This is a monumental post from Imagethief, and as usual there’s little I can add. Topics include what it’s like working with the Chinese media, government censorship, the “transportation fee” we PR people dole out to Chinese reporters and other assorted insights. And I completely agree with his key point about the multinational PR firms being less corrupt than the locals. I know for a fact that one MNC firm with which I was closely connected lost some big business because they wouldn’t line the pockets of the client decision-makers with kickback mnoney. Yeah, it hurts, but lines have to be drawn somewhere, and I still have a lot of respect for that firm. We did bribe an occasional official for a premit – any company in China that says they don’t do that from time to time is lying – but aside from the mandatory transportation envelope, we never paid journalists and we never gave kickbacks.
I have a lot of thoughts on this topic that’ll have to wait for another day. In the meantime, see Will’s way-above-average post.
1
By lin
No direct money, no no!
But your company can hire some influential people as your consultant. They will work things out for you, and you don’t have to know the detail. Haha..
November 2, 2005 @ 4:41 pm | Comment
2
By richard
Never that I know of. Seriously.
November 2, 2005 @ 4:44 pm | Comment
3
By Will
And not *all* consultants will help you. But if you really want to be corrupt, you can always find a way. In any country.
PS: Richard, thanks for the good review.
November 2, 2005 @ 8:59 pm | Comment