Public relations can be a powerful tool. But in public relations, like every other form of strategic communication, understanding is grounded firmly in culture.

Public relations can be a powerful tool. But in public relations, like every other form of strategic communication, understanding is grounded firmly in culture.
read this transcript: SPEAKER: The word of the day is eWOM. That’s short for electronic word-of-mouth, and as it turns out, it’s one of the most important factors in purchase decisions in a market that’s really important to Lula Mae’s Attic, China. It seems that being new in the market isn’t a good enough reason to give the store a try in some countries. I might expect that for expensive items like cars or computers, but even for a relatively inexpensive item like lingerie? Our local public relations people tell us that potential Chinese customers want to hear from other users that products are fashion-forward, that the quality is high, and that the customer service is outstanding. Paying for reviews and comments on Chinese social media is out of the question. Gertie thinks that’s cheating and so do I. We really believe the products will speak for themselves once people slip them on. And once we do get people to sample the merchandise, eWOM can tell us if we need to make adjustments for the Chinese market. So the question is, how do we get people talking about Lula Mae’s Attic if no one wants to be the first through the door? Answer: Public relations can be a powerful tool. But in public relations, like every other form of strategic communication, understanding is grounded firmly in culture. Thinking about Lula Maes situation in China, what public relations techniques could the company employ to create the buzz they need to get customers into the doors of a new retailer that would be appropriate for a high context, high power distance, highly collectivistic, high uncertainty avoidance, long-term oriented culture? Try to include both traditional and new media strategies in your discussion.