Glenn Leibowitz

Yes, I'm a LINKMAKER™. It's about developing international relations. Please join me (complimentary registration) on the GLOBAL-TVtalkshow I'm calling "GOOD MORNING APAC", broadcasting on the GlobalBusinessNews-MEDIAnetwork Monday 25NOV starting 5pm California... Tuesday 26NOV across APAC. Produced "live" using my ZOOM and recording for extensive streaming worldwide subsequent to the original production date... global free access 365/7-24 ... to across the GlobalBusinessNews-Medianetwork, anchored by youtube, by linkedin, by GlobalBusinessNews.net, and further via several media outlets. All global free access 365/7-24. Note: All programs are cosponsored by brands having an established marketing budget coupled with a strong desire to develop international relations, cultural knowledge and understanding as a base for possible business opportunity. Run-time 60 minutes. GOOD MORNING APAC will enable business intros, goodwill and conversation about industry trends and about BRANDS, personal and professional. No direct selling will happen, simply conversation. I will Moderate. BestPractice MediaPrep: I invite each participant to send me in advance their Talking Points... key words/phrases identifying 1 or 2 or 3 things very important to them as we end 2024 and look at '25. Participating, by doing this MediaPrep you become informed and I become informed. Preparation is key to success, a pathway to being very effective on a tv-talkshow; so yes it's content collaboration...a true win/win. Send me your (1 or 2 or 3) TALKING POINTS via linkedin or my email publisher@globalbusiness.media. As Editor/Broadcaster/Moderator I'm inviting business people who are located in the Americas to join me and a few others to be in an unscripted, unrehearsed conversation with a few good people located across the APAC ... Here's more... MEDIA PREP is my "super power". Have a good look at a previously produced edition ... check-out the conversational, business-friendly format, the talking style, and note the info-flow. https://lnkd.in/gccrSX5p #mediapresence, #mediaprep, #executivepresence, #personalbrand, #professionalbrand, #CHRO, #GLOBALHR, #HRBP, #CXO, #CMO

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*How the current political turmoil will change Korea’s media landscape What does the future of the media industry look like? As a professional with nearly two decades of experience in the media, I’ve witnessed the rise and fall of various media outlets in Korea. In the 2000s, there was a clear concept of mainstream media, dominated by three major TV broadcasters and three leading newspapers, collectively known as the "majors." This landscape remained largely unchanged until the mid-2010s, when the dominance of the majors began to wane with the rise of cable news channels. People started turning to cable networks for news instead of relying solely on the major broadcasters. However, the cable news era was relatively short-lived as alternative platforms like YouTube gained traction. People began creating their own channels to share news and content tailored to their personal interests. YouTube has become incredibly popular in Korea, with a diverse range of channels catering to various niches. Looking ahead, I wonder how the media industry will evolve. Based on my observations over the past two decades, one thing seems certain: the golden days of the big media companies are over. Instead, smaller, independent media outlets that specialize in specific areas of interest are poised to thrive. I also believe that the current political turmoil in Korea will serve as a turning point, further accelerating this shift in the media landscape. #impeachment #media #southkorea

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 5️⃣ 𝗣𝗥 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗼 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱  🌎 As #Taiwan solidifies its position as a global innovation hub, startups looking to expand overseas must adopt effective #PR strategies to capture the right attention. Here are 5 comms strategies for TW #startups aiming for #global success in 2025.  🚀 1. 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭: 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘔𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦   Focus on niche media and regional platforms to connect with your target audience.  The 2024 US Presidential Elections showed that being featured in mainstream media like WSJ or Bloomberg isn’t effective if your audience isn’t there. Taiwanese startups should leverage niche platforms such as social media, credible bloggers, industry-specific publications, local influencers, and podcasts tailored to their target markets.  🚀 2. 𝘈𝘐 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 Prioritize face-to-face conversations with people and reporters. No matter how advanced technology becomes, #authentic in-person connections are the strongest building blocks for lasting relationships. Shared experiences foster reliability and trust.  🚀3. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 “3 𝘚” 𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵, 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘺   Keep your messaging concise—ideally on one page with short sentences and minimal jargon. Notify reporters as soon as announcements are made. Reporters are busy and have no patience for verbal TaiChi. Being wordy, vague or slow will trigger their “BS detector,” leading to missed opportunities and bad impressions. 🚀4. 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘯-𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘸𝘴𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺   #Misinformation is a global threat. Establish a content team to control your narrative. Your newsroom should be the primary source for anything related to your company and products.  Provide timely articles, videos, and FAQs helps communicate your brand's mission and innovations directly to international audiences. 🚀 5. 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵: 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱 𝘢 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘚𝘖𝘗 𝘛𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺  Prepare for potential crises with scenario-based response plans tailored for the global markets you aim to enter.   Expanding internationally increases exposure to risks such as cultural gaffes and unintentional insensitivity. Startups must prioritize crisis training and develop strategies to address potential challenges. All key stakeholders should be media trained and aligned on messaging.  By implementing these 5 key PR strategies, Taiwanese startups can leverage their strengths in #innovation while navigating the complexities of global expansion in 2025. With strong government-backed initiatives like Asia Silicon Valley 3.0 and Taiwan Tech Arena providing support, startups can confidently tackle the challenges of entering international markets. #TaiwanStartups #GlobalExpansion #PRTrends2025 #PR #Taiwan #AsiaSiliconValley

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Baidu’s PR department needs PR help more than ever. Qu Jing, Baidu’s PR Chief, made controversial and out-of-touch remarks, sparking a public outcry in China. Her insensitive comments included disregard for employees’ family circumstances and threats of professional retaliation. These videos went viral—which she posted at will on her social media— led to a broader discussion on the appropriateness of her behavior and its reflection on Baidu's corporate culture on the Chinese internet. She is no longer at Baidu as of this morning. However, the incident has caused Baidu's stock prices to tumble and raised questions about the impact of executives' personal brands on their companies. “If you work in public relations, don’t expect weekends off,” she said in one of her videos. “Keep your phone on 24 hours a day, always ready to respond.” The nature of the work does require PR professionals to be "on" at all times, but as I shared with CNN's Nectar Gan, “𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘺, 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘦𝘴, 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘢.” The videos struck a nerve in China because people can relate to the lack of empathy for the common plight that happens in their own workplaces. Baidu's PR Chief's very direct expression of these ideas prompted a strong emotional response on the Chinese internet. To read more about Baidu's self-inflicted PR crisis, click the link below. https://lnkd.in/eafS4gs5

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How many metaphors about "eating" (吃) do you know in Chinese? Here are three - how many do you know? 1. 吃相太难看 chī xiàng tài nán kàn Direct translation: "appearance while eating" (吃相), "looks awful" (太难看) Meaning: A shanghai dialect which translates as "unsightly behaviour", or "shameless". 2. 吃不了兜着走 chī bù liǎo dōu zhe zǒu Direct translation: "Can't eat it" (吃不了), "take it away" (兜着走) Meaning: A slang phrase meaning "in serious trouble" or "to have no options" 3. 不吐不快 bù tǔ bú kuài Direct translation: "no spit" (不吐), "not happy" (不快) Meaning: an idiom "to have something you want to get off your chest, or out in the open" I'm sure there are lots more! These are just some we learned about in last week's RealTime Mandarin newsletter! What other Chinese phrases do you know which use easting as a metaphor?

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We are seeing an endless series of posts from various "experts" (Japanese and non-Japanese/outside of Japan observers, some are and some are not) on the LDP Presidential election. The quality level of the analysis is extremely uneven. It is hard for me to recommend the vast majority of them. Here is one analysis I would recommend that interested observers do read. Mike Bosack and I do not always agree, as our respective historical biases are in different camps within the LDP, but I think he was extremely objective, thorough, and insightful in this article. I would have added a number of other comments, but Mike was operating under a word limit. Here is one. Just because a candidate announces they have 20 endorsers and gets into campaigning for a variety of personal reasons does not mean they will still be in the race for round 1 on Sept. 27. Even should there be 10-11 "candidates" I still expect the number to be as reduced by as much as half by the time voting begins on the 27th. Some are in this to build name recognition for the next election (Saito, Kobayashi, et al), and some are going to reluctantly see that they have zero chance and will trade their support to the extent they can do that for some things of value to someone whose odds are better. Hayashi and Kamikawa (same faction), Kato and Motegi (same faction), Kono and Koizumi (Yokohama gumi), Kobayashi and Takaichi (same Abe political family). I would not be surprised if one of the "beauty contestants" from the media polls gets into final round 2 and then one of the traditional candidates. In that scenario, Mike's final sentence would be my bet as well.

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Article #6 My article is just out in a magazine. https://lnkd.in/gYxMtzJJ [Executive Summary] "Trust" that underpins society has been greatly shaken on a global scale in recent years. People experienced the difficulty of discerning correct information amidst the confusion of COVID-19 pandemic. "Fake News" and "Conspiracy Theories" have frequently spread across media (even including legacy medias seen delivering trustful information). “Alternative facts” is a coined word by Trump camp at his pervious tenure, however, it seems full of them in the world now. Originally, "brands" have also emerged as symbols of "trust, however that trust has particularly declined within social functions, is our concern. Case Studies, showing the counter against this challenge ; - Blendtec (Scientific Evidence/Demonstration) - Yuka App (Digital Scoring) - Belu (Impartial Third Party) - Heinz (Expert) - Dramamine (Historic Fact) From “Reason to Belive” to “Reason to Belive the Reason to Belive”. Brands are reqired extra hassle to make audience trust what you are saying.

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In my previous post, I characterized the behavior of a senior PR executive of Baidu as a lack of “professional decency”. In my opinion, having professional decency is as important as professionalism in PR.   An example can help – In order to avoid unnecessary controversy, I will use a dated case to delineate my interpretation of professional decency.   About 30 years ago, I was the lead PR counsel of a personal computer maker Company C in China (Its name started with “C” and was acquired by HP at around 2000). Its archrival was IBM that still had PC business at that time. When Company C hired a new China country manager, I had already been servicing it for two years. This new manager was not satisfied with my advice as I always reminded him that we should take the high road and communicate to the market in style. But he felt that a more aggressive, offensive, dogfight type of PR approach should be used instead of playing a gentleman’s game, as the China market was in buccaneering days and Company C was dwarfed by IBM.       I and my team were fired by him later. He then hired a PR agency which was good at such kinds of PR works.  The new team concurred by this country manager concocted a series of provocative PR stories and placed them in Chinese media. The most controversial story played along this line – IBM’s PC business was no match with Company C in China because it was not led by XXX (This country manager)!        Here comes the juicy part of my post. About 20 months later, Company C decided to change this country manager – He was demoted to another post. The newly appointed leader was the China country manager originally from IBM’s PC division! The PR agency of Company C was fired as well. Because of my profound understanding on Company C’s corporate culture, its internal PR team asked for my help on a special project basis to prepare the briefing note for its regional executives for handling media’s enquiries. I had to use a lot of my creative juices to prepare answers for explaining this intriguing managerial change!                 Email     :     edwinso@paradigm.com.hk WeChat :     Edwinparadigm

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Thoughtful piece in The New York Times about the critical relationship between Taiwan and the U.S., particularly in terms of its strategic and economic importance. For American tech startups, Taiwan's significance is especially vital due to its dominant role in semiconductor production, where it manufactures 90% of the world's most advanced chips. These chips are integral to everything from consumer electronics to artificial intelligence, making Taiwan a cornerstone of the global tech supply chain. The article also highlights the geopolitical tension Taiwan faces with China, which threatens the stability of the region and, by extension, the global market. Any disruption could cause significant delays or shortages, impacting industries worldwide, including tech. Taiwan's resilience and its alignment with democratic values make it an important ally for U.S. interests, ensuring that tech industries in both nations thrive in a stable, secure environment. Our political climate in the U.S. directly impacts Taiwan's future and, by extension, the global tech ecosystem, which American startups rely on. #chinainsights #semiconductors #USchinatrade

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Recently the PR mess originated by the series of outrageous remarks of a senior Baidu PR executive in Douyin aroused a tremendous backlash in Chinese social media. Her behaviors were unfathomable and generated many questions at first sight: Aren’t PR executives supposed to work behind the scene? How could she take the liberty to come to the centre stage instead? More importantly, the mandate of communication professionals is to help companies uphold their reputation. Why did she act in other way round?           Later there were news reports divulging that this female PR executive of Baidu has already established her own company in April. Its businesses are to sell FMCG, household appliances, telecommunications devices and garments online, i.e. via livestreaming selling. Logically people tend to think that she did this in order to grab Internet traffic for herself and her own company.         I could only say the entire incident is utterly lack of professional decency. It brings a dark day to the PR industry in China in which many stakeholders are being impacted. For instance, female PR professionals have been working very hard for decades to fight for respect and recognition they legitimately deserve. Such efforts are particularly important in the China market where female PR executives sometimes are being wrongly stereotyped with stained glasses. This Baidu PR lady has pushed her peers’ years of painstaking efforts backwards for miles and left them in tatters.             Baidu’s reputation also receives a big blow. But this incident begs a question: This senior PR leader has been with the company for quite a while and her idiosyncrasies are not formed in one day. This means the company should have known these for some time and decides not to do anything about it. What kind of signal in terms of the company’s corporate culture does this reflect?   Email: edwinso@paradigm.com.hk WeChat: Edwinparadigm

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7-Eleven to start discounting, Yahoo! Top and Nikkei Top front pages. Discounting lunchboxes and rice balls with short expiry dates is a good thing from the perspective of reducing food waste, as reported on the front page of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on 20 April. But discounting and selling off food products is something that all supermarkets in Japan have been doing for decades as a matter of course. Is this something that should be on the front page of the Nikkei? Some 7-Eleven owners have been trying to sell out their lunch boxes at a discount since the early 2000s. But it was Seven HQ that told them to stop. In June 2009, the Fair Trade Commission issued a cease and desist order to 7-Eleven HQ on the grounds that this constituted abuse of a superior bargaining position. From that point onwards, the head office told the owners that the contract would be changed so that 15% of the cost of disposing of unsold food was held by the head office and 85% by the franchisees. The credit should go to the owners, who have been trying to reduce food waste for decades. https://lnkd.in/g9QmxqMn 

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Residents of major Chinese cities who spoke with Nikkei Asia were split in their predictions of the winner, reflecting the tight race between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump. But most said they expect the winner to make little difference when it comes to Washington's attitude toward China. "There is no turning back in the U.S.-China relationship, no matter who wins the White House," said Steve Shen, a 43-year-old resident of Shanghai who works for a commodity trading firm. "The result likely won't smooth over the ties a bit." Many believe Washington will keep steep tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese exports intact -- if not raise them -- while imposing widening investment curbs and export bans on Chinese technology companies. They also expect the U.S. to show more support for Taiwan, which Beijing claims to be part of China. Chinese officials have refrained from making public comments about the U.S. election. A think tank affiliated with Fudan University in Shanghai, a top school, released a report on Sunday in which a computer simulation gave Trump a "more than 60% probability" of victory. The report disappeared from the think tank's website on Tuesday. Read our story: https://lnkd.in/eQh9nNSK #USChina #Trump #USelection

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【FRONTIER JOURNEY / 生きる目的】 The purpose of living this life is so strongly tied to our so-called work. We spend 1/3 of our precious time at/for work so why not realize what we want to accomplish through work and life together? We started this blog, FRONTIER JOURNEY, 2 years ago and have done over 55 interviews so far. In the latest piece, Vol. 56, I interviewed two of my colleagues. You can see that their purpose is driven by who they are, their upbringing, and the current work is helping them to realize what they want to accomplish in life and what kind of persons they want to become. To me, it is about “Work-Life Integration” rather than “balancing” two sides. If your work helps you to reach your life’s purpose, you are leading your own life, you are taking the ownership of your life and your work. It has nothing to do with your position or title at work but how you see your life through work. What is your purpose of living? If you have clear answer, then, the kind of work/company/colleagues you want to be with become clear. Please enjoy reading about their JOURNEY (it’s in Japanese but AI translation is getting better…) here:

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I was glad to provide comments for a cover story in The Straits Times by Wendy Teo on what #Korea can do to if #Trump wins a second term as president. In the article, I note that much of Korea's recent investment is in #Republican states and that it would be important for Korea to deepen ties "with congressional Republicans on key committees related to national security and defence” in these states. The full article (paywall) can be found here: https://lnkd.in/ehcFiRck

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From our brilliant Gen Z Lab lead in APAC, have a read of Sofia Yip post

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Why do some firms outperform others? By estimating a dynamic game for Japan’s convenience stores, I show late​comers’ annual cost ​reductions exceed early entrants’ revenue gains. But delaying entry is only profitable for a few decades due to market dynamics and geography. This work is forthcoming in International Economic Review.   https://lnkd.in/geydvuMp Research on the effects of entry order on firm revenues is extensive, but its impact on profits and costs has not been explored due to data limitations. This study uses a structural estimation approach to estimate the effects of entry order on revenues and costs without relying on accounting profits or cost data. Applying Bajari, Benkard, and Levin (2007) to many geographic markets, I find the following: 1. Early entrants experience a 4.8% increase in per-store revenues. 2. In contrast, late entrants benefit from a 7.6% reduction in variable costs and a 5.8% decrease in store expansion costs. Does this mean that late entry is always "advantageous"? Simulation results show that delaying entry results in immediate cost savings. However, during the delay, competitors enter the market and expand their store networks. Over the long term, the resulting revenue loss from increased competition offsets the cost savings, with this balance tipping approximately 27 years later. From a broader perspective, this study exemplifies the use of structural estimation to derive insights from data on key topics traditionally explored descriptively in marketing strategy and strategic management research. Thanks everyone who provided insightful comments and feedback.

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