Welcome to the Telum Spotlight series, a quick insight into interesting people in the PR and communications space, freelancers and those launching their own boutique agencies or consultancies. Today we shine the Telum Spotlight on Lu Jin, a veteran in the industry and founder of PRConnect.
By way of introduction:
After three decades of working in international media, corporates and agencies, I started my own consultancy, PRConnect, in 2024 to help outbound Chinese companies and MNCs navigate the Greater China media and regulatory landscape.
First job:
I was lucky to have my first job jump-start my early career. I began my journey as a national and diplomatic news correspondent in 1989 covering top Chinese leadership news for overseas audiences. Due to our primary focus on central government precincts, we called ourselves “Red Wall correspondents,” akin to the White House correspondent.
One thing you would change about the communications industry:
I would make communications an integral component of a CEO’s job - I believe communications is a CEO’s job to begin with, regardless of which business you are in. On the other hand, communications agencies should be categorised as management consultancies.
Most admired person in comms:
Don Draper! I know he’s not even a real person, but the fictional character does set the perfect example for storytelling, strategic thinking, and tackling tricky situations.
Most admired journalist:
Not an individual but my generation of journalists in the 1990s who sacrificed a lot and endeavoured to cover top Chinese and global news.
Advice to anyone starting out in comms:
Convince yourself before you try to convince others, and don’t claim to be an expert lightly.
Essential daily reading:
News, and more news!
Favourite book:
Weird as it sounds, I am terrible at reading books and have probably managed to finish no more than five books in my whole life. However, one that I will always remember is Studs Turkel’s
Working. This was a book that helped shape my career in journalism. Another one is Sir Alex Ferguson’s
Autobiography. I went through every page not because of football or Manchester United, but because his life’s work was a masterpiece in brand management.
Favourite film:
I have a few, but my recent favourite is
Margin Call, a film that perfectly depicts every aspect of corporate life today. I must also mention my all-time favourite TV series,
Mad Men, which brilliantly illustrates the art of real-life storytelling.
Social media app you can’t live without:
As I grew up before the advent of the internet, I believe people constitute the ultimate social network. That being said, and not a social media per se, I can’t live without Google. That’s right. Not ChatGPT. I can’t get enough of the raw information out there to help my judgement.
Your proudest achievement:
I have my fair share of proud moments spanning the past 30 years, but if I must single out a couple of those, it would be my two "Deutsche moments." The first is German Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s high-stake state visit to Mainland China in 1995, when he visited a Chinese army camp. I stuck with the diplomatic delegation and produced the one and only piece of news report from the ground.
The other time was when I led the Mainland China team of a multi-agency taskforce to support the share increase bid for Volkswagen in their Chinese JV in 2012 following Audi's phenomenal brand success. I vividly remember the moment when the client team almost stood up and called off the tense discussions when I (nervously!) said, "may I offer another option?" What I proposed ultimately shaped the final communications action plan.
Quotable you (what’s your most often used saying or quote?)
Many inspiring words have been said, but nothing fits today’s strategic communications landscape better than Friedrich Nietzsche’s motto: "There are no facts, only interpretations."