The Burson-Marsteller Leadership Institute (BMLI) was launched last week by a group of six marketing and communications firms, including public relations firm Burson-Marsteller China, corporate communications advisory firm Wolf Group Asia; advertising agency Y&R; research firm Penn Schoen Berland (PSB); branding firm Landor Associates; and creative communications and leadership training company Acewood.
BMLI aims to build leadership capacity for communications practitioners and raise the value and awareness of marketing communications amongst decision makers.
What is the idea behind the launch of BMLI in China?
We have recognised the unique need from two groups in China: marketing and communications practitioners and senior executives. This demand requires high value placed on training and skill development that will help growth in the Chinese market.
Corporations or firms are growing with China’s economic development, as well as their individual responsibilities. As companies have set higher expectation for internal marketing and communications departments, we are seeing the increasing demand from PR practitioners to build a big-picture perspective and insight.
Senior executives, who play a strategic role in business development for companies, want to enhance the capabilities and skills to better understand the Chinese market, the role of the communication department, how social media can change the company, and the way to establish engagement.
Who are BMLI’s targeted students?
The institute offers 20 courses in seven specialty areas, which are catered for people from CEO to senior executives, different levels of employees, as well as different functions across organisations. The courses help them with practical skill building, understanding their roles and enhancing personal skills related to communication.
For example, CEOs need to know how to be the spokesperson for the company; government relations need to learn how to take practical steps to build and maintain relations with the Chinese government.
Does BMLI plan to offer the training anywhere else in Asia?
For now, we focus on delivering high-quality, consistent excellence in China and bringing our expertise to meet the needs of the market. But of course, we hope this concept will grow across the world and will tailor relevant courses for specific markets.
Why should PR take the lead in this initiative?
One common factor for success among all businesses is having trust and engagement among a variety of stakeholders. That requires having real relationships and participating in conversations with your stakeholders.
With social media and the way that companies and brands need to focus on stakeholders, the real focus for institutions is on relationships and two/multiple-way conversations among a variety of stakeholders.
Public relations as an industry really understands the focus and reliance on relations and conversations, has a point of view on and can execute strategy in a credible and productive way.
How does this initiative benefit Burson-Marsteller?
BMLI is a traditional business and financial contributor and we will sell our trainings to clients, but the launch of BMLI has also started discussions in looking more holistically at their overall needs and objectives within their organisations and providing tailored, comprehensive training courses and programmes.
BMLI and its promise is aligned with the Burson-Marsteller brand as a skills builder of practitioners, and it is also a useful way to remind and clarify the strategic role of public relations, communications and marketing plays for businesses. This is building on a competency of the B-M organisation as well as an area that we have developed as a service offering. This is to build upon it, to expand it, and properly brand it and present it to the marketplace so that it continues to grow and thrive from a tradition business and financial perspective.