Hikvision Hires Crisis Communication Writer

By John Honovich, Published Mar 21, 2017, 12:02pm EDT (Info+)

Hikvision has hired a crisis communication writer as the company ramps up its efforts to deal with the 'crisis' it feels it is facing.

'Crisis communications' is a public relations speciality "designed to protect and defend an individual, company, or organization facing a public challenge to its reputation." This is commonly employed for airline disasters, poisoned food products, racial discrimination lawsuits, etc. but atypical for the video surveillance industry.

In this note, we examine the move, the 'crisis' Hikvision perceives and the 3 key steps Hikvision is taking here.

Crisis ************** ******

********* *** ***** ***** ********** [**** no ****** *********] *** ****** **************:

[**** ** ****** *********]

********** *** ****** *** ******** ********* including *****, ***** *** *** ****.

Hikvision's '******'

********* ********** ***** ***** ****** ***** cybersecurity *** *** ******* ********** *********, according ** ******** ******* ***** ** the *******. ***** ********** *** ********* revenue ******, ******** ************ *** ***** perception. **** ** ********** **** *********'* public ************** ***************** ****.

*********, *** ******** ********* **** **** Hikvision's ********** **** *******. ** ********, Hikvision *** ******* * '******' *** its *********** **** ******* ***** **** plus willingness ** ***** **** ****** ** ***** and *********. *******, ********* *** ***** orders **** ************ *** ******* ******* ****** and *** ********** ********** *** ********* of ***** ******** *** ****** **** even **** *********.

#1 - ****** ******* 

**** *** **** *****, ********* *** ramped ** *** ******* ******* *******, primary ******* ********** ******* *** ******* of ***** *********** **** *** ***** greedy ** ******* ********, ***. *********** they **** *** ***** ** ****** themselves, ** ** * ******** ******** and **** **** ********** *** ******* of ***** **********.

#2 - *** *******

********* *** **** ***** *** ** various ******** *******, ****** **** ***** they *** ***** ** ********* / promotion / *********, ***. ** ******** the ****** ** '*******' *** **** vouch *** ****. *** *******, ********* has **** ******* ********* ***** *********** with ***** *** ******** [**** ** longer *********] ***** ** * ***** move. ***** ***** *** **** *** have ***** *********** ****** *** ********, they *** ***** ** *** ** credentials ** ***** ***'* *******. **** better, *** ***** ***, **** *** sell **** *** ******** ***** ** ********* their ***** ******** ******* ** * way ** *** *********'* *** ****** while ******** ******* *********'* ***** ******** concerns. ******, ********* ** ***** ******* for **** ******** ** ** ******* marketing *** ** ****** **** ** find ******.

#3 - ********* **********

***** ** ** **** ** **** *** truth ** ***** *** ******, ********* is ******** ** ********** ****** **** these ******** *** ******. *** *******, on *** ************* ****, *********'* **** common ********* ** **** ***** ************ is *********** ******* ** **** *** likely ** **** *************** *** ********* and **** ***** ****** **** *** more ********* ******* ** ***** ** politics. ********, ** *** ********* ****, the ********* **** ****** ***** ** how ********** *** ******** ** ***** and *** *********'* ********* *** ******* are **** ******, ***** *** ****** there. **** ******** ****** **** ** well ****** ********* ***** ** ******, if **** ***, ** *** ************* issues ** *** ***** ********** ******* / *********** **** ***** ********* ***** concerns.

Update - *** ******* *** *********

** **** ****, ********** *** ******** that *** *** *** **** *** writing *** ****,**********:

*** "*** ****** *******" *** *** done *** ******* *** *********. *** company **** ** *** **-*****. *** new ****** **** *** **** *** them ** ***; ** ****'* **** to ****.

Comments (20)

Undisclosed Distributor #1

03/21/17 04:47pm

This is interesting. For them to even allow her title to be "Crisis Communications" sounds very scary. I mean, unless they do really have a very serious crisis, I think they could have thought of a better "less damning" title.

Agree: 9
Disagree
Informative
Unhelpful
Funny

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Distributor #1 | 03/21/17 05:12pm

For them to even allow her title to be "Crisis Communications" sounds very scary.

Agreed. First rule of 'crisis communications', don't announce that you are conducting 'crisis communications'...

Agree: 12
Disagree
Informative
Unhelpful
Funny: 8

Undisclosed #6

IPVMU Certified | In reply to John Honovich | 03/22/17 03:03pm

First rule of 'crisis communications', don't announce that you are conducting 'crisis communications'...

Second rule, deny it...

Agree: 2
Disagree
Informative
Unhelpful
Funny

Undisclosed End User #2

03/21/17 06:47pm

Crisis Communications is a more useful contribution than Thought Leadership (aka self-importance).

Agree
Disagree
Informative
Unhelpful
Funny: 2

Undisclosed Integrator #3

03/21/17 06:55pm

Ok .. I think she may be right for the job, i.e. she worked for BRS Labs. Plenty of crisis management there!

Agree
Disagree
Informative
Unhelpful
Funny: 5

Undisclosed Manufacturer #4

03/21/17 07:51pm

Normalizing Criticism.  If I were Hikvision, I would quietly incentivize integration and technology partners to carry my banner publicly.  Get them to post the Hikvision story all over IPVM.  Maybe it's already happening...

Agree: 1
Disagree
Informative
Unhelpful
Funny: 1
Avatar

Matthew Netardus

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #4 | 03/21/17 07:56pm

I definitely suspect there are some mighty deep discounts headed to those that will publicly support/carry the water for HIKVision. As a fellow integrator I can't even blame those who do go that route- it's hard to run the risk of losing business due to cost after all the prospecting work it takes to even get to the proposal stage (which is not to knock the fact that HIKVision does have some products with good quality in terms of their sensor/resolution/etc). As a local/regional integrator if I had a chance to add 5-15% margin to my projects, or increase my close rate a dozen points by switching to HIK or making sure that I'm seen to be publicly supportive...I am sure that's hard to pass up 

Agree: 2
Disagree
Informative: 2
Unhelpful
Funny

Undisclosed Integrator #8

In reply to Matthew Netardus | 04/13/18 03:53pm

5-15% Margin, How do you stay in business, forget growing it?

Agree
Disagree
Informative
Unhelpful
Funny

Undisclosed #5

In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #4 | 03/22/17 02:53pm

I thought Marty Calhoun already had that job.

Agree: 5
Disagree
Informative: 1
Unhelpful
Funny: 4

Undisclosed Manufacturer #7

In reply to Undisclosed #5 | 03/24/17 11:52am

Marty DEFINITELY drinks the red Kool-Aid!  

Agree
Disagree
Informative
Unhelpful: 1
Funny

Undisclosed Integrator #8

In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #7 | 04/13/18 03:56pm

You sound frustrated? Mis-informed may be a better word.

Agree
Disagree
Informative
Unhelpful
Funny
Avatar

Mick Brown

03/22/17 12:18pm

Can someone ask hikvision?

shanghai fullhan microelectronics co ltd

Its biggest shareholder is the wife of gong hongja the biggest personal shareholder of hikvision. The beauty here is they use smaller camera factories to release cameras using fullhan and when its fully debugged and ready for sale it goes into short supply and miraculously hikvision has stock.

is hikvision already using its power in the market to completely control the cctv industry

mick brown (UK)

Agree
Disagree
Informative: 4
Unhelpful
Funny

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Mick Brown | 03/22/17 12:51pm

Mick, 

Thanks for sharing about Fullhan. I had not noticed them before.

Some preliminary details.

  • The Gong Hongjia connection is verified in Hikvision's own financial report, with him listed as a director of Fullhan (page 161 here)
  • Hikvision purchased ~$8.5 million USD in chips from Fullhan in 2015 (same page above cite).
  • Fullhan just went public a month ago on the Shanghai stock exchange. In the 1 month it has been traded, the stock has increased an astounding 500% and now has a $1.8 billion market cap.

We will definitely look into them some more but there is close to 0% chance that Hikvision will comment on them and certainly not into the claim they use this to manipulate the market.

Agree
Disagree
Informative: 2
Unhelpful
Funny
Avatar

Mick Brown

In reply to John Honovich | 03/22/17 01:25pm

I was hikvision main export partner 12 years ago.

They had small capital Mr Hu the ceo of hikvision approached mr hongja for an investment. I believe he was a work colleague.

Mr Hongja invested 350k usd and got over 3.5 bilion back. His pupil was polo cai and he became VP.

They were very concerned i would reexport dvr back to china as I paid them 500 usd for them and they were selling them for 5k in china. I assume the high price helped grease the right palms.

 

Agree
Disagree
Informative: 2
Unhelpful: 1
Funny
Avatar

Mick Brown

03/22/17 01:27pm

i have been both hikvisions exclusive partner in the uk and dahua

 

Agree
Disagree
Informative: 1
Unhelpful
Funny
Avatar

Mick Brown

03/22/17 01:38pm

i dont think your readers really appreciate how evil hik and dahua are

 

Agree: 1
Disagree
Informative: 1
Unhelpful: 1
Funny

Undisclosed #6

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Mick Brown | 03/22/17 03:08pm

i dont think your readers really appreciate how evil hik and dahua are

They are locked in battle in a classic 'evil vs. evil' struggle.

Agree
Disagree
Informative
Unhelpful
Funny: 1
Avatar

Mick Brown

03/22/17 01:54pm

i also believe mr hu ceo of hikvision and mr fu ceo of dahua started a cctv company togther before hik and dahua so know each other well

 

Agree
Disagree
Informative: 1
Unhelpful
Funny
Avatar

Mick Brown

03/22/17 02:04pm

a little more background for you

xm (jufeng)

jason the owner was the production manager at dahua

videopark mr wang was the original technical founder of dahua

 

Agree
Disagree
Informative: 4
Unhelpful
Funny

John Honovich

IPVM | 06/12/17 12:50pm

Update: 

In June 2017, Contavepsi has reported that she has not done any writing for them, explaining:

the "new crisis manager" has not done ANY writing for HIKvision. The company does it all in-house. The new writer does not work for them at all; it didn't come to pass.

Agree
Disagree
Informative
Unhelpful
Funny
Login to read this IPVM report.
Why do I need to log in?
IPVM conducts reporting, tutorials and software funded by subscriber's payments enabling us to offer the most independent, accurate and in-depth information.
Loading Related Reports