Announcing PR360Asia: Invitation-only conference, followed by PRWeek Awards Asia

The PR industry has undergone significant changes in recent years and continues to evolve and never has the need for high-level communications counsel by brands been more pronounced. It is against this backdrop that Campaign Asia-Pacific is proud to announce the launch of the PR360Asia conference, an invitation-only event that aims to define the industry and probe the business and economic issues that lie at its heart.

The conference will draw on the insights of respected top-level industry practitioners, both regional and global. 

The conference will be followed by the PRWeek Awards Asia, chaired by Simon Sproule, CVP of global marketing communications at Nissan. New categories this year will include Non-profit Campaign of the Year; Best Use of Social Media and Best Use of Analytics.

Conference agenda

1 Defining PR

The rapid expansion of social platforms and advances in technology have brought about a sea-change in the industry. With ‘social business’ sitting in undefined space, many clients are re-shaping their businesses to adapt to the needs of the real-time communication landscape. Similarly, agencies—whether PR, media, creative or a new breed of PE-backed ventures—are morphing in order to win their share of the social pot. What will the future of PR look like? Is PR as a discipline, in the traditional sense, becoming defunct?

2 The profits and perils of integration

An increasing number of firms are merging their marketing and communications in order to ensure an assimilated strategy across the business. Similarly, the need for technologically capable professionals involved in the marketing and communications process is growing daily. What are the profits and perils to integration and collaboration? Is the industry moving towards a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ mentality and away from one of specialisation? What will the leaders of the future look like? Are we witnessing the birth of the CMO/CIO/CTO hybrid?

3 Client sentiment: the megapitch

Clients are, more than ever, under intense pressure to improve efficiency and stretch their budgets. With procurement professionals scrutinising every element of the business, the notion of the ‘megapitch’ has emerged, where one agency across multiple disciplines takes complete control of the life-cycle of an entire strategy. This session will showcase a leading client highlighting the key components that brands are looking for when determining the ultimate winner of the megapitch.

4 Investor sentiment: demand & supply

The future of the industry is PR thinking, as good content and clever brand journalism is driving engagement and enhancing profits—according to PR professionals. This session will consider the investor’s viewpoint: what are the core elements that private equity and venture capitalist firms consider when making investments into the world of advertising and communications? What specifically is attractive about the new breed of loss-leading technology-driven ventures? How are technology, data and personnel directing investment away from the traditional sphere and how should established firms adapt?

5 The ROI of big data

Using data to drive PR campaigns and decisions should be nothing new; yet big data presents a previously unseen volume and variety of potentially actionable data. How is the PR community uniquely positioned to make full use of big data and derive value from it? Featuring examples of industries and organisations that have effectively harnessed the power of Big Data, this session will take an in-depth look at what big data is, the value proposition and the risks it presents to the communications ecosystem, and whether ‘big data’ really equals ‘big PR’.

6 The dos and don’ts of real-time

Whether it’s managing a social media crisis in a timely fashion or taking advantage of a short-term viral trend to generate new content and drive engagement with consumers, there is an increasing need for brands to be agile and respond to the public in real-time. This session will consider the key ingredients needed to build an effective real-time response strategy, including resources, protocols, policies and potential pitfalls.

7 Employees: walking reputational risks

Social platforms like Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook are putting corporate reputation in the hands of employees. With positive thumbs at work, your employees can be your biggest brand ambassadors and therefore a massive asset to your organisation. However, on a bad day, they can also be the biggest risk to your reputation. You can’t stop them, but how can you foster and build policies and potentially construct internal platforms to drive engagement with your employees and ensure that when they talk about your company, they’re saying the right things?

8 The youth vote: attracting emerging talent

Acquiring, nurturing and retaining top quality staff is the biggest challenge facing clients and agencies across the industry. ‘Sexier’ or more established and lucrative professions tend to attract the brightest and best talent. How can the industry work together to foster and promote PR to future stars? How are young guns changing the way the industry operates? How do firms keep hold of them with competition excessively rife? And, how do you manage the dreaded prima donna who is essential to your business?

9 Regional ethics

The pay-for-play ecosystem is still very much in existence, whether it’s via blogs, advertorials, brand ambassadors or keeping dodgy deeds quiet. How is this paradigm viewed by regional audiences, especially in light of the ‘black PR’ framework in China? At what point do ethical considerations supersede business opportunities? And how do you police local offices
and staff in jurisdictions that are historically and culturally renowned for questionable ethics?

10 Content creation and curation

Connecting with consumers is no longer about simply getting the message out but rather starting the right conversation built around relevant, strategic content in line with brand and product portfolio. What is the right mix between content curation and creation? How are traditional brands managing the transition to becoming content producers/curators? And how do brands ensure that in addition to producing and curating quality content, the appropriate resources, infrastructure and governance procedures are in place to distribute it and monitor engagement levels?