Prof. Guo Huimin (May 2012)
The following is excerpted from an article in PR Magazine, published by the China International Public Relations Association
Besides the local and overseas PR markets, the difference or gap between Chinese and foreign PR companies is reflected in a trend called “glocalization”. Some 10 years ago, I borrowed the concept of compulsory and voluntary routines in gymnastics as a metaphor to evaluate Chinese and foreign companies: On the whole, “foreign PR companies” are good at ‘compulsory routines’ and pay attention to standardized routines and procedures, while most Chinese PR companies are strong with ‘voluntary routines’. Without standardized procedures as guarantee, ‘voluntary routines’ can hardly get any quality assurance. Mere pursuit of standardization can easily result in lack of creativity and make major breakthroughs difficult”.
