Ruby T Ong is a marketing communications consultant/ Operating a public relations firm, M V Reach Communications, Ms Ong is a counsellor of a number of public relations consultancies and advertising agencies providing counselling, co-ordination and management on media relations, promotions and special events in the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong. Over the past several years, Ms Ong has been providing media training, presentation skills training workshops and crisis communications to a number of PRC state-owned enterprises.
Until mid-1997, Ms Ong was the General Manager of Edelman (China) Guangzhou Office where she managed special event projects and government relations for multinational clients such as Guangzhou Otis, Castrol, Walt Disney, Kellogg’s, Caldbecks, ING Bank, Henkel and Eastern Chemical.
Before setting up her own public relations consultancy, Ms Ong was a consultant in the Marketing Communications Division of Hill and Knowlton Asia Limited, an international public relations firm. A key member of the McDonald’s PR team, Ms Ong provided recommendations and tips on the China market and how to deal with the top government officials, the ordinary man-in-the-street and the media in the PRC. She was heavily involved in the successful opening of the first McDonald’s in the PRC, in Shenzhen. Until she left the company, she was in charge of the day-to-day operations on the McDonald’s account. Other clients for whom Ms Ong has assisted in providing counselling and account management were AT&T, Pacific Link and the Environmental Campaign Committee.
Among several specialized media relations projects in which she was involved at Hill and Knowlton were the 1990 4As Creative Awards, a visit to Hong Kong for the Dean of the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, Bossini’s Shanghai Trade Promotion and ongoing media relations for the architectural consultants Skidmore Owings and Merrill.
Ms Ong joined Hill and Knowlton in 1989 as operations manager of the Chinese Editorial Department, handling sales and marketing of Chinese editorial services, translation and media relations.
Ms Ong came from Wen Wei Po daily newspaper where she was senior reporter on foreign affairs and later assistant general manager overseeing advertising and circulation as well as public relations and promotions of the newspaper.
Before coming to Hong Kong in 1986, Ms Ong worked in her native Philippines for the China Travel Service and previously for two local Chinese-language dailies as a translator / assistant editor and as editor of the business section. Between 1975 and 1984 she taught economics at several universities.
She holds a BA Economics (Cum Laude) degree from the University of Santo Tomas, and a Master of Arts degree in economics from the University of the East.
