China’s PR and marketing teams move closer together | WARC | The Feed

China’s PR and marketing teams move closer together

A growing number of PR and brand marketing teams are either wholly integrated or are moving closer together in response to pressures from both consumers and government. 

That’s according to the latest China PR Scope Study, from consultancy R3, reported in Campaign Asia.

Why it matters

The PR role is becoming an increasingly important aspect of marketing in China for several reasons. The report notes increasing scrutiny of marketing content and consumer product endorsements, while at a government level there is a push to educate people on matters such as data privacy and ESG issues. For businesses, this is leading to more synergies between PR and marketing. 

Key findings 

• 43% of marketing and PR teams across 109 brands in China reported some degree of integration last year.
• Among surveyed in-house teams, 30% said that PR and marketing are merged.
• Three-quarters (78%) of marketers are not planning to change their external PR agencies in the near future – indicating a degree of stability that isn’t always evident with other agency partners. 
• With China’s marketers challenged to create innovative content across channels that also drives business results, PR agencies can help differentiate and enhance competitiveness by highlighting service capabilities, innovation, and resources.
• PR agencies can show greater strategic thinking and planning skills for CSR- and ESG-related PR campaigns, which are crucial for shaping brand image.

Sourced from Campaign Asia