6.
7.
8
9.
CONFIDENTIAL
2
PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE
PUBLIC RELATIONS EFFORT
There is much that can be said in Hong Kong's favour when promoting confidence overseas, so much so that it is both unnecessary and counter-productive to attempt to gloss over any of the difficulties facing the Colony. As a basic principle, especially when the P.R. effort can be made verbally, frank truthfulness imparted with the vigour, colour and self-confidence so typical of the Colony is the best way of fostering an increased awareness of, and confidence in, Hong Kong. It is the colour which evokes the interest, the frankness which inspires the confidence, the performance record which generates the faith and the opportunities thus exposed lead on to the business.
The Overseas Public Relations Co-ordination Committee has considered the question of how far the effort should extend towards influencing public opinion in the target countries. It is considered uneconomic to make over- . seas public opinion a target in itself except in the very important field of tourist promotion. There is little evidence that public opinion affects the retail purchase of Hong Kong's goods, nor is there evidence that it has much of an effect on those who engage or might engage in business with Hong Kong: such business- men are more influenced by other businessmen or direct contact with the leaders of Hong Kong's commerce. Thus, although it might seem desirable to create a favourable inage among the public at large in each country, it is better to apply such efforts to the more specialised field of tourist promotion. The efforts made at reach- ing the more carefully selected targets is of greater importance and is likely to have some impact on the general public: taking everything into account this is about all that can usefully be achieved. Put another way, the precision rifle technique is better than using a shotgun.
Public Relations work is not only best done through individual, personalized contacts ("eyeball to eyeball") but is most effective when Hong Kong is "sold" by someone who knows the Colony well. Such people are those who are engaged full-time on promoting Hong Kong's interests, who have lived in the Colony and who make frequent visits to see, for themselves.
A second group
is those who are interested in the Colony's affairs who can be persuaded to make the trip to Hong Kong and . then be prepared to speak with all the assurance of having seen for themselves: much of the Public Relations effort should be devoted to increasing the number of people in this group. In a third group is the Hong Kong businessman who, when abroad, speaks confidently and knowledgeably about the Colony. The encouragement' and briefing of such a person and the care of him when he is abroad is a vital field of operations. A fourth group consists of those who are well-briefed on Hong Kong affairs by the other groups and able to devote time to talking to others' about them.
The distribution of literature of a promotional nature is an important if subsidiary public relations function which can cover a larger number of people but with less impact. The direct mailing of information about Hong Kong is a way of sustaining the interest and confidence attained by personal contact or visits to the Colony.
CONFIDENTIAL
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