The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines will hold a master class titled “Handling Digital Crisis like a Pro” with Dr. Donald Patrick Lim, managing director of McCann Relationship Marketing (MRM) Manila, on March 22 (Friday) from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

In the world of social media, online reputation becomes more and more important as people turn to the Internet as their source of news and information.

“Digital crisis preparedness is a very important yet sometimes overlooked aspect of communication strategy. Just putting up a website, a fan page or blog is never enough. Not only do you have to constantly check on how it is doing on the Internet; you should also be ready with a line of defense to counter and avoid blows on your company’s brand reputation,” says Dr. Lim.

He says that as Filipinos move towards digital maturity, corporations are finding it hard to keep up with the changing times. Paid media has now shifted towards owned media, and the world of traditional media has moved towards the world of blogging and online influence. Earned media has turned into a different form, and with the Internet, reputation can be acquired and magnified by mere mentions of the brand.

In the course of the past years, companies that do not understand the role of social media stand to suffer and pay the consequence of not being able to manage properly this volatile space.

Be prepared for a digital crisis with information and methods in assessing digital brand health. The master class will help corporate communications practitioners improve their online reputation, visibility and learn how to properly listen, converse and thereby maximize profits. Fees are P4,480 for IABC members and P5,600 for nonmember professionals.

Dr. Lim is the chief innovation officer of McCann Worldgroup Philippines and the concurrent managing director of the digital arm of Mc- Cann, MRM Manila. He was the former president and CEO of Yehey! Corporation and also CEO of Media Contacts Manila, a joint venture between Yehey and Havas Digital, Europe’s largest interactive conglomerate.

Aside from his full-time job with McCann, he oversees five other businesses of his own and does management consulting for up-and-coming brands and businesses. Considered one of the founding fathers of digital marketing in the Philippines, Dr. Lim has been awarded the Digital Marketer of the Year at the Asian Leadership Awards in Dubai, UAE by the Asian Confederation of Business; the Young Market Masters Award in Online Marketing by Mansmith and Fielders; an honorary Certified eMarketing consultant title by the eMarketing Standards Board of Australia; and, most recently, he became the first recipient of the Digital Leader of the Future award, conferred at the World Brand Congress in Mumbai, India.

The master class will be held at the ground floor of One Rockwell, West Tower function room, Rockwell Drive, Makati City. Slots limited. To register, call the IABC secretariat at 756-0441 or 0905-5579763.