Roche: Launching an Office and a Voice in Myanmar

Opening an office is a statement of intent, and for a global healthcare company entering Myanmar it was the first chance to explain what it stood for. Roche wanted the launch to communicate its long-term commitment to the market and its values, and to begin relationships with the tier-one media that would cover healthcare for years to come.

Its senior leaders were experienced executives but new to Myanmar's media environment, its conventions and its questions. First impressions with journalists would be hard to change later.

Ruder Finn Era prepared the people before the event. Over several days the team media-trained Roche's senior figureheads, covering an overview of the Myanmar media landscape, interview tactics, poise and body language, and role-play sessions that rehearsed the questions they were likely to face.

The team then shaped the launch itself: developing key messages, the agenda and presentation content so that every element reinforced Roche's commitment and values rather than reading as a corporate formality.

On the day, Ruder Finn Era managed media attendance and interviews at the office opening, connecting newly trained spokespeople with the journalists who mattered most.