After a recent promotional video in Times Square as part of a public diplomacy campaign in the US, China is again attracting attention in the Big Apple. Recently, Xinhua News Agency rented one of the major billboards at the north end of New York City’s Times Square as a long-term advertising space. As you can imagine, it got people talking.

The huge LCD screen rented by Xinhua measures 19-meters (60-feet) in height and 12-meters (40-feet) in width. It was formerly leased by the HSBC bank for the past decade. The screen has a prime location atop Samsung and Coco-Cola’s billboards. The screen shows promotional videos of Xinhua News Agency and its sub-corporations including China Xinhua News Network Corporation (CNC), China Finance Corporation (CFC), China Image Corporation (CIC) and China Enews Company (CEC). Advertising videos from other companies and cities across China will also be displayed. Xinhua is said to be the first Chinese “brand” entering Times Square.

Xinhua is gradually building brand awareness in the USA. Its North American headquarter is in New York and their new office is on the top floor of a 44-story skyscraper on 1540 Broadway, neighboring media giants Thomson Reuters and Conde Nast. "We are doing more coverage here," said Zeng Hu, Xinhua's North America bureau chief. Xinhua also launched a 24- hour global English-language television channel called CNC World. "Xinhua's move into Times Square signals a new era in which they want to become a global player," said Russell Leong, an adjunct professor of Asian-American Studies at the University of California-Los Angeles. However, Xinhua’s billboard not only builds the brand’s awareness in the US, but also strengthens its reputation among Chinese consumers at home.

Although the Xinhua Times Square ad has drawn much attention, it remains to be seen how the brand can succeed in US or international markets. As a state-owned news agency, skeptics are inclined to write it off as an international extension of Chinese propaganda. Discussions around “Is Xinhua really a brand?” and “Isn’t all advertising propaganda?” popped up online. Without addressing such questions, it is safe to say that huge and expensive ad space does not guarantee a brand’s success at home or abroad. Xinhua News, like any other brand, will have to carefully think through their target audiences, brand truths, competitive positioning, and market opportunities, in order to build positive perceptions and eventually brand equity.