Bridge: When developing a PR strategy for an Israeli audience, what issues need to be considered?

MO: The small number of media outlets! This makes it easy to bring an issue to the national agenda, but equally there's a danger it will disappear quickly. In Israel politics often dictate the news, so every PR strategy must have a contingency in case of breaking news; like a government vote of no-confidence or a terror attack.

Bridge: How would you compare the practice of journalism in Israel to the U.S., the U.K., and Europe?

MO:There are two major differences: first, there are almost no trade publications in Israel. Second, there are very few seasoned business journalists and often they are either recent university graduates or still students. They are however, older than their U.S. counterparts, having served two-to-three years in the army before university, and most have a good command of English.

Israeli publications don't work on very long lead times and editorial calendars are a rarity. Changes are so rapid in Israel that it's very difficult to launch a long-lead PR campaign - we must constantly be on our toes, keeping track of events and keeping our news relevant to journalists. For example: A terrorist attack will change an entire lead story or an item you've worked weeks to place. Suddenly it is buried or cut, and understandably so. The challenge is how to salvage the situation.

Another unique factor is that ours is a very, very small pond. Most Israelis in public relations start out in news and many have personal relationships with editors and journalists. It is not unusual for them to have served at Israel Defense Forces Radio, studied communications, or worked at a newspaper together - sometimes this is an advantage.

Bridge: How well does the average Israeli business person understand PR?

MO: Israelis are notorious do-it-yourselfers and in the past, many companies didn't do PR properly. In recent years there has been a marked increase in executives' understanding of the need for professional PR and the opportunities this tool can provide. Perhaps this is because today's young generation of executives are business school graduates, as opposed to the older generation of ex-army officers.