Hikvision Hires Crisis Communication Writer

Published Mar 21, 2017 16:02 PM

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)
U
Undisclosed #1
Mar 21, 2017

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.

(9)
JH
John Honovich
Mar 21, 2017
IPVM

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'...

(12)
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U
Undisclosed #6
Mar 22, 2017
IPVMU Certified

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

Second rule, deny it...

(2)
UE
Undisclosed End User #2
Mar 21, 2017

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

(2)
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #3
Mar 21, 2017

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

(5)
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #4
Mar 21, 2017

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...

(1)
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Avatar
Matthew Netardus
Mar 21, 2017
IPVMU Certified

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 

(2)
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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #8
Apr 13, 2018

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

U
Undisclosed #5
Mar 22, 2017

I thought Marty Calhoun already had that job.

(5)
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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #7
Mar 24, 2017

Marty DEFINITELY drinks the red Kool-Aid!  

(1)
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #8
Apr 13, 2018

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

Avatar
Mick Brown
Mar 22, 2017

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)

(4)
JH
John Honovich
Mar 22, 2017
IPVM

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.

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Avatar
Mick Brown
Mar 22, 2017

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.

 

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Avatar
Mick Brown
Mar 22, 2017

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

 

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Avatar
Mick Brown
Mar 22, 2017

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

 

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U
Undisclosed #6
Mar 22, 2017
IPVMU Certified

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.

(1)
Avatar
Mick Brown
Mar 22, 2017

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

 

(1)
Avatar
Mick Brown
Mar 22, 2017

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

 

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JH
John Honovich
Jun 12, 2017
IPVM

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.