Interview with Rana Nejem - "Social-Cultural Intelligence and Business Etiquette: a must for a successful executive career"

Continuing with the series of interviews with bright PR professionals from around the world for this blog, “global public relations”, in-cooperation with the World Communication Forum – #WCFDavos, we had the chance to talk with a connoisseur of cultural intelligence and business etiquette. Directly from Jordan, she gave us a masterclass about the art of global business protocol.

The Mosque and The Church - Greetings from beautiful Jordan

I have the pleasure to introduce: Rana Nejem.  Rana started out her career as a broadcast journalist with Jordan Television. After working with CNN during the First Gulf War, she moved to the Royal Hashemite Court where she was responsible for His Majesty the late King Hussein’s International Media Department for 2 years. Rana then moved into the field of communications and public relations leading the public diplomacy and communications work of the British Embassy in Amman for 18 years.

Rana Nejem

Throughout her 25-year career - whether conducting interviews with Heads of State, making arrangements for Royal visits and VIP events, formulating communications strategies or attending diplomatic corporate receptions and formal dinners - business etiquette and protocol and cross-cultural communications were always an essential part of her work. Rana learned first hand from top professionals in the field and put it all into practice throughout her career.

As Communications and Public Diplomacy Manager, Rana provided cross-cultural communications advice to British Ambassadors and diplomats as well as Western consultants working in the Middle East region.

Rana carries a Master's degree in International Communications and Negotiations from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and is certified as an International etiquette consultant by the International Etiquette and Protocol Academy in London. Rana was also trained by The Protocol School of Washington in International Protocol Management, and is a trained coach in Inter-Cultural Intelligence.

In 2013, she founded her own company, Yarnu - which is the first organisation to specialise in cross-cultural communications and business protocol in the Middle East region. Yarnu is the exclusive partner of the World Communication Forum – #WCFDavos in Jordan. 

Rana Nejem will be speaking on 10-11 March 2015 during the VI World Communication Forum in Davos, Switzerland. For the full agenda, please visit www.forumdavos.com.

1.    You have a deep expertise in diplomacy and cross-cultural communication. What do you consider most important when crafting a communication strategy to reach stakeholders within different cultural backgrounds?

Rana: The key starting point is understanding your audience.  If you are trying to influence anyone, you must first understand what is important to that person, what is the language that he uses and what exactly does it mean to him.  We tend to fall into the trap of thinking that there are words that have a universal meaning – such as trust or love – but trust means completely different things to different cultures and different people.  

In an honour based culture, when I say I trust you it means that I trust you will do the honourable thing.  In the western culture it means that I trust you will do the right thing.  In other cultures where fear and control are motivators – it can mean that I trust you will protect me.   This is where I believe communication can break down – when we use a word and we think we are talking about the same thing, but it means completely different things to people from different worldviews and cultures.  

I have seen this in the time after the so-called Arab Spring movements in our region, the west, the Arab governments and the Arab people were all calling for “reform”, but what each party meant by reform was completely different, yet everyone wanted “reform” and thought that the other party was reneging on its promises for “reform”.

a.    In that scope, could you please define the terms cultural intelligence and social intelligence? 

Rana: Psychologists and sociologists have defined Social Intelligence as the ability to effectively navigate complex social situations and relationships.  Essentially the ability to get along well with others and to get them to cooperate with you – sometimes referred to simplistically as “people skills”.  To be able to do that you must also have an awareness of the social dynamics that govern situations – basically knowing the appropriate behaviour in any given situation. Social Intelligence also involves a certain amount of self-awareness of how our own perceptions and behaviour affects the people we interact with.

Neuroscience has discovered that our brains are designed to be “sociable”.   As Daniel Goleman, author of ‘Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships’, puts it: “we are wired to connect”. Everyone we interact with has the power to shape our brain and, therefore, our bodies and our health!

The quality of your life is equal to the quality of your relationships.  Everything in life is about relationships – relationships with your colleagues, with your boss, with your customers, with your friends, with your family and spouse.  Social intelligence is about building fruitful relationships with people from different backgrounds.

Cultural intelligence also begins with understanding your own cultural values and beliefs and the glasses through which you view the world, determining what is right and what is acceptable.  Cultural intelligence is the ability to anticipate other individuals’ behaviour, correctly interpret that behaviour and then adjust your own behaviour to suit the culturally motivated behaviour of others.

2.    How do you evaluate the valorisation of the variable “culture” in the current communication strategies of organisations acting across national borders? I mean, do international organisations approach communication considering cultural differences and craft messages accordingly? If not, should they? Why?  

Rana: Whenever I travel to a country I love to watch the TV commercials on the local TV channels, they say so much about that culture – what is important to them and how best to communicate with them.  A lot of the commercials in Egypt, for example, use humour, song and dance. While in the Arabian Gulf, it is mostly about images of the family.  

In other cultures it is about the logical argument and the facts and figures while others it is about the price or the romance.  So this shows that there is an understanding of cultural communications, yet not all corporations take that into account and that is when business fails and misunderstandings cause tension and sometimes - even conflict.

3.    Could you talk a bit about your company Yarnu?

a.    When was it found?  Yarnu was founded 2 years ago.  We are based in Jordan but work regionally and internationally.

b.    What does the word “Yarnu” mean?  Yarnu is the Arabic word meaning to aspire to, to look towards with calm and serenity.

c.    What does the Yarnu specialise in?  We help people distinguish themselves by raising their social and cultural intelligence – enabling them to float with confidence and ease from one situation to the other while building fruitful relationships with people from different backgrounds. The majority of our clients are businesses – large and small – as well as government departments and organisations.  All our programmes are bespoke – specially tailored to meet the needs of each of our clients.

Our main programmes are:  The Business Protocol and Etiquette – which looks at the ABCD of your professional image; The Cultural Intelligence – which includes a programme that is specific for non-Arabs who do business across the Arab world and also the Inter-Cultural Intelligence programme.

Rana at one of her workshops

4.    What is business protocol? Is it a requirement for global executives in any level? 

Rana: They say that good manners open doors that the best education cannot.  Recent studies by Harvard, Stanford and the Carnegie Foundation state that in order to advance in your career, 80% depends on your social skills including your ability to put other people at ease, while only 20% depends on your technical skills.  So knowing the appropriate behaviour in any given situation, social skills and good manners are not a luxury.  They are essential for your success. 

The behaviour and attitude of the top executive in any organisation – whether intentionally or not – automatically filters down to the rest of the organisation and becomes, in essence, it’s corporate culture.  Executives need to be aware of that, so that they are communicating the message they actually intend to communicate.   They must be aware that “what you do shouts so loud I cannot hear what you say.”

5.    What is social etiquette? Why is it important?  

Rana: As I said earlier, it is all about your professional image, good manners and people skills and the ability to build relationships. I cannot over-stress how essential is is if you wish to advance in your career and in life, in general. As John D. Rockefeller said: “I will pay more for the ability to deal with people than any other skill under the sun!”.

6.    What would be your advice for students and young PR professionals intending to follow a career within diplomacy and international communications?  

Rana: It is very important to start by understanding your own culture and your own beliefs and values and your own worldview. Then, you will be able to better understand other cultures and the culturally motivated behaviour of others.  It is very important to make the effort to understand the other culture you are working with if you wish to build fruitful and productive relationships and influence people.  

You need to be aware of the messages you are communicating through your appearance, body language, behaviour, tone of voice and choice of words.   Social and cultural intelligence is not about following a list of dos and don’ts; it is about understanding the reason why things are the way they are; it is about focusing on the why rather than the what.  The intelligence comes in when you are able to use that information to weigh and assess different situations to then determine the most appropriate course of action. 

7.    What does the term “Public Relations” mean to you? How would you define it?  

Rana: Public Relations today have changed so much.  Today it covers any interaction between an individual and a company or organisation.  That can happen either face-to-face between two people or through the various communication channels – social media, etc. 

A huge thanks to Rana Rejem for sharing her time and knowledge with us! 
Follow @Yarnu on Twitter!

Keep an eye here for future interviews with C-level PR executives from around the globe.

Join us in Davos on 10-11 March 2015 for the VI World Communication Forum - #WCFDavos - www.forumdavos.com.

Follow me on Twitter @FlaviOliveira BR

~ and keep on smiling :-)

Korean lessons: PR pioneer talks about crisis management and the evolution of Public Relations

This post is a continuation of the series of interviews with bright PR professionals from around the world for this blog, “global public relations”, in-cooperation with the World Communication Forum – #WCFDavos. This time we went to the East, to interview an authority in the arena of crisis communication management and a pioneer in PR & destination marketing within the Korean territory.

Downtown Seoul, Korea - Photo by Lim, Chung-Eui

      I proudly introduce you to Mr. Kim Kyong-Hae, APR, Founder and President of Communications Korea, one of the first PR consultancy groups in Korea and the exclusive partner of the World Communication Forum – #WCFDavos in that country. He is often referred to as the "pioneer of Korea’s PR industry" or as the "Father of Public Relations" in Korea. Mr. Kim has a vast experience within PR, destination marketing and crisis management. 

Mr. Kim Kyong-Hae

Communications Korea was founded back in 1987 as the nation's first public relations agency and Mr. Kim is also the key founding member of the Korea Public Relations Association (KPRA). Previously, he had worked as the Seoul correspondent of Reuters News Agency and the economic editor of the Korea Herald. In 1983, he founded Korea’s first English-language business magazine entitled Business Korea. In his professional career, he was involved with journalism for over 20 years, having graduated with a degree in English literature. 

His extensive background in journalism played a major role in shaping him as one of the key figures to develop Korea’s public relations industry. Not only did he establish the first local PR agency, but he also served as the chairman of KPRA from 1991 to 1992 and was pronounced as the "PR Man of the Year" in 1994. Mr. Kim has obtained his Accredited-in-Public-Relations (APR) certificate from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). He has authored the in-depth PR book "Live on-site PR story" from a veteran’s perspective. In 1999, the Korean Government awarded him with a presidential citation for his contributions in publicizing governmental policies. 

On top of that, Mr. Kim is also known as Korea's pioneer of destination marketing. As a journalist-turned marketing expert, Kim is well known for his illustrious PR career within the region. His travel-industry expertise is reflected not only in his 18 years long service as a marketing representative for Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB), but also for Australian Tourist Commission (ATC) and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). His destination marketing for these three separate tourism hot spots is truly remarkable, now being benchmarked by new destinations. Mr. Kim is also a PR lecturer for graduate students and has written four books on crisis management and marketing, including the popular "Companies that overcome crisis, companies that crumble with it." 

Mr. Kim Kyong-Hae will be speaking at the World Communication Forum on 10-11 March 2015, check out the full agenda at www.forumdavos.com.

1.       In your opinion, how much communication & PR differs in different regions? I mean, do you see much difference in the successful PR efforts done in Asia from the ones in the Western world – e.g. USA, Europe?

Mr. Kim:  Nowadays, communication and PR is regarded in Korea as a vital business element. Companies are well aware of the importance in MPR, crisis management, reputation management, and so forth. High quality communication, reputation management and PR have been applied in Korea and around APAC. Thus communications and PR are seen as an important aspect of the marketing toolbox in this global era. As one scholar has said, PR is rising while advertising is declining and, as such, most companies in Korea are strengthening their PR and communication activities as they are much more cost-effective than advertising. You cannot discuss business management without PR and communication.

Seoul By Night, Korea - Photo by Lim, Chung-Eui

2.       Is there a big difference between communication behaviours in Korea when comparing to other countries you are experienced with? Could you give some sort of examples?

Mr. Kim: In the initial period in Korea, it was media focused. Many cared about how to expose their messages to target audience through the media. Nowadays, it became sophisticated and reached international level. One unique PR market in Korea is that large conglomerates have their own big in-house PR teams. We call this “defensive PR”. In the course of being conglomerates, they were closely inter-related with politics and this sometimes can result in malpractice or corruption. They worry that those issues may be exposed to the public if they employ PR agencies. But now, they are, gradually, seeking advice from external PR professionals.

3.      About crisis management, you mentioned in one of your articles that the most important thing to consider is the crisis management manual. Would you say that the same should be applied to crisis communication management? A manual should be the start and end of the crisis communication administration?

Mr. Kim: A manual is like a bible in crisis management and crisis communications and many companies now produce them. However, you should not make a “manual for the sake of a manual.” Companies have to practice what is in the manuals.  Without practice, a manual will get dusty and out-dated. By constantly practicing, a manual can be fixed and updated to meet the current status and situation. Meanwhile, the “3 P's” of crisis management—“practice”, “proactive” and “prepared”— become all the more important.

4.       What are the most important points to consider when preparing such manual?

Mr. Kim: The strong determination of the CEO (Head manager, etc) to make a living manual. With his/her strong determination to produce a manual to save the company from catastrophe, all resources within the company including experts and budgets should be mobilized to be fully prepared for “known unknowns”. Especially for foreign multinationals operating in Korea, they should take note of a number of local factors.

First of all, the media environment and the customs of media relations here are different from those in other nations. When reporting on a crisis situation, the Korean media are not always objective in presenting both sides of the matter. At times, they are overly nationalistic. Sometimes there may be inaccuracy in quotations. Some reporters get upset when foreign businesses refuse to respond beyond a “no comment”. So it is highly advantageous to develop allies among reporters during normal times. Also, many TV stations have investigative programs to portray negative business aspects of multinationals, causing a big damage to their reputation.

Secondly, there are also some special characteristics associated with Korean nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs. The influence and political orientation of NGOs, including civic groups, has gotten noticeably stronger of late. NGOs exercise their influence in various ways when crises arise, and their nature is different from that of the general non-political NGOs of other countries.

A third fact to consider is that the groups shaping public opinion in Korea are not the same as those in other countries. Here, opinion leaders who influence public sentiment are those who are central to political circles, certain media outlets and NGOs. And there are some who are known to be strongly biased against foreign businesses.

A fourth factor to consider is that a new chapter in the distribution of rumor and public opinion is under way in Korea. This is happening in concert with the high-speed capabilities of digital media, including mobile phones and the internet. The unique nature of Korea’s internet culture has become an increasingly instrumental in the formation of public opinion.

In Korea, the corporate culture and the labor-management relations are nothing like they are in the West. This is particularly true when it comes to labor-management relations. In Korea, corporate culture and labor-management relations are critical variables when a crisis emerges. In Korea, businesses’ crisis management strategies must be developed only after considering all the unique elements of the Korean environment. The following are some useful guidelines for businesses that I refer to as the “Ten Commandments for Effective Crisis Management”. This was developed by my company, Communications Korea, for foreign multinationals operating in Korea.

The “Ten Commandments for Effective Crisis Management” are:

1)    Make the public’s interest a priority.

2)    Build up a positive reputation during normal times.

3)    THE CEO must actively intervene and present feasible solutions. The CEO’s one strategic key message will save the firm from the crisis.

4)    Undergo media training and designate a corporate spokesperson in advance.

5)  Thoroughly scrutinize direct media quotations. Most Korean media are not exact in their quotations

6)  Learn the lessons of crises experienced by competitors and relevant case studies

7)  Develop relations with third-party opinion leaders during normal times, and positively use these resources during a crisis.

8)    Undergo simulated crisis training.

9)    In the case of an unfounded report, promptly take corrective action.

10) Try to lead the media, not to be led by the media.

5.       When it comes to crisis communication, what is essential to consider?

Mr. Kim: In crisis communication, it is important to have one-voice system. From CEO to entry-level employee, all should have and maintain one-voice when they communicate with media or other organizations that they have to face during crisis. When the U.S President Lyndon B.Johnson visited NASA after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, he met a janitor and asked him what he is doing at NASA. The janitor, without hesitation, said “I am here to send man to moon”. From the top to the bottom, a unity was prevailing at NASA.

6.       If a multinational operating in many different countries produced such a crisis communication manual, it should be the same to all divisions/subsidiaries, or should take the cultural variable into account?

Mr. Kim: It should differ by each region and its culture. Each region has different media environment, company culture, society norm, government policy etc. However, all manuals should have similar skeletons, but different skins to accommodate different cultural, social, and political aspects.

7.       How important is “intercultural awareness” or Intercultural Communication framework in the field of crisis communication?

Mr. Kim: Sometimes, a crisis caused by poor intercultural communication is more serious than a traditional crisis. In that cause, a manual with no special emphasis on culture is useless and will not work. Intercultural awareness is a very important aspect not only in crisis communication but also in general communication as well.

We are accustomed to our own value system called “ethnocentrism”. A value which is highly respected in Korea might be rejected in another country. Patting a boy or girl’s head softly is regarded as fine in some places but strongly rejected in Thailand. There are so many such cases. 

   Large corporations such as Samsung and LG are paying much attention to intercultural communication. High-level executives who are dispatched to foreign countries are trained not to cause any culture-related crisis in the country where they are posted. 

8.       Have scholars or practitioners approached the theme of Intercultural Crisis Communication? How do you feel about its relevance in today’s globalised world

Mr. Kim: Nowadays, culture is also one important element of crisis in our globalised business environment. When a multinational corporation does not pay enough attention to intercultural communication in a country where it operates, it will be exposed to a serious crisis caused by poor intercultural communication. 

           There are many scholars who study intercultural communication and publish on the matter. Many major Korean companies try to study and learn about other countries and their cultures. They want to find out the do’s and don’ts to guide their behaviour in their global business operations.

9.       What does “Public Relations” mean to you? How would you define the term?

 

10. How the Korean PR industry was when you first started to be a PR practitioner? How has it evolved since then? (Could you please mention in your answer the year you started your PR career?

 Mr. Kim: In the early 1980s, major international media including Newsweek, New York Times, Fortune, and Time had their Asian headquarters either in Tokyo or Hong Kong. When something major transpired in Korea, their correspondents would fly in to cover it. Most of them contacted me when they come to Korea as I was closely following political, economic and often major news as the publisher of Business Korea, a monthly English-language business magazine and the economic editor of the Korea Herald, one of the two English-language dailies in Korea. The correspondents, in return for my full support for their reportorial activities, asked me to open a PR firm as the first of its kind in Korea, as I knew the business scene, government official and media.

In 1987, I founded Communications Korea as the first PR firm in Korea and we became Hill and Knowlton associate in Korea in 1988, the year of Seoul Olympics. Then I established the Korea Public Relations Association and we opened a “PR Class” to provide a learning environment for PR practitioners. We followed PR practices in the Western world. We also then established the Korea Public Relations Consultancy Association for PR firms. In this way, the PR industry came to take root in Korea. That is why PR people in Korea call me “the pioneer of the PR industry in Korea”.

11.    What are the most important factors when considering destination marketing? What should be on the top of the check list when drafting a destination marketing strategy?

 Mr. Kim: Identifying the unique selling point (USP), I think, is most important in destination marketing. In Korea, there are more than 50 national tourists office (NTOs) now competing to induce Koreans to visit their respective countries. To win in this cut-throat competition, exposing the USP to the consumers most effectively is a short-cut for successful destination marketing. The USP can be culture, food, adventure, entertainment, cosy atmosphere, sports, etc. Our company was the first destination marketing company in Korea for Guam in South Pacific. It was a small fishing ground but we positioned it as a honeymoon paradise. Honeymooners are also high spenders. Then we supported Tourism Authority of Thailand and Tourism Australia. I am now very pleased to see that the three destination of Guam, Thailand and Australia became Korea’s representative overseas destinations. 

Warm thanks to Mr. Kim Hyong-Hae and Wendy for all their cooperation. Your time & kind attention were highly appreciated!

Keep an eye here for future interviews with C-level PR executives from around the globe.

Join us in Davos on 10-11 March 2015 for the VI World Communication Forum - #WCFDavos - www.forumdavos.com.

Follow me on Twitter ~ and keep on smiling :-)

South Africa: PR, branding and stunning beaches

Green Point, Cape Town - South Africa

As promised, I am starting the series of interviews with bright PR professionals from around the world for this blog, “global public relations”, in-cooperation with the World Communication Forum – #WCFDavos –. We went all the way to South Africa (SA) to hear some valuable insights about how PR is conducted in that region of the world and to learn a bit about branding and communications from an expert in the field. 

I proudly introduce: Mr. Solly Moeng, an experienced consultant in branding and communications, former President of the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA) and founder of DonValley – Brand, Marketing & Communications. DonValley is the exclusive partner of the World Communication Forum – #WCFDavos in SA.

Solly Moeng

Solly Moeng is an experienced consultant with specialisation in holistic Brand Management and Strategic Marketing & Communications. His professional career so far has taken him to Canada, USA and France, where he completed his French MA Degree. He was the South African Tourism's Marketing Manager in Canada, based in Toronto, before getting appointed to lead the organisation’s operations in the USA. As Country Manager, based in New York, he managed the roll-out of South Africa’s Tourism Growth Strategy both in the US and Canada.

Solly has also worked as Business Development & Marketing Manager of Mesure, a South African subsidiary of the French multinational construction company, “Bouygues Travaux Public, and Basil Read”; a position that enabled him to act from the company head office in St-Quentin-en-Yvelines, just outside Paris. He has also occupied the Marketing & Communications Manager positions for CapeNature and the South African Biodiversity Institute. The latter, is in charge of the world famous Kirstenbosch, Cape Town, and eight other National Botanical Gardens in South Africa. Solly completed the IMM’s Post-Graduate Diploma in Marketing and attended courses at the respected Vega School of Branding. He currently lives in Cape Town, South Africa, and is now enrolled for a PhD at the University of Cape Town (UCT), focussing on how the nuclear industry integrates media in its crisis communications.

From Amsterdam, I conducted this insightful interview with Solly in Cape Town by phone and email in the first couple of weeks of November 2014. Below you will find his enriching input on how communication is undertaken in South Africa and his views on branding, leadership, communication and PR.

1.    How much do Communications & PR differ in different regions? I mean, do you see much difference in the successful PR efforts done in South Africa from the other regions you have worked at such as Europe and North America?

We live in an increasingly connected world. Many practitioners in South Africa are also members of professional organisations that are located elsewhere, especially the US and UK. Participation in their activities is often online. They are therefore aware of industry trends elsewhere and tend to emulate them. In some cases, local practitioners will initiate and lead discussions on certain topics. However, entry barriers into the profession in South Africa tend to be too low. It seems to be different in other countries.

Stunning Cape Town

2.    How do you evaluate communication and PR done in South Africa? How do they differ from other regions?

There is not much difference, in my view. Here in South Africa, one of the latest big issues has to do with measurement; determining how PR/Communication contributes to the bottom-line. There seems to be increasing awareness about the need to shift measurement focus from ‘outputs’ to ‘outcomes’. This is a good move.

3.    When was DonValley founded and in which areas does it specialise? What are DonValley's main areas of expertise? Could you mention some main projects you have worked so far?

DonValley was founded in 2006 and we specialise in the provision of reputation management services. We help brands protect and enhance their corporate reputation. Exact ‘tools’ to be used for each intervention are determined on a case-by-case basis. We first conduct a thorough analysis /diagnostic of existing strategies/practice in order to determine what each brand needs. Our services, therefore, range from assessing and / developing strategies for corporate communications, media relations, influencer relations, stakeholder mapping and stakeholder communications, issues/crisis communication management, etc.

Solly Moeng, founder of Don Valley

In terms of recent project, we were called in as contractors by South Africa’s premier retail giant, Woolworths, with me being contracted to act in the position of Head of Corporate Communications & PR and to lead internal teams and help protect and enhance corporate reputation. What started as a 3-month appointment ended-up lasting almost 2 years. My leadership contributed in helping Woolworths regain previously lost positions as the most respected corporate brand in the South Africa retail sector, on one hand and, on the other hand, in the general corporate sector.

We have also been helping another giant brand, Imperial Logistics, develop a new corporate communications strategy, including media relations, internal communications, influencer strategy, crisis/issues communication strategy.

In addition, I write weekly columns for a weekly online financial website, analysing corporate behaviour. Below are examples of recent articles Solly has written:

http://www.fin24.com/Tech/Opinion/Something-is-terribly-wrong-at-Eskom-20141112
http://www.fin24.com/Companies/Health/Discovery-beats-PnP-20141105
http://www.fin24.com/Tech/Opinion/HCI-Cool-heads-must-prevail-20141030
http://www.fin24.com/Companies/Advertising/What Cell-C-should-learn-20141119
http://youtu.be/0FeDUYVj4V8

Astonishing South Africa

4.    Would you consider cultural backgrounds when crafting communication/PR/branding strategies?

Yes, cultural background in the broader sense, not so much in the ethnic sense. But where the latter is strongly followed, it would be better to have it in mind when drafting communication strategies.  It is generally wise to consider local values and norms in order to shape communication practice, otherwise proposed solutions might, at best, not be easy to implement and, at worst, be rejected outright. For instance, in South Africa we have 11 official languages and there is a considerable influence of English, this is important to have in mind when crafting messages for recipients in this country. Culture determines the way things are done in a country, so it is significant to take cultural differences into account when structuring e-messages in a way that e-recipients will understand and interact.

6.    Branding and Public Relations – are these areas connected? How?

The Public Relations function supports brand. It can be used to help raise awareness about brand or as an ongoing tool to help position the brand, and grow goodwill and affinity to the brand. It is one of the tools, but not the only one. It is all about stakeholders’ relationship and engagement.

In today’s, 'reputation economy’, brand identity and brand image are two increasingly important factors to consider in a PR strategy. Brand identity is “how an organisation wants to be perceived by its audience”, while brand image is “how the organise is seen by its stakeholders”.

7.    You have been responsible for managing the growth strategy of South Africa Tourism in US and Canada. What are the main branding strategies you have developed during your time in North America? Which would you mention as the most effective plan/programme for destination marketing/branding?

Americans believe other Americans easier than they do foreigners. Our most successful strategy was to use Americans to help tell others about our product. We did this through a consumer advertising campaign, both in Canada and the US, through which we worked with a number of outbound tour operators to promote two types of travel packages to South Africa. One was cheaper, lasting about a week in South Africa, and the other was slightly more costly, lasting ten days or more. 

The first one, dubbed “Upscale Wonderlusters” targeted potential first long-distance travellers and the second one, dubbed “Next-Stop South Africa”, targeted Americans/Canadians who were used to long-distance travel, possibly having been to Asia, Australia, New Zealand, etc. and disposed of both time and income to travel. We believed that the latter were predisposed to consider South Africa as their next travel destination.

Cape Town

We had a special campaign website themed “My South African Story” on which those who returned from a trip to South Africa were encouraged to share their South African stories. Many of them were happy to do so, and thus encouraged others to also travel to South African, telling them that South Africans are very friendly and welcoming to (especially) Americans (because of widespread fear to travel soon after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre).    African-American travellers were particularly interested in the historic aspects of travel to South Africa, visiting places like Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were incarcerated for many years, and his home in Soweto, as well as other related sites. White-Americans are generally interested in wildlife and general sight-seeing experiences. These considerations always informed tour content. 

8.    How have brand architecture and strategy evolved along the years? Is there a global branding strategy programmes you have worked in?

At a high-level, we still follow the “Branded House” or “House of Brands” approach, or some slight modifications here and there. Solly explained that a branded house is a brand like Mercedes-Benz which has many brands under the same umbrella brand while a house of brands is a brand such as Coca-Cola that is owner of other big brands like Sprite or Fanta but with very distinct separation between them – some people do not even know Sprite and Fanta are from Coca-Cola, for instance.

These are still, by and large, the brand architecture options that make sense to consider. I led processes to develop a new brand strategy for organisations like the South African Oil & Gas Alliance (SAOGA -www.saoga.org.za), a new Corporate ID for CapeNature -www.capenature.co.za (formerly known as the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board), Eastern Cape Tourism Board -  www.visiteasterncape.co.za, etc.  

9.    In general terms, how would you define the difference between local branding strategies from global ones?

In South Africa, too many people still confuse branding with corporate identity (the look and feel – usually the logo - part of a brand). One has to keep reminding people that a brand is made up of what I refer to as the ‘invisible part of the iceberg’ (value proposition, strategic intent, etc) and the ‘visible part of the iceberg’ (colours, logos and other look-and-feel aspects). South Africans also seem to like rebranding over and over again, usually whenever new leadership takes over. People elsewhere seem understand that a brand is like a slow growing tree that should be nurtured over time.   

More of Cape Town

10.  In 2015, you will be speaking at the World Communication Forum about communication and leadership, how do you see these two areas? Is communication essential for good leadership? Or vice-versa, communication could only be well executed if led by a strong leader? Could you please develop on this?

Indeed, no leader can expect to be effective if he/she communicates badly, or doesn’t communicate at all. But, communication goes beyond internal communication to company employees; it has to extend throughout the organisation’s entire value-chain and stakeholder groups. Increasingly, all organisations should map their stakeholders, identify them, group them, and determine the most appropriate way (media platform, tone, regularity, etc.) to communicate important information to them. They should also put in place appropriate platforms for two-way/multilateral communication with all stakeholders, informed by a thorough understanding of each stakeholder group, as well as the issues that matter to it. 

These could be rights issues: human rights, workers’ rights, children’s rights, women’s rights, environmental rights, etc., or pure shareholder related issues.

I will also address structural matters in many organisations. Few organisations have Chief Communication Officers or similar positions at the most senior leadership levels, e.g. EXCO, or even board members who understand strategic communications. This lacuna often results in the ‘juniorisation’ of the communication portfolio and denying it crucial opportunities to make strategic input at the right level. Communicators are turned into ‘runners/messengers’ who simply take instructions, often from bosses with little understanding of the strategic role that can be played by seasoned communicators. If positioned correctly, seasoned strategic communicators can help organisations avoid finding themselves on the back foot in terms of reputation management.

Solly Moeng

I also refer to this as “upstream integration for better downstream delivery”. Where strategic communicators are integrated at the top echelons of organisational leadership, they become better prepared to foresee threats and weaknesses, and prepare their organisations deal with potential media issues that might embarrass the organisation. The opposite might also be true, as they might see opportunities ahead of time and, through clever communication, help their organisations take advantage of them through clever positioning.        

I concluded the interview by asking how Solly defines the term 'Public Relations', as I intend

to ask this to all PR professionals whom I will be talking to in the coming weeks. In the end, we should be able to have a global definition when combining all definitions.

A huge thanks to Solly Moeng and Jessica Jones for the time and efforts... Your

time, kindness and attention were highly appreciated!

Keep an eye here for future interviews with C-level PR executives from around the globe.

Join us in Davos on 10-11 March 2015 for the VI World Communication Forum - #WCFDavos - www.forumdavos.com.

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