Press Relations and Cross Cultural Differences

In a multinational company, the role of Public Relations is doubly tedious for there are many factors to be considered once publicity is at stake. These factors are essentially important in a multinational setting because when dealing to public internationally, there are existing barriers to communications. And if PR is not observant enough for these barriers, chances are, the message conveyed my be read out and interpreted wrongly. The prominence of Public Relations in business is a result of its effectiveness in communications. No doubt that PR has mastered all the strategies to win the public's heart. However, things are different and in a way, a little complicated in a multinational setting--- different place, different language, different views, and different culture--all counts as barriers to effective communications. In short, Public Relations in a multinational setting deals with absolutely different audience. The barriers mentioned are the things that should never be neglected. Public Relations should consider these factors in order to bring the right message. The barriers, often called cross-cultural differences, should be the first things that must be recognized when dealing with foreign audience. The very first thing that defines a country from the other is culture and language. All countries differ by culture and language. And the strategy of PR campaigns in this kind of communication barrier is to be able to embrace a country's culture and language. It should also be noted that in Public Relations, the desire to communicate does not mean instilling standard values. That is advertising in character. What PR does is ensuring that the information campaign is understood per se. ***Example: When Ford launched the 'Pinto' in Brazil they were puzzled as to why sales were dead. Fortunately they found out that Brazilians did not want to be seen driving a car meaning 'small male genitals' and promptly changed the name. An example of language differences is the airline UAL headlined an article about Paul Hogan, star of Crocodile Dundee, with, "Paul Hogan Camps it up" which unfortunately in the UK and Australia is slang for "flaunting homosexuality". There is no hidden agenda or whatsoever in Public Relations. By considering language and culture in any message, PR could depict if there is any influx in sales. Aside from language, how a word is spoken or enacted also differs from country to country. PR should be sensitive enough with regards to the use of figures of speech such as metaphors and anecdotes. In many cultures except that of US and UK, the communication style is "implicit" or in other words, "listeners are likely to interpret is based on factors such as who is speaking, the context and non-verbal cues. Spoken words do not fully convey the whole story as listeners are expected to read between the lines". As much as spoken language is concerned, observant of the written word must also be practiced in international PR. Public Relations dealing across many cultures should know what is salient to other nations. PR's press releases should try to write in a way that will engage readers from other cultures. Remember that the writing should interest people in another country. As not every country is the same in all aspects, expect that the communication channels of other nations may also differ. And an important point to remember here is the availability of medium to be used. ***Example: In Africa, only 1.4% of the population have access to the internet. The use of PR materials should also be examined before using it as a campaign tool for other nations. Logos, slogans, pictures, colors, and designs must all reflect the nation's culture because the use of one of these materials may imply a different meaning to other countries. ***Example: A company advertised eyeglasses in Thailand by featuring a variety of cute animals wearing glasses. The ad failed as animals are considered to be a low form of life in Thailand and no self-respecting Thai would wear anything worn by animals. Another one is introducing soft drinks into Arab countries with an attractive label that had a six-pointed star on it. The Arabs interpreted this as pro-Israeli and refused to buy it. With all of the above analysis of cross-cultural differences, PR should be aware of these factors in order for its campaign to reach other nations without changing the message's content, and eventually make the public see and realize the "same" information Public Relations is willing to convey. SOURCE: http://aboutpublicrelations.net/ucpayne.htm