SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND SOCIAL

SCIENCE
PUBLIC AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
HPR 20703

ASSIGNMENT 1
JOURNAL REVIEW-OPENING GLOBAL
GATEWAYS

PREPARED TO:
MADAM AMIRA FITRIYANA BT MOHD
HASHIM
PREPARED BY:
PUVANESWARAN S/O
YASUDEVAN
012014030260
SUBMISSION DATE:
31 MARCH 2016

TABLE OF CONTENT

NO

CONTENT

PAGE

INTRODUCTION

3-4

CONTENT

5-9

INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS CRISIS

10

SOLUTIONS

11

CONCLUSIONS

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INTRODUCTION

As a communicative process, public relations constitutes certain forms of representation.These

forms of representation comprise innumerable texts, more commonly known as public relations
tactics. Embedded in each tactic is a multitude of symbols that are both visual and verbal,
spoken and unspoken, visible and invisible. When practitioners areformulating a public relations
campaign, for example, they're ideally considering thestrategic big picture to develop tactics that
meet a desired goal.
Exactly what is being represented often is not easily determined ininternational public relations,
however. U.S. public relations pioneer Edward Bernaysrealized this in his work for the United
Fruit Company (UFCO) in the 1950s. If we consider public relations as a text encompassing
countless symbols, Bernays was a master at determining what text was needed and how its
symbols should be arranged to meet a certain objective. In the case of the U.S.-owned UFCO, it
was maintaining its stronghold over the Latin American country of Guatemala. UFCO relied
heavily on countries such as Guatemala to import bananas into the lucrative U.S. market.
In this process, Bernays's efforts to represent UFCO were more than just representing a
company in Guatemala. He was representing a cause by embedding it in the sweeping U.S.
fear of communism. The campaign included staging events, writing leaflets and brochures, and
flying U.S. reporters to Guatemala in carefully orchestrated junkets to see the communist evils
of the Arbenz regime firsthand. The end result? By using public relations techniques for UFCO,
Bernays helped overthrow the Arbenz government, thrusting Guatemala into decades of brutal
dictatorships.
International public relations is considered a top growth area by industry professionals and
scholars alike (Sriramesh & Vercic, 2003; Tilson & Alozie, 2004; Van Hook, n.d.). Despite this
elevated status, international public relations is still in its infancy, and much scholarly research
identifies challenges to international public relations rather than extending theory or discussing
effective practices. One of the difficulties in studying international public relations is the relative
youth of its base, public relations, as a formalized profession and practice. Other oft-cited
challenges include the lack of public relations education and training in some countries (Freitag,
2002) and the influence of public relations practitioners in an organizationand the resources,
upper management respect, and power accorded to themon efficacy (Grunig, Grunig, &
Vercic, 1998).
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Because of the primacy of culture and politics in international practice and the recognition that
relationships are always in flux, we turn to a critical cultural model of public relations practice to
understand how international public relations operates and the concerns practitioners must
address in any cross-cultural campaign. We depart from typical Western approaches that view
public relations as a management function designed to serve organizational goals. Instead, we
outline a cultural studies approach, examining public relations as a communicative cultural
process that shapes and is shaped by the meanings and practices of everyday life.
In reality, it isn't. It's a form of public relations that indicates the primacy of culture anddifference.
In other words, international public relations signifies that the stage for publicrelations is different
from that on which it's generally considered. Most case studiescompare public relations in one
country or region with that of the United States, which has dominated the practice and
scholarship of public relations. What is important to note is that the United States is just one
such forum for viewing public relations; there are many other stages that can be viewed on their
own terms.

CONTENT
GLOBAL OPPURTUNITIES AND PROBLEMS.
Multinational corporate and small and medium enterprises has been faced one main domain
international public relations outside their host countries.Because of the organization have to
sacrifice the cultural sensitivity and communication for adherence to business strategy and
financial gain,they fail half of cross border business vebture. Ignoring cultural signs can be just
as costly inthe initial stages of an international business venture as they are to businesses with
alongstanding presence.
For example,coca-cola company which is consistently ranking the number one brand in he
world have face some problems in some of countries such as france and Belgium.their
government

have

banned

the

coca-cola

sales

because

of

suspected

cases

of

contamination.This embarrassing public relation disaster caused mass hysteria in affected

coutries.The company lost US$103 million and won no accolades for its public relations in the
episode.
In India, home of numerous community protests against CocaCola for charges of water pollution
and excessive water use, the company positions itself as a local company.There is many
lessons that we can learn from coca-cola problems.firstly,we can learn that integration into a
host culture is an ongoing process with an indefinite end point. Coke has infused its operations
in India with host nationals,but that does not shield the company from the perception of it as a
corporate Goliath.Second, we see that corporations bring with them perceptions of their national
identity.Coca-Cola becomes more than just a soft drink company in its host countries its
symbolically transferred into the national identity of the United States in the minds of Indians.
A final lesson is that MNCs can no longer isolate discord in far reaches of the globe. What
happens in India and how Coke responds can affect its business thousands of miles away, a
phenomenon known as cross-national conflict shifting. This means that what worked back home
might not work in the host country, and what worked yesterday might not work today. It calls for
public relations practitioners to be agents of active involvement, recognizing the complexities of
doing public relations in different environments and different cultures. Nations are encountering
similar challenges when they engage in nation-branding campaigns.

NATIONAL IMAGE CULTIVATION.

Establish and maintain an already existing positive image of ones own nation is the main
objective of international public relations according to Michael konzik.he said that believes
national image is based on a construct of factors, including the mass media, stereotypes, and
cultural beliefs.He also adds that Image cultivation is a form of international public relations in
which the target audiences are outside the country itself, such as other governments, MNCs,
and international actors such as nongovernment organizations.
In fact, a strong argument can be made that internal and external public relations strategies are
ingredients in a recipe for nation building. A positive national image is seen as an economic
benefit that generates tourism, creates cordial relations with other governments, and increases
the country's chances of receiving aid.

DYNAMIC SOUTH KOREA

South korea is known as one of the famous country that follow heavily in public relations to
enhance their international reputation.They are different because they make 48 million
communication plan public on its own official website.Their government create a national image
committee for advancing and improving the countrys image. In 2004, the committee suggested
internal strategies such as the development of a nationwide campaign to encourage Korean
tourists to behave properly when abroad to avoid hurting Korea's reputation. The government
commissioned a study of citizens in the United States, Japan, and Germany to assess their
attitudes of Korea and has made public some of those results to dovetail with its participatory
government philosophy. Public relations also links to the country's efforts to introduce Korean
culture to the Middle East and to form economic partnerships with Latin America.

SWAZILANDS APPROACH TO PUBLIC RELATIONS.

The another country that give full commitment to public relations is Swaziland. Swaziland is
typical of African countries that struggle to project a positive image: Africa's inability to attract
and retain foreign investment has much to do with the negative public relations that surround its
social institutions. Recently the country has made news for the actions of its absolute monarch,
King Mswati III. In 2004 Mswati bought a US$500,000 car with a television, DVD player,
refrigerator, 21-speaker surround system, and sterling champagne glasses. Unlike South Korea,
which has actively incorporated public relations and communication into its policy statements,
Swaziland has eschewed such transparency, possibly because its economic and national
welfare are very different from those in Korea. The governments of Swaziland and South Korea
clearly are at separate poles regarding public relations activities. Much of that gap is attributable
to the wide economic difference between the two countries and Swaziland's numerous other
problems, including HIV and AIDS. It is difficult to make meaningful comparisons between the
two countries because numerous other factors, including country size and differing colonial
legacies, make them unique.

TRAVEL AND TOURISM.

Tourism and public relations are inextricably linked under international public relations.
International perceptions of a country are crucial in attracting tourism, which can provide an
economic boon to countries and cultivate foreign investment.For example,Dracula land the
theme park which intended to serve as economis engine.The increasing number of tourist
challenges the public relations practicionars to improve their communication skills. Based on
Tokyo Disneyland's success, Hong Kong's government entered a joint venture with Disney to
open Hong Kong Disneyland in 2005, which includes creating the first train line in the world
devoted to a theme park. As this case demonstrates, packaging a culture for consumption by
another requires public relations practitioners to create cultural identities, which must change to
meet changing challenges and expectations.

SPORTS AND INTERNATIONAL GOODWILL.

Sports is also known as a tool of unify nation,promote social change and affect the national
physche and making them as a powerfull agent. The Beijing Organizing Committee has taken a
remarkably transparent approach to public relations, devoting part of its Web site to its plan to
promote China and the Olympics for the 2008 games. Great Britain similarly recognized the
public relations value of its winning bid for the 2012 Olympic games. Although international
sports provides a tool for diplomacy and improved relations, it is increasingly expensive,
widening the gap between developed and developing nations. The cost of international public
relations practitioners is another question that must be addressed in any approach to the field.
Additionally, international sports can also become a focus of political protest and activism,
providing an international stage and guaranteed media attention.

NON-PROFIT AND INTERNATIONAL NGOS.

Place advocacy as their mission is the main thing of nonprofit organization and non government
organizations such as Red cross and YMCA.They have face situation-specific public relations
challenges, including conflicts of interest, bureaucracy, government interference, local
indifference, and cultural misunderstandings. These challenges, and many more like them,
make effective public relations fundamental to any NGO or INGO. But INGOs work with a host
of publics, and creating positive relations with all of them may not always be possible given the
organization's mission.For example,doctors without borders case which provides medical
assistance to countries in need of the humanitarian. At times, this criticism has resulted in the
group's expulsion from host countries, leaving people without much needed aid. The group has
refused to back down on its mission to address problems at their root. It believes doing so would
implicitly support poor government practices, although it realizes that taking the moral high
ground comes at the cost of human lives. Balancing a variety of constituents interests and
needs with organizational mission remains an ongoing challenge in this international practice
arena.

TRADE ASSOCIATION.
Trade association is the corporation that form to promote an industry or cause. Public relations
is essential for trade associations, which must raise awareness of, educate people about, and
promote their industry. Trade associations come in many forms. Many trade associations base
agreements on economic liberalism, often citing World Tourism Organisation criteria. But recent
studies indicate that trade associations are most helpful when members have similar
competitive advantages but can actually be harmful when inequities exist. If less empowered
members do not receive the full benefits of group membership, they're likely to form splinter
groups, and the advantage of association membership is lost to all.Maintaining balance and
empowering minority members is crucial to successful crosscultural communication.

KEYS TO OPENING GLOBAL GATEWAY.

Consider culture and the wider political implications inherent in a cultural approach is the key of
opening the global gateways of public relations.Culture is a descriptor of complex variables, and
to label a culture favorably or unfavorably is counterproductive.Recognizing its power and
respecting it are the benchmarks for understanding culture.The very nature of governance
becomes an exercise in generating meaning to and for various publics, creating a space where
public relations can operate in more formal terms as a specialized function. At the heart of this
logic is the idea that governance is about representing people and policies across vast
distances and crossing international boundaries, cultures, and systems. Instead, we outline a
cultural studies approach, examining public relations as a communicative cultural process that
shapes and is shaped by the meanings and practices of everyday life.

INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS CRISIS

PepsiCos Controversial Mountain Dew Ad

When Pepsi enlisted rapper Tyler, The Creator, to produce a series of ads for Mountain Dew,
something raw and edgy was to be expected. But the third ad in the series appeared to push the
envelope too far it was a 60-second spot depicting a battered woman on crutches being urged
to identify a suspect out of a lineup of black men, taking on all-too-familiar racial stereotypes. A
goat character known as Felicia is included in the lineup and makes threatening comments to
the woman, such as "Ya better not snitch on a playa" and "Keep ya mouth shut." The ad drew
fire from some noteworthy critics, including author Rosalind Wiseman and Syracuse University
professor Boyce Watkins, and the company wisely decided to quickly pull the ad and issue an
apology.
A spokeswoman for Mountain Dew's parent company, PepsiCo, said Tyler, the Creator had
"final approval" for the commercial, but she wasn't aware of the details of PepsiCo's
involvement, according to The Associated Press.
Mountain Dew has their plate full right now, as they're also dealing with calls demanding that Lil
Wayne be dropped from his sponsorship deal with the company. The Young Money rapper has
sparked outrage over his crass lyrical reference to Emmett Till the 14-year-old boy who was
tortured and lynched in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman and Till's family has said
they'll pursue action to get Lil Wayne dropped from his Mountain Dew deal, according
to AllHipHop.com. Lil Wayne has issued an apology for the lyrics.

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SOLUTION
PepsiCo responded to the goat-spot controversy with an updated statement: They apologize for
this video and take full responsibility. they have removed it from all Mountain Dew channels and
Tyler is removing it from his channels as well. Tylers management posted a response stating
that it was never Tylers intention to offend anyone and adding in part and Out of respect to
those that were offended the ad was taken down. Regarding the Tyler spot controversy, Laura
Ries, president of the Ries & Ries branding and marketing consultancy, noted to HuffPo that
companies that want the "street cred" of a celebrity may end up losing control of the message
they want to convey. Perhaps PepsiCo accomplished that. The other two commercials that are
meant to precede the pulled ad are still in rotation. And those stories put the final ad into better
context but they dont redeem it. Hopefully, other companies will think twice before giving birth to
any more of Tylers empty ideas. PepsiCo's quick action to takedown the ad was critical
because Mountain Dew was ranked as the nation'sfourth-largest carbonated soft drink in
volume sales last year, reportstrade magazine Beverage Digest.The brand grew 0.6% in
volume, which outperformed the carbonated soft drink category last year, whose sales were
down 1.2%.

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CONCLUSION

culture is the main things in international public relations which describes the practice and study
of public relations acreoss international boundaries and cultures. International public relations
efforts never begin at a neutral starting point because mere organizational presence generates
messages. Some industries and areas relevant to international public relations include the
expansion and growth of MNCs, nation-branding campaigns, travel and tourism, international
sporting events, nonprofits, and trade associations.the international public relation practicionars
have to increase and develop their own skills to face more challenges in their fields.they have to
compete with other countries practicionars to prove their talent.

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