The problem I have is that it's impossible to tailor-make PR to suit every person. Coming from South Africa with 11 official languages and many more different cultures, I believe that we need to compromise, and find a happy medium, that which suits the majority. By this I mean that PR can adapt to various cultures, but you can never find a cap that fits all heads . . .
The constant drive to be politically correct can also lead a company to commit a faux pas. McDonalds, the fast food giant, seems to suffer from foot in mouth disease every now and then. A recent campaign in China saw McDonalds issue commemorative Chinese New Year toys celebrating the Chinese zodiac calendar. In a bid to avoid insulting it's Muslim customers, McDonalds decided to not have a pig as part of the 12 character line-up, instead it issued a cupid figurine. This resulted in an uproar, as many collector's in China felt the collection was now incomplete, and did not accurately reflect the Chinese Zodiac.
They subsequently issued an apology and began distributing the pig as part of the promotion.
McDonalds provided more fodder for irate bloggers earlier this year, when they ran an advert stating "the pound, also known as the bob" as part of an advertising campaign in the US. McDonalds execs on the other side of the pond were criticised for not researching what a bob actually is in England. Had they done a litle bit of research, they would have found that it is actually 5 pence!
The constant need to satisfy everyone is just not feasible. While global PR needs to take cognizance of cultures and beliefs, the possibilty of achieving the opposite is all too real as demonstrated above.
References:
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_475296.html
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/McDonalds-Criticised-For-Pound-Saver-Advert-Which-Describes-One-Pound-As-One-Bob/Article/201001415534209?f=rss
