Advice for international consultants
Not everyone is suited to work internationally, both from a purely family perspective and the toll it takes on your private life, as well as from a cultural awareness perspective. However, as someone who has been working in over 40 countries across the world for almost 20 years now, both in developed and developing markets, I can definitely say that the opportunities to meet other peoples, get to know their values and beliefs, support various organisations to navigate through the complexities of generally fragile socio-economic environments, are worth the sacrifices we may make in the process.
Reading books and articles about international markets helps you form a ‘desktop’ view of what to expect and what it is expected both of you, the PR adviser, and of your client. However, until you effectively go to that place/country/market, talk to segments of your target audience and other stakeholders, you cannot assume to advise your clients appropriately. Country experience (either past or on-going) is paramount in the successful completion of what it is we are required to do.
It is only when working internationally you find that Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Motivation is your best friend: not all your stakeholder groups are interested in self-actualisation or in being socially accepted. While everyone seeks safety and security, as well as the fulfilment of basic needs, not everyone is driven by them.
There is another important aspect to consider here: that of understanding the unwritten cultural and societal rules of that country/region/tribe and how, by you and your client demonstrating that you know them, doors can be opened quicker and difficult stakeholders brought to the negotiation table sooner. Politeness and empathy can get you anywhere, whereas an informal or too ‘chummy’ style can be your undoing. Professor Emeritus Geert Hofstede, the ‘father’ of modern national and organisational culture, is a great source of information with regard to ‘high-power distance cultures’ and ‘low-power distance cultures’.
We all know that it is human nature (and unconscious bias, one might argue), to make up our mind about someone in less than 10 seconds. The same happens in business and politics; a wrong word, a smile, a certain look can do much more damage than any initial corporate action can, and walking it back is often difficult.
‘Underpromise’ and ‘overdeliver’ may be two verbs that seem strange to the PR world; however, if you abide by these, there’s not much that could go wrong. Find really competent and trustworthy local partners – these will help you with your much needed research and analysis on the ground and, also, get the media at the table for you. However, make sure that the local media or other stakeholders know that you are in charge and responsible for all the activities that you wish to partner with them for; this brings you respect and credibility. Use your local partners to open doors, and make sure that it is you and your client who get through that door first.
Talk to the people on the street, in cafes and parks; get a real feeling (and qualitative research, one might add) for what they relate to, believe in, feel passionately about. As with any aspect of qualitative data, you cannot rely on this alone to make an informed decision and later put that forward to your client or build a strategy on it; however, that ‘quality’ information may be useful in helping you frame the quantitative research questions that you may have.
No region is the same, let alone a country. Do not ever assume that you can use off-the-shelf and ‘battle tested’ strategies, plans and tactics without tailoring them to totally suit the geographical and geopolitical demands of your brief, as well as your client’s needs.
Curzon PR is a London-based PR firm working with clients globally. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Business Development Team [email protected]
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