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IPREX WORLD COMMUNICATION FORUM EXPLORES GLOBAL BRANDING AND CULTURAL VARIATION
June 3, 2010
The first World Communication Forum, sponsored by IPREX, the global corporation of independent PR and communication firms, took place in Düsseldorf on 20 May, attracting an audience of 100 CEOs, marketers, communication specialists and senior business decision-makers.
Chaired by IPREX Worldwide President Kathy Tunheim (Tunheim Partners, Minneapolis), the event was entitled Win.New.Markets and focused on culture-related communication as the key to international market expansion.
Developing global brands
Hans Werner Reinhard began the conference by considering how the exhibition company Messe Düsseldorf has managed its brand in 151 countries, building and defending a position based on the high quality of its events.
Jack Blecker looked at another originally-German brand - Jägermeister - which he had helped to transform from an old-fashioned, traditional product into a global top 10 premium spirits brand by focusing on the same target market worldwide, working closely with trade partners and "keeping everything simple" .
A deep understanding of how corporations take decisions about locating major operations helps Cincinnati market to the worldwide business community, according to Neil Hensley. With over 300 corporations from around the world now investing in Cincinnati, he highlighted the importance of being sensitive to differences in culture and communication environments.
Henkels' award-winning senior marketer Tina Müller described her work in building and sustaining international success with multiple products and target groups under the umbrella brand Schwarzkopf. She outlined the tight management systems which have enabled the brand to grow market share significantly in a highly competitive, complex and fast-moving global market.
Europe and Asia
Corporate Communication expert Stefanie Chalk outlined the Asian relationship with brands, noting that premium pricing produces extremely high expectations. She outlined the challenges of maintaining control of brand perception in Asian markets and considered the implications for communication professionals.
The differences between the ways in which Europeans and Asians think were considered by consultant Dr Hanne Seelmann-Holzmann. She ranged from contrasting the European self-concept of the individual against the Asian concept of group membership to the ways in which images are interpreted in different cultures.
Expanding on this theme, Ralf Weber, from IPREX partner m/e brand communication (Düsseldorf) outlined the results of research into neuronal networks which store information about brands. He reviewed recent work in neurocommunication, which applies these findings to marketing and communication, pointing to some of its implications for international and cross-cultural campaigns.
Getting social media in perspective
Online specialist Jeff Risley, from IPREX partner Barkley (Kansas City) examined the challenges of the new online communication landscape. He defined social media as an additional communication strategy rather than a silver bullet, and offered advice on producing a meaningful return on investment.
About IPREX
IPREX is one of the world's major corporations of independent public relations and communication firms. Founded in 1983, its 70 partners have 90 offices in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, with annual revenues of $137m. Its 1,290 professionals provide a comprehensive range of services for some of the world's most successful companies.
