PR in a Global World: The Importance of Cultural Understanding

Being informed on the different cultures around you is an important part of Public Relations. When interacting with different people it is important to have knowledge on customs and traditions others have. Understanding your target audience and how the campaign affects certain religions and beliefs is important in the success of the campaign. Being aware of your own biases when it comes to religion and beliefs is important to acknowledge. Making sure your personal views don't get in the way of making connections with others is essential in PR.

Communication

Public Relations is all about communicating and creating bonds with others. That's why it's important to know how to properly communicate with people of different cultures. Having cultural intelligence, or “the ability of people, businesses, and organizations to relate to the diverse cultural situations as well as work effectively in them”(Fries, 2020), is essential in the PR world. Having the ability to effectively communicate internationally can greatly improve the company's social network. Being able to produce  proper etiquette including greetings, gestures, personal space, and business practices is vital for establishing positive relationships and avoiding unintentional offense. A lack of etiquette can lead to damaged relationships and harm to the company's reputation.

Cultural fiascos

Even when your campaign aims to have good intentions, if certain groups believe your company has an agenda, you can receive negative backlash. For example, Coca-Colas ‘Share a Coke’ campaign involved creating special cans to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. However groups like Latino Rebels did not feel coke was being genuine but rather using the special month as a tactic. A campaign embracing diversity can result in backlash if the consumers “feel like public relations pawns”(Keller, 2020). Creating a campaign that is authentic and genuine is the best way to avoid backlash. Showing a real understanding of the culture and its beliefs can create trust and build a stronger bond. Whether it be an interview, campaign, blog, ect., make sure you double check your work and evaluate the possible outcomes when discussing cultural topics.

Cultural success

British Airways ‘Fuelled by Love’ campaign included a video with the intentions of a three day offer for London bound customers from India. The video involved  “British Airways stitching a beautiful bond between an Indian Passenger and a British Airways Crew member” (Lyengar, 2021). The results of this campaign turned out to prove successful, with over 12 million views on Youtube. This campaign was able to tighten the bond with their main target audience along with gaining new consumers. Knowing your intended  demographic can help you create a more specific campaign goal as well as hit your specific target audience.

Overall, understanding cultural differences and being able to communicate internationally are important skills to have as a PR professional. Doing in depth research on the audience you are working with is essential when communicating with others. Being considerate of different cultures won't just make you a good PR professional, but also make you a well rounded individual.

References

Fries, D. (2020, August 27). Cultural intelligence: Why implementing this practice is

 important for PR pros. Agility PR Solutions. https://www.agilitypr.com/pr-news/public-relations/cultural-intelligence-why-implementing-this-practice-is-important-for-pr-pros/ 

‌Kelleher, T. (2020). Public Relations (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press Academic US. 

https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9780190925109

Lyengar, S. (2021, June 18). Importance Of “Culture” In Public Relations & How Going Digital Is The Way. Mediawire. https://www.mediawire.in/blog/trending-content/importance-of-culture-in-public-relations--how-going-digital-is-the-way-62833237.html