CorpComms Magazine

Jaded old hacks love to bemoan the exponential growth in importance of the PR industry over the last 20 years. 'Back in the day,' they complain (usually while propping up the bar), 'we had direct access to all the key chief executives but now we have to go through some PR gatekeeper if we want to talk to anyone worthwhile.'

But while I've sometimes shared this sentiment, moving to Asia, where the PR industry has a much lower standing, has made me realise how valuable well-informed corporate communicators can be.

The likes of Brunswick and Financial Dynamics may keep journalists at one remove from executives but at least they usually know their clients well and can get access to key management when necessary.

By contrast, even in developed business centres like Hong Kong and Singapore, PR professionals at Asian companies are often little more than glorified bag carriers and diary secretaries. The executives at these companies - which have in many cases grown out of state-owned enterprises or family businesses - want to maintain an iron grip on the control of information and are loathe to tell their own corporate communications department anything of value.

The situation in developing markets like Vietnam is even worse, with many companies refusing to release even basic financial information to their own investors, let alone prying journalists.

The problem is not just the low status of PR in Asia, but the corresponding low standing of journalism. In a region where a rigorous and independent press is often viewed as a major irritant, many executives have just as little time for journalists as they do for their own PR people.

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