Last year was rough for foreign-based businesses in the US. There was a distrust that existed and a preference for US companies, especially in infrastructure. Siemens Corp., the US division of Germany's Siemens AG, an electronics and engineering leader, worked with Weber Shandwick to strengthen its reputation in the US market.

The main objective, said Jennifer Risi, WS EVP and co-leader of its global strategic media group, was to make Siemens synonymous with US infrastructure solutions. Siemens has multiple divisions, but ...