China – PR Jackpot. Is it still? Was it Ever?

The Chinese describe their country as a “sleeping giant that has been awakened.” A country once isolated from the world and steeped in traditional culture is now a major player in the global marketplace following three decades of economic reform and open-door policies.

In short, China has become marketers’ eye candy. While most country’s populations are described by the number of inhabitants, China is more regularly described as 350 million households that need washing machines, 1.3 billion bodies that need soap and 2.6 billion feet that need shoes.

Chinese Know How to Tighten Their Belts

However, even a country claiming twenty-five years with an average GDP growth of ten percent cannot escape the effects of the current global economic situation. Factories are closing, companies still in business are freezing wages, and graduating students are entering the worst job market in decades. (Exact unemployment numbers are not made available by the People’s Republic of China.)

The Chinese are beginning to tighten their belts. To the average American, this means going out to dinner less frequently and skipping the annual beach vacation, but to a population that lived through the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution this means something entirely different. According to a report by Xinhua news agency, one Beijing office worker has made a public resolution to limit his living expenses to 100 yuan per week, the equivalent of $14.60 U.S.

Inherent Public Relations Challenges

If a sharp decrease in discretionary spending isn’t enough to scare marketers away, the inherent public relations challenges might be. Some points to consider:

• Education: Nearly one in ten Chinese are illiterate and close to 50 percent have a primary education or less
• Diversity: The Chinese population speaks seven different major dialects and countless sub-dialects, not to mention the cultural differences of the country’s 56 ethnicities
• Censorship: Which publication would you like to pitch? People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China, PLA Daily, the official daily of the People’s Liberation Army or China Youth Daily, the voice of the Communist Youth League of China
• Accessibility: You expect a country where over 50 percent of households lack a flushing toilet to purchase a television or even a newspaper?

Public Relations Opportunities

Then again there is always the law of large numbers. A marketer in a country of 1.3 billion citizens doesn’t have to reach every single person to make a huge impact. China includes 616 million cell phone users, 98 million digital TV owners, and 50 million bloggers.

Excuse the cliché, but with challenges come opportunities. Chinese are saving money through innovations in web media. Web sites such as Pinkewang.com invite users to share expenses with complete strangers to save money. People are sharing taxis, groceries, lessons and even houses.
And of course you can always reach the portion of the population that couldn’t care less about the state of the economy. Decades of fast development have created a young urban population accustomed to the finer things in life – designer clothes and the latest electronics all paid for with the ever increasingly popular credit card.

PR in China. Yes, no, maybe so?

Absolutely yes. Chinese consumers will probably fair the economic crises far better than Americans. A tradition of frugality and one of the highest savings rates in the world, the Chinese people still have money to spend if you can convince them to.

However, It is important to set expectations. Chinese traditions have been crafted through millenniums of history. Communication efforts will include a considerable learning curve and a few stumbles along the way. Be well versed in geopolitics, sensitive to China’s diverse population and in no time you will have millions hearing your message (most likely in Putonghua, Shanghainese or Cantonese).



The Oriental Pearl
Shanghai is home to 4,000 skyscrapers and growing – double the number in New York City.



Farmer’s Lean-To Home in Northwest China Decorated with Food Wrappers
737 million Chinese live in rural areas – double the entire population of the U.S.

Julia Ehrenfeld