PRWEEK: APCO fends off rivals for InvestHK account

While InvestHK would not comment on the appointment, according to APCO vice-chairman, Asia, Mark Michelson, the renewed brief follows the original request-for-proposal document which was sent out to consultancies in May.

The new remit is a broad progression from InvestHK's former internal communications remit - specifically for investment promotion.

APCO will now handle all InvestHK's marketing communications, including representing the Government's inward investment arm as its official spokesperson; handling publication materials; events; sponsorship; advertising; information management and client and relationship management.

The six consultancies believed to have battled on until the final shoot-out included Burson-Marsteller, Weber Shandwick and Citigate Dewe Rogerson.

"(InvestHK) wanted to make a substantial investment in order to have an impact," Michelson told PRWeek.

"I believe we have some good people with experience and knowledge in the areas required. The fact that we had worked with InvestHK for the past two years gave us added insight into what was called for."

Nevertheless, Michelson noted that thinking beyond what APCO had done before to look forward to new programmes had also been vital.

Implicit in the original brief was the secondment of five consultancy staffers in-house at InvestHK.

Michelson confirmed he would be heading the APCO team working exclusively on the account - and comprising both existing staff and new, targeted hires "merged" with a team of five in-house marketing staff at InvestHK.

Likening the consultancy's all-encompassing role as "a bit like (what) a management consultancy does", Michelson touched on InvestHK's recent high-profile involvement with the problem-plagued Hong Kong HarbourFest.

"We (APCO) will have much more direct involvement in all aspects of communications - including information management - which is important to an organisation like InvestHK."