Golin/Harris Forrest to tackle embattled ESF

The agency was initially appointed on an emergency basis in February; a formal pitch followed, with over 20 agencies eventually reduced to a shortlist of three. Bill Sharp, chairman of both the ESF management committee and the taskforce in charge of recommending a PR agency, would not disclose the other agencies involved, but said Golin/Harris was a unanimous choice. "In its proposition and presentation, we were very satisfied that it came down to people who had specialisation in the comms area," said Sharp. "We felt there was a greater depth and range in Golin/Harris' presentation." In charge of 19 schools, the ESF hit Hong Kong's front pages following the controversial appointment of Mike Haynes as chief executive and secretary. An email campaign led by parents questioned Haynes' credentials, with the executive committee refusing to ratify his nomination. Matters rapidly assumed full-blown crisis proportions, with parents conducting a public campaign via newspapers and email. The eventual resignation of the ESF chairman, vice-chairman and treasurer left a power vacuum at the top of the organisation, filled by the election of Felice Lieh-Mak as chairman. In the midst of the drama, allegations of financial misconduct at the ESF surfaced, along with mooted Government plans to make cuts to its annual HK$300 million (US$38.4 million) subsidy. Given the public nature of the ESF's problems, Golin/ Harris Forrest executive director David Dodwell said the communications strategy would involve building back trust with its key stakeholder groups, rather than simply focusing on media relations. "This is a complex organisation, and has had a lot of difficulty communicating across internal stakeholder groups," explained Dodwell. "We have never believed that the ESF can rebound simply by talking to the media. The ESF's primary communications needs are internal to principals, parents, staff and students." "One of the big concerns of shareholder groups was not being aware of what's going on internally and externally," added Sharp. The ESF has previously tapped a number of different agencies to handle its comms needs, but Dodwell said the onus this time was on ensuring a transparent process.