Getting no takers last time, Hong Kong's government again seeks PR agency to repair broken image

Following a failed attempt last year, the Hong Kong government has once again launched its hunt for a PR agency to help rebuild the city’s tarnished image in the wake of widespread social unrest and internationally criticised behaviour by its police force and government officials.

The “Relaunch Hong Kong” tender tasks the pitching agencies to develop a communications strategy, a phased plan, and messaging. This will include timing and phasing the plan to account for a likely continuation of social disturbances and to provide explanations on how to counter negative international perceptions. The key markets for the relaunch will be APAC, North America, and Europe with an aim to present the city as a secure place to live, work, invest, and visit.

The tender, which requires submissions by 15 May 2020, does provide a clear idea of what it expects the two main focuses of a PR strategy to be:

Firstly, it states that it believes it is viewed that the Hong Kong government failed to effectively defend its own decisions or the actions of police during the citywide protests and thinks it should have done more to condemn those that took part and also draw the community against protesters.

Secondly, it hopes that greater emphasis can be put on the government’s role in Hong Kong’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tender cites that though HK$300 billion has been provided in relief measures via the Anti-Epidemic Fund and the 2020-21 Budget, a negative perception of the government’s reaction to the crisis persists.

Though nothing is impossible, in all honesty, is hard for us at Marketing to see how this differs at all from the existing hard stance the government has presented and is doubtful if any PR agency could find an easy way to sell it.

Footage from the last year of protests has led to the almost unanimous condemnation of the Hong Kong Police Force across the globe for alleged incidents of brutality against protesters and unprovoked attacks on civilians and journalists. Yet shockingly, there have been no admonishments by the government or serious admissions of poor judgement. In fact, the recent arrest of multiple democratic figures in recent weeks has only stirred things back up.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government will also be fighting the perception of its seemingly sluggish response at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, failing to immediately shut down the city’s border crossings with the mainland, seemingly downplaying the seriousness of the outbreak, and engaging in a face-off with medical workers. Though in the days since the government has rapidly increased its response to COVID-19, it will find it hard to claim the lion’s share of credit for containing the coronavirus. Online chatter largely presents the city as succeeding in spite of, rather than because of, government action.

It is this cloud of negativity surrounding the Hong Kong government that made it impossible for any PR agencies to take up this job in September 2019. Perhaps enough time has indeed passed since the furious heights of that summer’s protests to lay the groundwork for image repair but with mental wounds still fresh for many and the likelihood of more protests on the way in the months to come, we can only wait and see if any agency takes up the gauntlet.

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