By Terence Nip
The Hoffman Agency, Beijing
“The medium is the message,” this well-worn phrase coined by philosopher Marshall McLuhan has changed our understanding of communications. According to McLuhan, the medium’s relationship with its message is symbiotic; it shapes how the message is perceived.
In 2012, McLuhan’s message has been given new life in the form of social media and the way it is shaping global communications. In PR, we still straddle the worlds of traditional media (print and broadcast) and Web media (blogs, vlogs, Facebook, Twitter). Coming to grips with this new world can be a “bet the company” decision for PR consultancies.
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It is clear now that success in social media will determine winners and losers in the PR industry. Here at The Hoffman Agency, we took that “bet the company” attitude wholeheartedly, diving straight into Asia’s complex social media-scape.
Now that decision is paying off.
The Hoffman Agency was ranked No. 9 among China’s top 40 PR consultancies by China Internet Week, an influential business publication with an aim to promote the sustainable development of China’s IT industry. Nominations were only open to major in-house PR professionals in Internet companies and IT and business journalists. Hoffman China received high scores in key areas such as media relations (18.3/20), corporate brand management (15.1/20) and social media PR (4.1/5).
Other multinational PR agencies ranked on the list include PR mega shops Ketchum (No. 10), Weber Shandwick (No. 11) and Fleishman-Hillard (No. 12).
The Hoffman Agency has made a mark in the social media landscape outside of China as well. In the United States, it was ranked No. 5 in July on the “Global PR Networks Social Scoreboard,” a ranking of the social media effectiveness of leading global PR consultancies. Hoffman was also named the No. 2 PR agency specializing in strategic social media engagement.
It’s satisfying to see that we have achieved recognition for our agency’s hard work in social media communications. It’s even more satisfying to know that our social media campaigns are clearly getting traction and making a difference for our clients in China and worldwide.
2012 Social Media Communications Services Ranking
