Export Marketing Research Scheme - China

Train to China

An invitation to Beijing prompted PMA Training to consider researching the potential market for its training services in China.

PMA Training is Europe’s leading media and communications training provider, with around 80% of the market for the magazine publishing industry in the UK. As all the directors and tutors are still working at a high level in the media and communications industry, the company has a unique perspective on the rapidly changing media environment.After questioning Chinese delegates at a trade mission attended by the Chinese General Administration for Press and Publicity, PMA’s Business Development Director Riva Elliott was invited to open discussions with the Chinese magazine publishing industry on training its journalists. Riva comments:

“I was keen to capitalise on this opportunity but, as a market researcher, I recognised that it was important to investigate the marketplace fully first. I joined the UK Trade & Investment’s Passport to Export Programme for new and inexperienced exporters and learned about the Export Marketing Research Scheme. The chance to carry out field research in China subsidised by the UK government was too good to miss.”

The Export Marketing Research Scheme is operated on behalf of UK Trade & Investment by British Chambers of Commerce. It provides advice, support and funding for eligible companies wishing to research potential export markets. In the case of PMA Training, the grant from the Export Marketing Research Scheme was the clinching factor in deciding to pursue the opportunity in China:

“Without the support of the Export Marketing Research Scheme, I doubt I would have had the courage to follow the Chinese opportunity through. I probably would have restricted myself to the UK and Europe. The availability of government funding meant that I was able to research the marketplace thoroughly and the results show that it was worth it.”

Intensive desk research, followed by a two-week field visit which incorporated interviews with a number of senior figures in the Chinese publishing industry, revealed a clear market opportunity. The training providers that exist in China tend to be university-based, with little or no direct journalistic experience. There is a general respect for UK journalism, which is regarded among the best in the world, and a willingness to undertake training in English, as spoken English is so widespread amongst journalists. However, PMA Training did revise its vision for a Chinese training school to encompass a much broader region:

“We discovered that it would be better for us to establish a Far Eastern hub, rather than focusing specifically on China,” explains Riva. “The reason for this is that our approach to training is a creative one, demanding trainee input, and the Chinese approach tends to be rather prescriptive. We are currently in discussions with the Singaporean Government to establish a school there although, in the first instance, we will be offering a mix of classroom-based training and e-learning in locations across the Far East.”

Following the research visit, Riva has been actively developing a network of contacts across the region, and has already identified a potential director for the new Far Eastern hub who is the former head of the South China Morning Post. Initially, training will be delivered by PMA’s extensive network of UK trainers, however, it plans to train its own dedicated team of trainers to cover the Far East. Intensive activity is taking place to build a profile for PMA Training in the Far East. In August, both Riva and her husband and fellow director, Keith Elliott will be keynote speakers at a conference in Kuala Lumpur. They are also attending a trade mission in Singapore in November.

Riva concludes: “I received fantastic support from my International Trade Advisor, Stephen Scowcroft, who has in-depth personal knowledge of Singapore and is responsible for the export of education services. He introduced me to Richard Gilbert from the Export Marketing Research Scheme who encouraged me in the marketing research project and who was great to bounce ideas off. PMA Training has now reached the point where a Far Eastern training school looks set to become a reality. It has been a long courtship process but that is the way business is done in China. You only get one shot at it and we are determined to get it right.”