Asian Multinational Corporations Poised for Global Success and Asian Region May be...

Asian Multinational Corporations Poised for Global Success and Asian Region
May be World's Most Influential Economy by 2020
International business and opinion leaders also believe some Asian MNCs will
need to address such weaknesses as lack of cross-cultural global experience
and brand-building investment to capitalize on opportunity, study shows

DALIAN, China, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Multinational corporations based in
China, India, Japan and South Korea have unprecedented opportunity to succeed
in the current global business environment, according to a study released
today by international communications and public affairs consultancy
Fleishman-Hillard.

The study, titled The New Asian Champions, was conducted among an elite group
of high-ranking business executives and opinion leaders, and its findings were
released in Dalian, China, where the World Economic Forum is holding a major
conference.

Among the highlights:
-- 40 percent of respondents see "a great deal of opportunity" in
the current economic environment;
-- 67 percent believe that a "great deal of opportunity" exists
five years from now, given global economic trends;

-- 70 percent agree that "by the year 2020, a China-dominated Asia
will be the most influential region in the global economy."

The survey also revealed a number of challenges Asian multinationals must
overcome in order to capitalize on opportunities outside of their home
markets. While most respondents (72 percent) still view a low cost base and
access to inexpensive labor as the number-one advantage of Asian companies, 35
percent saw a lack of profile and branding as their single greatest weakness.
And a collective 48 percent of participants expressed concern about the impact
of the global economic downturn and a range of other issues that includes lack
of familiarity with foreign markets, cultural and linguistic barriers and
global availability of international distribution channels.

"Clearly, the New Asian Champions have unprecedented opportunities to succeed
globally," said Dave Senay, president and chief executive officer of
Fleishman-Hillard. "However, there is no room for complacency among Asia's top
companies. The leaders we surveyed by no means view Asia's global leadership
as automatic. Now is the time for Asian MNCs with global ambitions to invest
in their brands and in differentiating their products, services and
competitive advantages in business and consumer markets around the world. "

The survey results also indicate that, while such Asian brands as Lenovo, Tata
Group, Hyundai, Daewoo and NEC are widely recognized, many others are not.
Respondents largely attributed this to a relative lack of communications and
branding expertise on the part of some Asian players. For example, 72 percent
agree with the statement, "An investment in communications will be necessary
for Asian multinational corporations to compete in the global marketplace,"
while only 15 percent believe that these companies have all the marketing and
branding expertise they need to compete globally.

The study revealed other communications-related challenges, as well, with 58
percent of respondents agreeing that "Asian multinational corporations need
more visibility to compete with companies in the U.S. and Europe." Only 11
percent of respondents say that companies from the region have the public
affairs expertise to succeed in the global arena.

"This survey's findings mirror my own experiences advising companies in Asia,"
commented Patrick Chovanec, assistant professor, School of Economics and
Management, Tsinghua University. "Asian multinationals have demonstrated their
mastery of the production process, advanced technologies, and succeeding at
home. Many agree that these companies produce the best quality for the lowest
prices worldwide. It is the 'soft skills' - the ability to communicate value,
to build strong emotional bonds with customers, to navigate unfamiliar
cultures and political systems - that often present Asia's top firms with
their greatest challenge."

"The fast-growing economies of India and North Asia have provided
unprecedented opportunities for today's Asian MNCs," Senay added. "As they
continue to grow and take on new markets, the next few years will test their
ability to reinvent themselves into global success stories."

The study was conducted in the month of August among 130 high-ranking business
executives, members of the financial community, academics, think tank leaders,
government officials and regulators. Participants were identified through a
variety of resources and included several members of Fleishman-Hillard's
International Advisory Board (a client resource that brings together an array
of distinguished thought leaders from the private and public sectors), as well
as subject-matter experts identified by two independent research and service
companies that partnered with Fleishman-Hillard on the study.

The sample was drawn from these resources to obtain the opinions and insights
of a geographically and demographically diverse, yet specifically targeted,
mix of high-ranking and influential individuals, as opposed to a randomly
selected sample. Thus, sampling error is not applicable.

About Fleishman-Hillard
Fleishman-Hillard Inc., one of the world's leading public relations firms, has
built its reputation by using strategic communications to deliver what its
clients value most: meaningful, positive, and measurable impact on the
performance of their organizations. The firm is widely recognized for
excellent client service and a strong company culture founded on teamwork,
integrity, and personal commitment. Based in the U.S., the firm operates
throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, South Africa, and
Latin America through its 80 owned offices. For more information, visit the
Fleishman-Hillard Web site at www.fleishman.com.

Fleishman-Hillard is a part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC)
(www.omnicomgroup.com). Omnicom is a leading global advertising, marketing and
corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous
specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying,
interactive, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other
specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100
countries.

SOURCE Fleishman-Hillard Inc.

Joanne Wong, +852 9427 1249, joanne.wong@fleishman.com, or Carmen Tse, +852
9642 8723, carmen.tse@fleishman.com, both of Fleishman-Hillard Inc.