On September 29th, the “International Brand Communication and Public Relations” sub-forum was held at the NEXT Summit (Singapore 2021). Participating experts and scholars delivered insightful presentations on topics such as international brand insights and judgment in the era of new media, crisis public relations, technological empowerment, and overseas social media. The Executive Member of the Council of NEXT Federation, Song Peng, presided over the forum.
Song Peng mentioned that the global industrial chain is undergoing significant migration, and developed countries are facing obvious challenges in economic growth. In the context of institutions and individuals seeking innovative breakthroughs, surpassing internal constraints, and achieving sustainable development, enhancing corporate insights, competitiveness, and influence to realize effective brand communication has become crucial when facing public opinion supervision.
Hu Peng, a Ph.D. in Communication from Peking University and a postdoctoral fellow in Communication at Tsinghua University, stated that it is challenging for companies to establish media relations when conducting overseas communication. Therefore, the first step is to establish a core media database and become familiar with mainstream international media. Secondly, it is important to establish a normalized and effective communication mechanism with different overseas media. Finally, when engaging in market activities, companies should learn to leverage government resources.
Tang Jie, CEO of Tianhai Media Group, shared her experiences in brand communication insights and judgment from a publicity perspective. She mentioned that the era where appearance equals justice is quietly approaching. For domestic brands, with the increasing consumption power of the post-90s and post-95s, they have more time and money to spend on things that interest them. This means that in the future, and even in the next decade, companies must focus on rejuvenating their brands. If individuals represent the new cultural landscape of this era, then building personal brand IPs will become the key to brand prosperity.
Jiang Shuai, Executive Director and General Manager of Guangzhou Key Points Brand Management Consultants, believes that the current media environment is complex, and there is a clear gap in understanding. Therefore, when facing cross-cultural conflicts, crisis management and communication for companies should not only focus on the advantages and strengths of their products and brands but also pay more attention to whether the audience can understand and align with the company’s philosophy.
“The current mindset of pursuing traffic has shifted from extensive operations to refined operations. Traditional traffic-oriented thinking is no longer applicable, and China’s overseas business expansion has entered the second half,” said Li Lei, founder of Yiwang Hutong Beijing Technology Company. He pointed out that economic globalization is an inevitable trend for corporate development, and technology can efficiently empower overseas social media communication.
Zhou Zixuan, Overseas Communications Director of Meitong Press, presented a third-party perspective and showcased data to demonstrate that compared to countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and France, there is still a gap in the perception of Chinese companies among overseas audiences. She emphasized that companies should strengthen communication with overseas audiences, establish a source of trust, and deliver information that is more likely to be trusted by overseas audiences. She stressed that different countries, different audiences, and different social circles have different preferences and interests, which requires companies to solidify every step of their communication.
At the end of the conference, Song Peng expressed gratitude and hoped that through the exchanges at this forum, more Chinese companies would go global and tell the story of China more effectively.
The NEXT Summit (Singapore 2021), with the theme of “Promoting Total-Factor Cooperation,” invited over 70 international political figures, renowned scholars, business leaders, and entrepreneurs from more than 10 countries including New Zealand, China, Indonesia, South Korea, Egypt, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, the United States, Germany, and Russia. Through important sessions such as the opening ceremony, keynote speeches, global roadshows of international projects, the Hurricane Lamp Award ceremony, and seven thematic sub-forums, they delivered cutting-edge speeches and shared case studies on various industries.
To watch the “International Brand Communication and Public Relations” sub-forum of the NEXT Summit (Singapore 2021), please scan the QR code link below:
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