Briefing document.doc

Datacraft Group Media Interview Briefing DocumentJuly 2, 2004 BeijingGeneral programme arrangementDate: July 2, 2004Time: 10:40am 12:30pm Venue: Lily Room, 2/F, Sheraton Great Wall Hotel Format: group media interviewSpokesperson: Francis Yip, Managing Director, Greater China Peter Williams, Head of Solution Development Group Keri Lewis, General Manager, Security SolutionProgramme rundown10:45amPre-event briefing between Datacraft executives and PR agency 10:55amMedia registration11:00am-11:10amWelcome remarks and corporate introduction by Francis Yip (10 minutes in Putonghua)11:10am-11:30amPresentation on New World Solutions by Peter Williams - Key message to focus on services and solutions to help businesses grow(20 minutes including sequential interpretation)11:30am-11:50amIntroduction on the launch of the Wormkiller solution by Keri Lewis(20 minutes including sequential interpretation)11:50am-12:30pmQ&A12:30pm-1:00pmDemoRoom set-up Round table for 8 persons Pencils, pads on the table One screen One laptop and 1 LCD projectorPress kit contents: Roadshow release (Chinese version) Datacraft, Checkpoint and Resilience team up release (Chinese version) Presentation handouts (Chinese version) Corporate backgrounder (Chinese version) Bio of speakers (Chinese version)Target media list1. Zhao Xia, China Computerworld2. Zhang Jianming, China Networkworld3. Yin Zhihua, Communications WorldMedia profile 1. China ComputerworldAs the most influential general IT newspaper in China, China Computerworld caters to all industries with an interest in IT. It has a special section on network and communications. It is a weekly newspaper with a circulation of 230,000, the largest among Chinas IT publications. Profile of Zhao Xia, Reporter Zhao Xia has been working at China Computerworld for more than three years. She has solid experience on IT industry reports and has interviewed many top IT companies.2. China NetworkworldFounded in 1984, it is the biggest networking trade publication in China with focuses on industry news, technology, products, applications and market information. It is a weekly newspaper with a circulation of 97,000.Profile of Zhang Jianming, ReporterZhang has been working with China Networkworld for more than two years. He is now responsible for the reporting of new telecom developments. 3. Communications WorldA telecom trade publication covering all aspects related to the development of the telecom industry. It is known for its comprehensive contents, which cover technology, products, market analysis, news and special reports. It is a weekly newspaper with a circulation of 100,000. Profile of Yin Zhihua, ReporterYin is a skilled journalist in telecom reporting with rich knowledge and experience. He has been working with the publication for over 3 years. Media interested questions1. In your opinion, what is the common practice for IT deployment and management? What problems it is facing?2. How does Datacraft help enterprise to build new, easier and more reasonable IT infrastructure?3. Dadacraft is the leading independent IT services company in Asia Pacific. What does the “independent” mean? Whats the position that Datacraft has in the global IT service area?4. Hows Datacraft business development in China? Who are your major customers?5. Whats the purpose of the New World Solution roadshow?6. How do you view your target markets in China? What are the business opportunities for Datacraft?7. What are Datacrafts competitive edges over other competitors?8. How do you view IT outsourcing service?9. Can you help with the second development on some specific products to meet customers requirements?10. What are Datacrafts focused industries right now? What are your focused industries in the future?11. Datacraft has been keeping close cooperation with 10 world-leading companies. Are you planning to establish similar cooperation with local Chinese enterprises?Appendix: 1. China Media OverviewAs befits a population of 1.3 billion, China has an extensive media market. At the end of 2003, there were more than 2,000 newspapers, 9,000 magazines, and 3,000 TV and radio stations in operation. In addition to traditional publications, new media such as online portals, news websites and outdoor billboards play an increasingly important role in public awareness. In response to the growing popularity of online media, most of the leading print publications have now launched online versions.Chinese people rely heavily on news media for information gathering. TV is considered the most effective means of information dissemination. Brand awareness plays a key role in purchasing decisions.Journalism is a highly respected, prestigious career in China. Journalists have a high regard for themselves and expect interviewees to treat them with respect. However, in spite of their high social status, Chinese reporters are not well paid. Whats more, their publications do not reimburse them for any travel expenses they incur. It is therefore common practice for vendors to sponsor reporters travel expenses by reimbursing each journalist with approximately RMB200-500 (US$25-50) for attending a press event.Some newer media, especially those that aim to be as international as possible and profit from increased circulation, spend a lot of money hiring high-quality journalists and editors. These publications focus on in-depth, investigative (in practice, often negative) reporting and disdain run-of-the-mill stories derived from attending press events.In 2003, the government took an important step towards reforming Chinas print media. It ended mandatory subscriptions to Communist Party and government-run newspapers, the backbone of the countrys traditional state-owned newspaper management system, which had remained almost untouched for decades. The reform is designed to help the media to monitor the government and safeguard social justice more effectively.Beijing capital city and media hubBeijing is not only the capital city of China, it is also the countrys media hub and home to hundreds of publications. Because of the citys political and historical background, more than 80% of Chinas national media and most IT publications are based in Beijing. As a result, an average IT press event can attract more than 40 journalists, while a major business or political announcement can easily attract more than 100.IT mediaChinas vast IT media market is fiercely competitive and driven unquestionably by advertising revenues. Vendors that advertise are treated preferentially when it comes to editorial coverage. In terms of quality, the top-tier national IT publications in China are similar to their US counterparts. Since most are joint ventures between multinational publishers and Chinese government agencies, their editorial style is influenced by the high-tech content of international media. Dos and donts If you know some Putonghua (Mandarin), use it. Even simple phrases such as good morning and thank you are appreciated and help endear you to Chinese people. When you do this, they may giggle or laugh. This is a sign of mild social embarrassment. They do not mean to disparage your gesture. Dont expect too many questions in a formal session. Attendees often feel more comfortable asking questions afterwards in small groups or one-to-one. Dont expect too much reaction during your presentation. Chinese people tend to show little emotion and can be very still. This makes it hard to read the audience, which can be unnerving at first. Avoid complex expressions, buzz phrases popular in the West, sayings or idioms as these may not be understood. Avoid abstract language, which can be hard to translate. Use a concrete example to illustrate an abstract concept. Do not use the word country when referring to Hong Kong or Taiwan. Taiwan is regarded as a province of China by the PRC government and Hong Kong is a special administrative region (SAR) of China. When referring to your business in these places, use the word market instead. Avoid using phrases like entered the Chinese market when referring to your companys China experience. Use started to work in China instead. Position your company as willing to invest in, and transfer technology to, C