The Chinese marketplace is unique.

If you do not understand your local target groups, their interests, their ideas and mindset, chances are your communications effort will backfire. Understanding target groups is more than just segmenting the market- you need direct contact with real people.

Focus Groups and In-depth Interviews are methods taken from consumer marketing, but they are equally useful for business-to-business companies and products. We apply a unique communications perspective to these methods, using them as a basis for positioning and key message development.

To get a fast but accurate overview of your public image, consider using a Media Audit. We interview a number of local journalists in your industry and report on the perceptions of you and your competitors.

We have worked with several Fortune-500 clients and many smaller companies on analysis projects in areas as diverse as telecom, industrial equipment and consumer goods. Send us an email if you would like to look at our client list and some case studies!

Media Audits give a comprehensive overview of corporate and product image and reputation, as seen by an informed group of experts - industry journalists. Journalists understand what's going on in your business; they meet your competitors on a daily basis, making them an invaluable source of information. The Media Audit is also a great relationship-building tool.

 

 

In a focus group, we gather 6-8 people from the relevant target group and hold an informal discussion moderated by an experienced consultant. Focus groups build on associations and group dynamics to provide information on attitudes, understanding and other image factors that are hard to answer with a simple questionnaire. Sessions are recorded for later summary in a written report.

 

 

In-depth Interviews are used as a complement to focus groups as preparation for analysis or when discussing sensitive issues. The consultant meets with one respondent at a time, giving plenty of opportunity to follow up on associations, misunderstandings and new ideas.

 

 

 

 

Event management and logistics skills are especially important in a country like China.

At Aboda, we pride ourselves on counting among our team some of the most experienced event managers in China. Our seasoned consultants have diverse backgrounds; we can always find at least one project manager who understands the needs of your particular industry.

Some of the event management projects we have performed for Fortune-500 as well as small clients: Product launches, road shows, CEO visits, media briefings, inaugurations, seminars, parties and conferences.

Great events that reach your communications objectives are built from two parts: creative ideas and faultless execution. How can we guarantee this? Our personnel have been with the company for a long time - we have one of the lowest staff turnovers in China. At their disposal are our Total Quality Management tools: checklists, processes, standard documents, and carefully selected and trained sub-suppliers.

If you would like an up-to-date list of case studies, clients and references, please send us an email.

A communications strategy is more than just a media plan.

Strategic planning should be based on in-depth understanding of your Chinese target groups and be concrete and specific enough to guide your long-term communications work. We will provide you with a communications strategy that includes:

A Clear Chinese Positioning - for our multinational clients, this will usually be an adaptation of the global positioning.

Specific Key Messages for every target group.

Communications Channel Strategy - media, events, Internet, seminars, etc. - for each target group.
Evaluation Criteria - what should our goals be? How do we measure them?

Our team of consultants has developed or localized the communications strategies of several of China's most successful companies, including major multinationals. If you would like us to present some case studies, do send us an email!

The Chinese media world is extremely complex. Magazines, newspapers and web pages appear on a weekly basis and audiences move quickly between them. In addition, the work methods of Chinese media are very different from those of European and US journalists.

To build a long-term local media presence, you need to understand how the media work and have excellent relations with local journalists. At the same time, the message you convey must be interesting to audiences, so that published articles are actually read and so that they contribute to your image in a positive way. You need to have your "ear to the ground" in China.

Aboda has a database, compiled in-house during actual publicity work, of over a thousand journalists throughout China. Several of our consultants have media backgrounds. We work with editorial calendars, section editors, journalist advisors and other direct contacts.

At Aboda, we see publicity work as a long-term commitment. We always have an in-depth understanding of your company and products and make sure the journalists have the same understanding.

We help you find the right Chinese media and news angles to convey your key messages, and we help you write the press release or article, release it and collect news clippings. We also help you build your long-term relations with the media.

If you would like to look at recent case studies, or talk to some of our publicity clients, send us an email!

Aboda's Publicity Services include long-term publicity programs, press conferences and media briefings, news release writing and release, clipping service, and media audits.

Communications professionals are a scarce resource in China and turnover is high in many companies. What can you do when you experience a peak in workload, or when one of your staff suddenly decides to leave?

If you urgently need to have an in-house PR manager, press officer or event manager, we will send an experienced consultant who can work in your own office for shorter times up to several months. Aboda has one of the lowest personnel turnovers in the business, meaning you will have access to an experienced professional who can independently organize work and solve day-to-day problems.

Several major multinationals have already taken advantage of Aboda's "Team for Hire". Contact us if you would like more details.

Greg Zhang started his career in marketing with Stone Computer Corporation, and expericed working for foreign enterprises over 10 years. Greg established Aboda Invest Co.Ltd.(Canada) and provided PR services to multinational companies such as Ikea, Omega, Electrolux, Goodyear, etc. in China. Greg has a rich expericec in team building, leadship and management, problem solving skill as well as crisis management skill. Greg was delegate of China to participate in United Nation's 8th Youth Entreprieneurs Summit 2001.

Greg is a Computer Science graduate from China's most prestigious academic institution, Peking University, giving him access to an extensive network of Chinese decision-makers all over the country.

 

 

 

Every client of a service company knows how frustrating it is to build a relationship, only to have the agency change personnel. Aboda has one of the lowest staff turnover figures in the industry. We are building a strong team of dedicated experts that can work with clients long-term.

There is no academic PR or communications education in China. Therefore, Aboda builds this competency in-house, through our Aboda Academy. To deliver excellent client service, we select our account managers from diverse backgrounds - advertising and communications, industry and business-to-business, IT and telecom, marketing and consumer goods, to name a few. In this way, we can meet client needs for industry understanding, relationships and networks, in addition to our own communications expertise.

"To help our clients reach long-term goals with the most result-oriented communication."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aboda will be one of China's leading communications consultants. We will be the leader in client service, working with the most demanding clients in each industry. Our employees will be top Chinese experts in the communications field. We will be in the forefront in making use of new technology, both internally and for clients.

Our vision of total client service is embodied in our corporate credo: "I am responsible."

 

 

The most creative solutions in China

Clients look to us to be creative - to have good ideas for the implementation of their events or messages. Many people think creative ideas have to be "fun" or "fancy". This is not true. What we at Aboda mean by "creative" is ideas that are new, fresh, interesting to the media, and support the client's message. So when you look at our solutions, some of which have received industry gold medals for "best PR event China" and "best media event China", think less about the "fancy" surface, and more about what we were trying to say by using them!

To see why we call ourselves China's most creative agency, send us an email, and we will send you our case studies.

How do you deal with a red-alert emergency case like consumer complaints about your product causing fire or damage?
How can I run a succesful media campaign in Beijing or Shanghai?
What PR service does your company really need?
What kind of PR agency will work out better for you?
Being a newcomer to this industry, how do I get started?

For answers to all these questions and more, please don't hesitate to ask our PR experts. We will provide you with a tailor-made answer to solve your problems.

The 'Aboda Academy', our people development program, is more than just talk. We have institutionalized learning as part of our work:

	Aboda Introduction Training
	The Aboda Academy
	Overseas Exchange Program
	Career Management Program

We are dedicated to providing communications expertise and the highest level of client service. If you can share this vision, and live up to it's challenge, let us know who you are!