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China Tourism Tuesday Episode 10
11 Plays5 months ago
We talk to Ella Lu, Media Relations Specialist at Create Consulting, about opportunities, risks, quirks and current trends in dealing with China's complex media landscape. From state media to trade media, Ella covers crisis communications, familiarisation trips, what do avoid and how to best support Chinese media.
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Transcript
Introduction to China Tourism Tuesdays
00:00:01
Speaker
Hello and welcome to China Tourism Tuesdays, podcast and discussion about how to promote international travel destinations in the China market.
Expert Guest Introduction: Ella Lu
00:00:12
Speaker
Now, today we have a very interesting guest with us today here, my colleague Ella Lu from Create Consulting. She manages our media relations and a ton of other ah very complex tasks in the China market.
Ella Lu's Background and Expertise
00:00:29
Speaker
Ella, could I ask you to quickly introduce yourself ah for our listeners? Yeah, sure. So and now I will introduce myself. ah This is Ella.
00:00:40
Speaker
I'm working for media relations for more than 10 years. So I'm not an expert, but I can deliver some perspective from my side.
Role of Media in China's Tourism
00:00:53
Speaker
Hi, everybody. It's Michael here. So let me just start off with the first question for Ella. So Ella, we live in a digital age nowadays. um You've worked in both the digital and and in the traditional media relations.
00:01:08
Speaker
How do you view the two, the traditional and the new media, ah with regards to China outbound tourism industry? ah Yes, the two ah traditional media and new media media are also playing an important role in tourism ah destinations to make marketing in China.
00:01:30
Speaker
For example, the traditional media is still important because ah it's mainly the general media and governmental media. So that's playing an important role for know some ah activities. For example,
00:01:48
Speaker
a ah um so ah For example, some forum or offline events that we organized in China mainland market, we can invite the traditional media because they have the most you know ah ah can they have the most of all followers. This is the most um effective way to get everyone's attention.
00:02:16
Speaker
So is governmental media are more important for this events marketing?
The Impact of New Media
00:02:24
Speaker
And, you know, for new media, which is quite important for nowadays ah campaigns, media campaigns.
00:02:35
Speaker
For example, we have the KOLs, you know, the pyramid KOL model. They have different levels of KOLs. ah And also the the vertical platforms like, you know, Ma Fung Wuo, the Little Red Books.
00:02:53
Speaker
And also nowadays the videos platform is also very important. We can see the Shiping Tao and the Douyin Tao.
00:03:07
Speaker
Even Xiao Hong Shu, the videos are still ah the most influential ways to show tourism.
Trade and Government Media's Influence
00:03:18
Speaker
And tell me quickly, so in the traditional media, so I think you hinted it a little bit with the traditional media sorry with the the government media, then you've also got the more lifestyle consumer media, you've got business media, but then you've also got the tourism trade media.
00:03:37
Speaker
ah What are your views on ah making use of them for the Chinese outbound ah tourism industry? yeah Do they still have relevance ah for for the market? yeah the ah trade media are more related to the travel agencies to the and trade ah related platforms so um they often they will get the updates from both the destinations outbound and inbound.
00:04:12
Speaker
So, ah and also they will organize some offline events and will you invite the the travel agencies, even DMCs, some tourism boards.
00:04:25
Speaker
So, so they ah trade media is a good platform for B-side, i i mean.
00:04:35
Speaker
So if we organize some offline events, we definitely will invite the trade media to um
00:04:47
Speaker
broaden the influence.
00:04:51
Speaker
Okay. And then um from the government media side, which which in your mind are the most important government government media to engage with, again, from the tourism destination marketing kind of perspective? Lin-Man newspaper.
00:05:16
Speaker
And also we can see it it now, nowadays the media has not only the newspaper, but also and the websites and there's digital side, different platforms.
00:05:29
Speaker
ah It will reach more people from different um
00:05:36
Speaker
ways. And for, you know, some um overseas events, you know, CRI,
00:05:45
Speaker
is also good for a odd bond tourism and also some international events.
00:05:57
Speaker
For example, and ah for last year, there is a big forum for China and Africa.
Content Strategies for Chinese Media
00:06:05
Speaker
So a lot of so ah lot also of African presidents and the high-level officials come to Beijing to attend this forum.
00:06:16
Speaker
So lots of cha ah lot lots of ah traditional media, the governmental media, they get...
00:06:27
Speaker
how do you say
00:06:35
Speaker
and they have a mission to get the first-hand information from the African high-level ministers or officials.
00:06:51
Speaker
So we got at that time, i got a mission that too inish to initiate a media prince media event for the South Africa president.
00:07:03
Speaker
So I invite ah some high-level interviews from CCTV and also CRI and Renmin People's Daily and also some other authoritative media to attend the event and organize the Q&A part
00:07:34
Speaker
Ella, can I ask you you've dealt with many, many media events, such as the the South African one that you mentioned before. I was wondering if you could tell us a bit about what do what are the ways in which foreign destinations can support Chinese media in helping them to cover their their destinations and you know they're events? I think, of for example, the Hongbao,
00:07:59
Speaker
um custom in China, but what what can what can destinations and international tourism players do to support the Chinese media better?
00:08:12
Speaker
a First, the media need contents. If we can provide the contents they want, so we we don't need to pay money. But, you know, ah because the marketing is bilingual, if we have needs, but they don't need much, so we have to meet in their requirements.
00:08:35
Speaker
So we need some budget to do this. And i've I've noticed something that's very interesting. I see many state media publications, you know, whether they are state, whether they are B2B publications, they all seem to be moving towards video.
00:08:50
Speaker
um It seems like reading text is becoming less and less popular. Would it be fair to say that you need to have a short video content library if you're going to engage with Chinese media? Or is that too much to say that?
00:09:08
Speaker
ah Yeah, video is quite ah influential in China because it's short and people can use their spare time to view this and to know what really happens in maybe 30 seconds.
00:09:23
Speaker
So it's important for us to have a video library for the media that they will download the videos and cut what they want. yeah to make a better video but you know for ah for some offline events the make if we can provide some video information without any you know logos or um some elements that they can just free edit that will be good for them.
Navigating Sensitive Topics in Media
00:09:57
Speaker
Right, I understand that that it's it's always important for the media to be able to access content, um video and image content that they can use without copyright um concerns.
00:10:10
Speaker
That's something that I've seen as well. I don't know if you agree with that Ella. Yes. Now, when when it comes to foreign delegations coming to China and you know different countries trying to you know make an impression on the Chinese media, I was wondering if you could maybe give us a general idea, and I know this is a very complex topic and there's many, many things that one should avoid or or not do, but what should international countries and destinations avoid when dealing with Chinese media?
00:10:38
Speaker
um That depends on different events. For example, if this is an international forum, so it's sensitive to mention the relationship of Taiwan and China mainland.
00:10:53
Speaker
Because in China mainland, it's one China, right? But some countries will don't pay this as... um they will They will negate that, yeah. Yeah, yeah big because I have found some you know overseas countries, their website has the word map. That's very sensitive. Yeah, I can imagine that.
00:11:12
Speaker
yeah And then I also wanted to ask along those kind of issues, um when there are, for example, problems in the tourism destinations, which would then lead to what we call the umbrella term for is issues and crisis management.
Crisis Management in Tourism Media
00:11:31
Speaker
I would like to get a bit of an idea from you. Like, for example, if Chinese ah tourists are harmed in in a tourist destination or or worse, or if there's a danger around their safety, or if there's also been, for example, like an outbreak of a new type of virus or something like that, um when it comes to crisis communications, what, what do you think is the required kind of media mix like ah it would would one focus exclusively on the new media or the traditional media or how what would you see as the best kind of way of going about to help solve problems through crisis communication Regarding to the crisis management, I think the first thing for the countries have to do is to release the statement for safety concern.
00:12:33
Speaker
Because, you know, just the yeah a few days ago that Mian Dian earthquake, you know, um yeah yeah earthquake has a very negative influence on ah tourism also related to you know Thailand so I noticed the government first issue some state-owned official statement not only in the Thailand tourism authority but also you know the TSAP this is for for their Thailand exhibition yeah
00:13:15
Speaker
authority as well and even some hotel ah groups also released the official statement as well so this is the first hand first ah thing we have to do and the government or state-owned media will ah forward their statement to la to let the audience know, the consumers know it's quite safe and still good for tourists to go to travel. And then we have to update what we do to solve this problem.
00:13:58
Speaker
to give positive feedback to the one who concerned this. And we have to add let the media to convey this information to them.
The Life of Chinese Journalists
00:14:10
Speaker
So that is positive content should be released after this. Also, furthermore, um this is possibly a ah question i should have asked you at the very beginning of the show, actually, but I'm going to take a step back now and actually ask you about this now.
00:14:31
Speaker
um From your experience of dealing with Chinese journalists, can you give us a bit of a rough idea, a bit of an understanding of what is the day in the life of a Chinese journalist?
00:14:48
Speaker
um My question meaning like, are they really, really, are they busy or they're not so busy? Do they have pressure or no pressure?
00:14:59
Speaker
the day a journalist? Just to get a bit of an eye understanding of what's happening in their minds, what's happening in their brains during the day, um following which I'll definitely like to ask one or two further questions about it, but ah how how do you see the the normal day in the life feels?
00:15:18
Speaker
Naturally, things have also changed again with the new media. um Yeah, I'd just like to have a bit of an understanding from your side of ah how you view a day in the life for your average Chinese journalist.
00:15:30
Speaker
um That depends on what kind of media they are. For example, if the reporter or journalist is focused on political or focus on local events, so they are busy going outside to see what really happens, to attend events, to make reports.
00:15:51
Speaker
um This is for... ah some events reporter and then we can say some lifestyle or some magazines even the magazines they also have you know ah social media platforms they have to ah broaden their they have to explore their contents to the little rats to weibo wechat all these platforms they have to multiple their ah
00:16:24
Speaker
platforms and to reach the audience. So this, they will be um very busy on what kind of contents they want to, they will do some survey to their consumers, what's the hot topic among them.
00:16:47
Speaker
So they will looking for this kind of contents ah For example, I i know a chat editor. She always posts her needs on WeChat moments for, oh, we are now looking for some sustainability hotels.
00:17:10
Speaker
So this kind of hotels, if you had promotional or marketing needs, you can reach me. Yeah. And also they view...
00:17:22
Speaker
um make a content calendar at the very beginning of the year. But, you know, it will be changed according to some events, maybe ah in the following and month.
00:17:37
Speaker
But um follow their content calendar, they will maybe focus on animals or focus on tourism,
00:17:50
Speaker
focus on world heritage or some different themes, contents. So if we get good relationship with them, we also have enough contents and good contents to provide that to them.
00:18:05
Speaker
So that will be ah demands rate meat. We can get the meat explorer and they can get good contents. So some editors are busy for this part.
00:18:18
Speaker
Yeah.
Building Relationships with Media
00:18:19
Speaker
And so I'm assuming that most of the journalists that you engage with, so they are busy people. um They've got deadlines.
00:18:30
Speaker
um Yeah. And so then my next question would be, how important is it to, in this day and age, still to have good relationships with with the journalists? Let me put it this way. So say, for example, you've got a relationship with...
00:18:48
Speaker
journalist number one and I'm a foreigner and I've just landed in Beijing and somebody gives me the contact of journalist number one as me as a complete stranger and I'd contact journalist number one how easy am I going to be able to persuade that person versus somebody like you who who has a relationship with them in place already
00:19:19
Speaker
ah Sorry, the question is, you want me to help you to... No, so my my my um question is, how important is it still to have relationships ah with the various Chinese journalists?
00:19:32
Speaker
I mean, is that a case where life is made easier for everybody involved, like yourself and the journalists, if you have a relationship in place with them?
00:19:43
Speaker
that that you can pitch them for for new news ah angles? or or i mean Or how easy would it be as a complete stranger to contact a journalist for the first time to try and pitch them news versus a person who's got a relationship in place with them?
00:20:01
Speaker
ah Okay, I got you. ah and This is in China. You know, gui is quite quite initially important. So for example, if we got if we reach the same ah journalist, and we have the ah for project that maybe we can get 10 pages of magazine contents, but maybe you can, but if you are not familiar with this, maybe you can just get eight.
00:20:32
Speaker
So the extra two is, you know, related to้ไฟ. Oh, this is only one thing. The other thing is, ah if we are ah with close media relationship, we know what they need and they will request us.
00:20:47
Speaker
So this is Q&A. These questions, we have answers that that demands meat. But if you are just to know each other, we are not familiar with it with each other. We we did didn't know the requirements.
00:21:01
Speaker
So we cannot get this
00:21:05
Speaker
yeah ah yeah media coverage. And then, you know for nowadays the QL, as I mentioned, is very important. If you had good relationship, ah you can...
00:21:18
Speaker
maybe get them a free trip. But if not familiar, maybe they will quote your budget to travel. So that depends on how good relationship you are and, you know, to ah meet or to make a mutual, you know, benefits together.
Understanding the KOL Model
00:21:38
Speaker
Yeah.
00:21:39
Speaker
And I mean, as you're talking about KOLs now, influencers, I think that there is a bit of a, understanding a belief at least out there that all KOLs are um quite proud people, um quite difficult to deal with.
00:22:01
Speaker
ah But I'm assuming that's not the case. I'm assuming that some KOLs are easier to work with than others, but but some are very reasonable and professional like everybody else kind of thing.
00:22:14
Speaker
ah What is your view on engaging and dealing with KOLs?
00:22:21
Speaker
yeah Yeah, for KOLs, just as I mentioned at the very beginning, there is a pyramid KOL model in China market.
00:22:32
Speaker
So they are head KOLs and also mid-tier KOLs. Even some ah users as a KOC yeah so they are all ah if we reach them we have to get very detailed ah demands from them Ella, I was wanting to get your opinion on, you know, as a Chinese citizen yourself, as someone who reads the Chinese media, when you're looking at international destination, you're considering to maybe travel there or you're forming your ideas about a place.
Media's Role in Travel Planning
00:23:20
Speaker
Can you give us an idea of how you individually and your maybe your friends and family, which media do you guys follow to form your ideas and perceptions about a destination?
00:23:34
Speaker
ah If I want to travel, if I want to travel, I make travel notes, then I will looking for, you know, my phone wall to make my itinerary because it has more ah detailed information and i can organize my itinerary.
00:23:52
Speaker
But if I just arrived this place, I want to find some unique things or highlights. I will use the little red, the little red notes. it will recommend me which is the good restaurants which place you must go so um yeah these two platforms i use most and also if i want to book something i usually go to ctrip and for air tickets maybe i use qinar
00:24:25
Speaker
So it will be a model for Chinese tourists. We have trained to get different platforms, to get different contents.
00:24:37
Speaker
And for the for an older generation, for example, perhaps those who are already retired, it seems to me like they take in a lot of, um you know, the traditional Chinese state media and maybe some traditional media like magazines and newspapers and so on.
00:24:55
Speaker
Yeah, the magazines and the state-owned media, their recommendation will be very important to for me to make my decision to go there. For example, I'm i'm interested in Jordan. I want to go.
00:25:12
Speaker
but the if the state media delivers some positive news on this, I will, oh, it's time to go. will rebuild my confidence in this destination. I will go there.
00:25:25
Speaker
Of course, and it it seems like it would be even more so for for those who are retired and who are looking to to travel internationally. And the conversion is obviously true as well if the the coverage is negative.
00:25:37
Speaker
I mean, I think you've seen firsthand how that just almost turns off the demand completely for a destination, and that's something that you guys often pick up you know before you even see it in the media you find it through the travel agencies already they're talking amongst themselves and um yeah the perception has already been shaped yeah and also the the magazines if i read through the magazine and you know machu bichu just to come to my mind i just oh this place is very good i want to
00:26:11
Speaker
ah to find more information on this. on this So I will yes search the information and will pay a visit in the future, but maybe not nearly, but in the future, I must be there.
Case Study: Filmmakers in Jordan
00:26:27
Speaker
So some magazines and ah marketing is also very important for, you know, train the consumers to broad to ah fix the confidence or the image branding for the destination.
00:26:51
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, speaking on that, um and this this also could be quite interesting to chat about a little bit.
00:27:02
Speaker
A few months ago, you traveled to Jordan ah to take a group of documentary filmmakers. Tell us a little bit more about that.
00:27:15
Speaker
Oh, this this is a media trip that focuses... They are shooting a CCTV documentary for Jordan. They have four episodes.
00:27:28
Speaker
Correct me if I'm wrong. You went when the war in Gaza was still continuing, right? Yeah. And so, i mean, like my first question would be, i mean, ah naturally people were bit concerned for for that part of the world during that time because of the war that was going on.
00:27:46
Speaker
um But um just just personally for yourself, did you did you feel safe going there? Did did did you have any fears about traveling there yourself? Yes, it's quite safe. Even in... um Madaba, I'm on the sea, I'm on the Red Sea.
00:28:05
Speaker
is I can Israel on my opposite side. It's very near and it's very transic, it is quiet. is is quiet It's just a normal day.
00:28:18
Speaker
Nothing tension, nothing, um you know, on fire or something. Just ah as we have heard from the media that is quite tense, quite dangerous in that place. No, it's just in the media. It's not in the reality.
00:28:37
Speaker
So during my whole trip in Jordan, every day it's safe. And every day I really do enjoy the trip in Jordan.
00:28:49
Speaker
and And the media that were traveling with you, so you said they do four episodes. ah Firstly, like number one, what were their personal attitudes at the time? ah were Were they also quite positive?
00:29:02
Speaker
And then my second question would be, ah but ah what was the result of the trip with the documentary group? ah Yes, they ah have the same feeling with ah with me, that they feel safe for the Jordan trip.
00:29:20
Speaker
And they are very, very satisfied and thank you for Jordan tourism that provide such marvelous, marvelous, you know,
00:29:31
Speaker
ah site for them
Conclusion and Contact Information
00:29:35
Speaker
to shoot. And they also have reached some cultural and film related.
00:29:42
Speaker
ah yeah like themes, topics. Yeah, topics and some directors they have interviewed as well. Well, thank you very much Ella for joining us here today to chat a bit about the world of Chinese media.
00:29:58
Speaker
And yeah, if you have any questions or inquiries about the topic that we discussed today or you want to chat to us about our media and sales perspectives, feel free to send us an email at marketing at cconsulting.com.cn or you can search for us on LinkedIn.