Lula Mae's Attic
In addition to our weekly readings and discussions, we will be examining strategic communications in a global environment through the lens of a fictitious company, Lula Mae's Attic. The Attic is launching in global markets and will experience several roadblocks, cultural challenges, and opportunities in its global marketing and advertising efforts.
Lula Mae's Chief of International Operations will be checking in with us several times throughout the semester. She will bring us up to speed on the challenges and opportunities that Lula Mae's is facing during its global launch. 
After she explains the situation, you will have to complete a quiz by answering a few questions on the week's readings and Lula Mae's current situation. The quiz questions will give you an idea of the type of questions you are likely to find on the midterm and final exams.
Once you successfully answer the questions, you will have access to the rest of the week's discussions and activities.
The challenges faced by Lula Mae's Attic during the week will allow you to evaluate an issue of strategic communications in a global environment. In addition, you will be able to synthesize what you are learning to provide solutions to the challenges. This should be an opportunity for you to brainstorm and participate in robust discussions to craft solutions to global strategic communications challenges.
Watch this introduction to Lula Mae's Attic to familiarize yourself with the company's history, client base, and plans for a global launch. Then, complete the Knowledge Checks to continue in the lesson.
Video 2.1: Lula Mae's Attic Introduction.
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NARRATOR: Lula Mae's Attic, the place where America gets comfortable. Growing from a single Dallas, Texas, based store in 1999 to national powerhouse in the US women's clothing and lingerie sectors, the company now operates 35 wholly owned locations in major cities across the USA. And a growing network of mall-based franchise stores in smaller cities and college towns. Lula Mae online, the successful online boutique, supplements the bricks and mortar store clothing offerings with a wide range of home, personal care, and novelty products, including high quality linens and bedding, jewelry, and seasonal food items. Lula Mae's Attic founder, Egberta Gertie Egbertson, has become a well known figure on the international fashion scene. Born and raised in Red Ridge, Texas, population 996, Gertie grew up working in her family's general store. Her keen sense of style was evident from an early age, when she began to create her own fashions for the store's mannequins. Her company's approach continues to reflect her early Americana aesthetic, combining cutting edge shapes and forms with the country calico's and patchworks Gertie grew up with. The Lula Mae's Attic shopper is typically a college aged or young professional woman who is beginning to make her own fashion choices. She wants products that help her feel young and pretty. Her budget may be small, but her plans are big. She wants a career, a relationship, and a family down the road. She's not flashy or loud. Gertie calls her country, quiet, sexy. In fact, country, quiet, sexy ties together the whole Lula Mae's Attic line. From the romantic country music playing in the background at our store locations, to our choice of products and fabrics, to our in-store personnel. The company has traditionally sourced many of its products from suppliers within the United States. Gertie took Lula Mae's Attic public five years ago, promising her shareholders continued growth. This is the year that her promise becomes a reality. Lula Mae's Attic will be launching its first set of stores outside of the United States. And offering millennial audiences around the globe access to the products their United States counterparts have been enjoying for years. Lula Mae's Attic is poised to begin its international success story. A success story we'll be sharing with students across the United States and around the world.
