What To Know
- The firm has improved its communication and strategic consulting programs by leveraging insights gained from a decade of assisting clients through various crises, such as the pandemic and subsequent recession, regional conflicts, ongoing global trade disputes, and the impacts of the rise of AI (artificial intelligence).
- A new and still shifting trend is that as search engines and AI platforms compete for the attention of businesses, the traditional model of getting found through search engines and social media is quickly changing.
In recent years, due to significant global geopolitical shifts and post-pandemic changes, along with the way artificial intelligence (AI) has taken control of narratives from various entities—including search engines, governments, multinational corporations, emerging enterprises, and individuals—communications firm McGallen & Bolden has assisted clients in transforming, adapting, and succeeding during these challenging times. While offering public relations (PR), McGallen & Bolden also integrates marketing, branding, and digitalization, such as e-commerce, AI, social media, cybersecurity, website development, and video and audio production, into comprehensive communications programs with integrated outcomes for their clients.
SINGAPORE— Singapore-based strategy and communications firm McGallen & Bolden (mcgallen.com) has refined its offerings to clients to include pan-Asia retained public relations, marketing, and crisis communication programs through an expanded network under the Aurea Terra Collective of independent agencies. The firm has improved its communication and strategic consulting programs by leveraging insights gained from a decade of assisting clients through various crises, such as the pandemic and subsequent recession, regional conflicts, ongoing global trade disputes, and the impacts of the rise of AI (artificial intelligence).
Post-2020 challenges
“With the global pandemic, economic slowdown, and regional and trade conflicts, the world has changed drastically. This has caused some multinational corporations to slow down and even close their global operations. With fewer funds and investors, startups and emerging businesses reduced their strategic and communication spending. These changes may work against businesses, especially as AI changes how search engines, social media, and mainstream media produce content, causing brands, mindshare, and revenue of businesses to weaken,” says Dr. Seamus Phan, Principal, McGallen & Bolden.
AI and its impact on business and communication
Some businesses now lean heavily on AI. While AI can help with content development, problem-solving, and even business automation, it is imperfect and needs human intervention. AI “hallucination” in content creation queries can lead to falsehoods and legal issues. And the ineffective use of AI may dampen employee morale and cause more viability concerns.
A new and still shifting trend is that as search engines and AI platforms compete for the attention of businesses, the traditional model of getting found through search engines and social media is quickly changing.
In the past, businesses built their web and social media presence by utilizing SEO (search engine optimization), digital marketing, and public relations to effectively reach the media and establish their brand. As search engines and AI platforms focus on answering questions directly, people might start depending on AI for information instead of exploring different websites and social media, which could lead to less traffic to those sites and weaken the brand. This shift weakens a brand with fewer direct visits to the website.
McGallen & Bolden’s integrated communications approach
Over the past 5 years, McGallen & Bolden has gained experience in helping clients navigate conflicts caused by global crises and the shift towards AI, by strengthening their strategies, tactics, and communication in the Asia Pacific region. This enables clients to compete more effectively against their competitors and confidently overcome ongoing global challenges.
a. Strengthening owned media
The need to have “owned media” for businesses is critical in an AI-centered age. McGallen & Bolden has helped clients build content microsites and websites with open-source software (OSS) such as WordPress, with useful content that benefits indexing by search engines and AI platforms and helps consumers reach clients’ businesses whenever they make queries through AI platforms or search engines. McGallen & Bolden has helped clients profit from AI-assisted websites and e-commerce, with significant improvements to revenue. As a pioneer in digital PR and marketing, McGallen & Bolden has helped clients in cybersecurity, telecommunications, automation, robotics, engineering, and healthcare develop engaging content in text, images, audio, and video.
b. Gain media mileage
McGallen & Bolden has helped clients reach mainstream and trade media, blogs, podcasts, and influencers. PR partners with trusted third parties like mainstream media to share information with the public, which includes prospects and customers of clients. Often, earned media coverage helped clients secure interest from prospects and build trust with their customers. The firm uses modern qualitative tools based on the AMEC Barcelona Principles to measure media coverage. McGallen & Bolden has served clients in cybersecurity, AI, cloud, automation, robotics, healthcare, transportation, fashion, hospitality, and non-profits.
c. Crisis-ready coaching and frameworks
McGallen & Bolden developed its crisis communication and management programs based on aviation practices of crew resource management (CRM) and threat and error management (TEM). Since 1991, McGallen & Bolden has trained clients’ C-suite leaders in media engagement and crisis communication. McGallen & Bolden has refined and expanded its approach to crisis communication, particularly in response to the pandemic, regional conflicts, global trade disputes, and ongoing global cybersecurity incidents that have impacted many businesses. Additionally, McGallen & Bolden has created a mobile-ready crisis management and communication framework for its clients.
d. Trade and consumer events
With the rise in events post-pandemic, McGallen & Bolden can help clients at various impactful events improve branding, sell-throughs, and mindshare. McGallen & Bolden has helped FMCG clients launch products and brands successfully and engage with regional Asia Pacific media in launches and conferences, with creative direction and implementations to ensure visually impactful and social media-friendly backdrops and imagery.
e. Embracing the US$96 trillion Asia-Pacific market
McGallen & Bolden chairs the Aurea Terras Collective of communication agencies throughout the Asia Pacific, from Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
“In a rapidly changing economy shaped by conflicts and AI, successful businesses invest more in communications than their competition, expand in fast-growing Asia Pacific economies, engage with the media, and work with experienced partners to achieve the best results. We welcome businesses looking to grow in the US$96 trillion GDP (PPP) and 4.47 billion population of the Asia Pacific market to tap on our experience and expertise soon,” continued Dr. Seamus Phan, Principal, McGallen & Bolden.
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