Corporations should become more sophisticated and confident in their engagement with China’s rapidly growing social media if they are to influence policy, a White Paper released by Edelman and PublicAffairsAsia has concluded.
Following a survey of public affairs (PA) professionals and a high-level 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 are set to grow in importance “to their companies” over the coming 12 months.
Given the increasing importance of social media on public policy outcomes in China, 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 in the Chinese social media, the report concludes that moving into an offensive strategy in China will help companies, NGOs and the government shape opinions, influence policy and secure regulatory outcomes.
The research was based on a survey of PA executives and an off-the-record roundtable session which included representatives of MNCs, Chinese corporations, CIPRA, the Foreign Affairs Ministry and Tsing Hua University.
The key findings of this exclusive Edelman/PublicAffairsAsia White Paper are:
INFLUENCE: The majority of PA professionals (66%) believe social media is the most influential medium in China today.
CAUTION: Western MNCs in China remain cautious as a result of the 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 confronting MNCs, SOEs and Chinese corporations.
Commenting on the report, Edelman Asia Pacific president, Alan VanderMolen, said: “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.”
Craig Hoy, executive director of PublicAffairsAsia, added: “Even the most social media aware public affairs professional is often on the back foot, in a crisis scenario, when engaging with China’s netizens. 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.”
