the tainted milk

scandal, social media in China is changing the

way corporations and governments engage. Most

recently Coca-Cola’s bid for Huiyuan resulted in

online comment reaching fever-pitch.

Social media allows facts to be checked, distor-

tions exposed, corporate reputation to be tested and

performance/products assessed. It is also driving

debate on policy in China, creating a new forum for

citizen engagement. What was already a challeng-

ing PA arena has become more complex still, as 181

million bloggers drawn from a

community of 340 million internet

users engage in online discussion

about contemporary issues in Chi-

na. This transformative landscape,

in which anyone with a keyboard

and a point of view can join the

debate, is resulting in significant

challenges for senior public affairs

practitioners.

Peer pressure

THE EXTENT to which social media comment is driving outcomes in China remains open to discussion, with government figures expressing the view that it forms part of the wider “consultative” process but rarely determines the actual outcome. Social media comment in China is widespread and deeply rooted, and its volume means it is increasingly difficult to ignore.

Disentangling exactly which public policy, govern-

ment or corporate decisions are driven by social

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Social media = the fastest growing communication medium in China

• Ignoring social media = reputational/corporate risk

• Social media in China appears more influential than the US and Europe

TAKE-AWAYS

THE LANDSCAPE, OPINIONS & ATTITUDES

PUBLIC AFFAIRS practitioners believe

that social media is often the most influ-

ential medium in mainland China – and

expect its importance to grow. They also

confirm that the Chinese leadership is

responsive to its influence, a fact sup-

ported by the government machine’s

increasing interaction with the medium.

Yet fears exist that the social media

agenda can be driven by nationalism,

and some senior practitioners view it as

potentially dangerous territory for

Western MNCs in China. PA profes-

sionals understand that social media is

influential, but many have not yet mas-

tered how to utilise this information to

deliver positive public affairs outcomes.

• 338 million internet users in China, with 181

million bloggers and 155 million people using

mobile devices for web use (CNNIC - June 2009)

• 84.3% of Chinese internet users believe that

the web is the most important source of infor-

mation (CNNIC - June 2009)

• 74% of public affairs practitioners say

social media is “important” to their broader PA

strategy in China (PAA/Edelman November 2009)

• 67% of public affairs practitioners believe

social media is the most influential, or often

the most influential, medium on public policy

in China (PAA/Edelman November 2009)

• 60% of PA professionals use social media as

a part of their public affairs strategy in main-

land China (PAA/Edelman November 2009)

IN NUMBERS SOCIAL MEDIA is redefining communications and

the processes of influence in China. It is “filling a

void” through greater digital dialogue – giving an

apparently equal voice to a wide range of consum-

ers, corporations and activist groups. The resulting

public affairs landscape is more complex, and the

volume of discursive social media communications

(often as a sub-set of mainstream websites), is rising

inexorably – despite the restrictions imposed on

online channels in China. This is creating a new

“sphere of cross-influence” where information moves

rapidly, but which can be difficult to control. Evi-

dence suggests China is moving further and faster

towards the adoption of an influential and trusted

mass social media community than many of its

Western counterparts.

SOCIAL MEDIA STATEMENTSAgreestrongly

Somewhatagree

Somewhatdisagree

Stronglydisagree

Noview

Social media is too much of a risk

Social media is impossible to control

Chinese govt will not respond to social media

Social media is the most influential medium in China

Social media will grow in importance in next 12 months

Social media is more trusted than other media and print

0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Source: Edelman/PublicAffarsAsia survey, November 2009

PRACTITIONER DESCRIPTIONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA•Internet linked, mass medium - user generated, many-to-many•Entry criteria - A keyboard and a point of view•Governments, companies and citizens are becoming media ‘companies’

5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

20% 46% 15% 14% 5%

22% 47% 19% 8% 3%

16% 38% 19% 28%

7% 12% 22% 43% 16%

7% 24% 24% 35% 10%

15% 32% 14% 37% 2%

STRATEGYACCORDING TO

our research many

PA executives are

often reluctant to

pro-actively utilise

social media. While

some companies at the forefront of digital adoption

believe “marketing product” and “issues manage-

ment” cannot be separated online, there is a risk

that social media is mistakenly viewed as a nega-

tive environment in which to apply public affairs

techniques. PA practitioners representing Western

MNCs also suggest that too much social media

comment is “sensationalist” in nature, and can often

be compromised, or eclipsed, by nationalism.

Netizens are closely monitoring Chinese corporate

stories as they break on the web. In recent months

the potential sale of Hummer to Tengzhong led to

a flurry of social media comment, and Coca-Cola’s

failed acquisition of Haiyuan came in for similar

digital cross-examination and comment.

But it is not just the actions of corporations

which are coming under netizen scrutiny. Officials

in China are also subject to the forces of the social

media as the below case shows.

THE 70kph HANGZHAO CRASH

In May 2009 the Chinese internet was ablaze with comment after exposing the driving record of a wealthy driver, Hu Bin, whose souped-up vehicle knocked down and killed working class graduate Tan Zhuo. Police ini-tially said the car was being driven at 70kph and issued a minor rebuke, but in the glare of internet claims they later conceded that the driver was going between 81-101kph.In a culture where some believe money and connections can get the wealthy out of trouble, intense web pressure and scrutiny resulted in Hu’s previous driving offences being exposed and a three-year jail sentence handed out.

The bottled water company Master Kong became

engaged in controversy after a Bulletin Board post

demanded “Master Kong, where is your water

source?”. The post sparked a netizen outcry,

claiming Master Kong mineral water was merely

tap water. Amid accusations of false advertising

the story transferred to the mainstream media -

prompting the firm to admit “everyone does it”

and that a “gap in understanding” had led to the

confusion.

After regulators stepped in to review bottled

water standards an online poll by China Youth

Daily found that 57 per cent would no longer buy

Master Kong water and 73 per cent supporting

strengthened supervision of the water industry.

LESSONS LEARNED:

• Social media is the world’s biggest fact checker

• False advertising can be rapidly exposed

• Traditional media feeds off social media

CASE: MASTER KONG

TAKE AWAYS:• Social media is rapid media: response times are important • Government and corporations are both subject to the forces of social media • False claims can spread quickly online • Social media engagement does not always mean a loss of control• Netizens are suspicious of elites - business and political • Celebrity bloggers carry significant influence • Bloggers deny that their tone is sensational, but is instead “objective” and geared for a younger audience

6

To view the full presentation from the Beijing roundtable visit: www.publicaffairsasia.com/socialmediapresentation

The Beijing ‘Public Affairs Dialogue’

STRATEGY RISKS & REWARDSIN OPAQUE environments it is still difficult to

calculate which influencer affected which outcome.

Government figures say that decisions will always be

taken based upon long-established legal or regulatory

foundations. However the volume of social media con-

versation is such that policy formulation and regulatory

decisions are subject to intense scrutiny and comment

– therefore making the decision-making process more

transparent in some respects.

However, as the Coca-Cola case study shows, ignoring

or responding ineffectively to grass roots or digital com-

munications appears to carry significant downside risk –

particularly for Western multinationals fearful of increased

protectionism or creeping nationalism. Social media has

increased scrutiny on both the public and private sectors

and can result in wrong-doing being rapidly exposed. It

has also created a culture where malicious falsehoods can

flourish. But it can also be used to validate positive claims

and drive positive outcomes. Netizens can shape the policy

agenda and increase transparency.

In conclusion, the engagement of public affairs

practitioners in these processes will become increas-

ingly influential on the wider success or failure of their

companies in China.

LISTENING: Develop a sound understanding of the “who, what, and where”. WHO is saying WHAT about issues/ topics relevant to desired communications objectives, and WHERE are they saying it. Brands and companies need to invest significantly in internet word of mouth (IWOM) conversation audits/monitoring.

PARTICIPATING: Actively participate in relevant conversations identified in ongoing IWOM monitoring - using microb-logs, social networks, discussion forums, bloggers’ websites, etc.) and dedicated branded digital assets (i.e the brands/company’s website/blog, etc.).

ENGAGING/RELATIONSHIP BUILDING: Modify and expand your ongoing traditional media relations efforts to include online platforms/communities and individual influencers (i.e. “media publications” and “journalists” in the traditional media relations model).

AUTHENTICITY: Champion open dialogue by being transparent and honest, and speaking with an authentic (not necessarily a corporate or PR scripted) voice.

AUDIENCE: Your goal in the social media space is not to win an argument; it is to win an audience. It’s important to remember that popularity does not equal influence. It is not how many people are your “fans” or how much traffic you get to your site, but rather “who” those people are.

EDELMAN’S KEY TIPS:

TACTICS AND RULES

7

1. Social media can be a platform for strong statements of “national pride”2. Netizens are often anti-establishment and the web is being used to tackle authority3. Sensationalism/“chauzuo” often emerges in online discussion and coverage4. Content is replicable - the “Zhuanzai” principle. Expect the same story, true or not, to materialise in multiple locations5. Bad news travels fast; but so can positive news if transmitted effectively

Compiled by: Adam Schokora, adam.schokora@edelman.com

VanderMolen

TOOLKIT & TAKE AWAYS1. Public affairs professionals require insight and analysis about the rapidly-developing social media, including Chinese language blogs and Bulletin Boards: which often feed the global mainstream media. The rise of the “celebrity” blogger has given personality to issues of national pride. 2. Rigorous monitoring, strategic engagement and continual impact assessment are required. PA professionals need to develop transmission skills across a diverse collection of social media formats and understand how messaging techniques must change in these environments. Take stock of your social media engagement efforts and be flexible in adjusting your approach. 3. Governmental agencies insist decisions are based on merit, the regulatory framework and the rule of law, although the proliferation of media requires corporations to examine the quantity and quality of their social media comment in order to ensure “share of voice”. 4. Greater offensive and proactive use of social media could enhance corporate reputation and deliver upside “wins”, although more significant engagement and ownership of both the medium and message will be required by corporations in mainland China for this to be achieved.

5. Sensationalism, nationalism and the different control levels do not mean social media should be off limits for PA professionals. Instead new strategies of engagement, which tackle these issues, need to be developed as part of a wider stakeholder and public affairs strategy in China.

6. Failing to proactively use social media can result in missed opportunities to shape the policy, regulatory and M&A landscape. This could impede growth or damage commercial operation, reputation or development.

PublicAffairsAsiaFor more information contact Craig Hoy at craighoy@publicaffairsasia.com or Alan VanderMolen at alan.vandermolen@edeman.com

About EdelmanEdelman is the world’s largest independent public relations firm, with 3,400 employees in 54 offices worldwide. Edelman was named “Large Agency of the Year” in 2008 by PRWeek and a top-10 firm in the Advertising Age “2007 Agency A-List,” the first and only PR firm to receive this recognition. CEO Richard Edelman was honored as “2007 and 2008 Agency Execu-tive of the Year by both Advertising Age and PRWeek. PRWeek also named Edelman “Large Agency of the Year” in 2006 and awarded the firm its “Editor’s Choice” distinction. For more information, visit www.edelman.com or www.edelmanapac.com

About PublicAffairsAsiaPublicAffairsAsia is the network for senior government relations, public affairs and corporate communications professionals operating across the Asia Pacific region. It offers news, features, analysis and intelligence on practice and policy through PublicAffairsAsia magazine, online channels, intelligence and events. For more information, to REGISTER, or SUBSCRIBE: visit www.publicaffairsasia.com

Unless otherwise stated all material is copyrighted by:

Public Affairs Asia Ltd. 3rd Floor, 3 Pacific Place,

Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong SAR.

Company Registration: 702801