Digital leader LG hosts PR Forum for Middle East & Africa agencies

The two-day forum, December 13-14, focused on strategy and best practices, and highlighted LG's emphasis on using PR to build brand credibility and crisis communications.

More than 30 delegates from PR consultancies across the region, and senior LG officials discussed strategy and best practices at LG's regional headquarters in Dubai. PR agency representatives from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Turkey, Nigeria, Kenya, Algeria, South Africa, Pakistan and Tunisia attended the forum, themed 'Building Brand Believers'.

During the award ceremony, Polaris Beirut which only began working for the South Korean multinational in July 2005 was among the agencies that received a trophey from LG Electronics' Middle East and Africa operations after generating a consistently high share of voice for the LG brand in Lebanon.

"For any growing technology company, expanding public relations efforts on a global level is an important strategic initiative," said Hamad Malik, Director, Marketing & Corporate Communications, LG Electronics Middle East & Africa Operations.

"As we expand our operations and business efforts, we recognise the importance of targeted coordination and the implementation of global corporate communications campaigns. Effective global communications requires well thought-out and executed strategies that can be tailored for success across multiple cultures and markets. This is where regional PR Forums play a role; it helps strengthen our systems and gives us the opportunity to share information and explore new opportunities with our communications partners."

The delegates worked together in a series of training workshops on key topics such as crisis communication, strategic planning in public relations, reputation management, corporate social responsibility and building winning relationships.

"Today's consumer is far more sophisticated and even more sceptical of advertising messages. By using PR, we can break through that wall of scepticism. The emergence of PR as a branding tool is not so much a revolution as an evolution. Ultimately, a brand is a perception; the challenge is to motivate a significant majority of the audience being targeted to perceive a brand in a positive, desired manner," explained Malik.

To further advance the discipline of PR in the region, LG will host another communications forum in the first half of 2006.