Weber Shandwick Sparks Competition in PR Market
By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Edelman, Hill & Knowlton and a pack of other multinational public relations firms are up and running here in Korea. But a new challenger, Weber Shandwick, is in town ― and its global chief says his agency has its own PR sauce.
``We have our own way of telling a story,'' Andy Polansky, Weber Shandwick president, told The Korea Times, Friday. ``At the end of the day, companies are always looking to differentiate themselves from competitors and that's what we specialize in.''
From corporate crisis communications to general public affairs work, Weber Shandwick provides custom marketing solutions to many of the world's largest companies.
Having launched in Seoul late last year, the firm has already locked in a number of clients, including Dow Chemical and American Airlines.
``It's a high priority for us to establish a presence in Korea,'' said Polansky. ``Many Korean firms have emerged as dominant players in the world and we're here to work with them.''
The visiting executive said the PR agency's local operation will aim to become a top three player in the next three years.
``Considering our performance in other markets, we're confident about our growth,'' he said. Weber Shandwick currently has offices in 77 markets around the world.
Polansky said marketing services and competition have changed over the years, as he highlighted the importance of adding social media to a business's marketing mix.
``Social media is clearly on the rise. It's no longer just about traditional media because there is so much opportunity to meet with potential consumers online,'' he said. ``There is an obvious shift in companies' desire to go toward a digital platform.''
In leading the trend, Weber Shandwick's local office, Polansky said, will also put emphasis on integrating social media as a marketing tool.
He stressed, however, that a top agency should be able to look ahead and beyond today's trends.
``There are always going to be new platforms. They may be different today and maybe five years later,'' he said. ``What we do is to look around the corner and see what's emerging as a new tool.''
Coming out of a year where many businesses rolled back marketing costs, the veteran PR expert said he's upbeat that 2010 will see a turnaround.
``Our business is a leading indicator of the economy because we work with so many sectors in so many locations,'' he said.
With healthy signs of growth in many markets, Polansky said he is ``reasonably optimistic'' about this year.