Cultural Variance as a Challenge
to Global Public Relations
A Case Study of the Coca-Cola
Scare in Europe
Hella Heiderich
Juliane Arndt
Structure
• cultural variability
• uncertainty avoidance and power distance
-> how this affects the reaction of the public
to a crisis
• example: Coca-Cola incident
Cultural variability
• Globalization -> cross-national conflict
shifting
• Opportunities / challenges for PR
Understand different reactions
• Uncertainty avoidance
• Power distance
(Hofstede)
Affection on communication
• Low certainty avoidance = no
communication
• High certainty avoidance = communication
• High PDI = trust in leaders
Coca-Cola scandal
• 1999, Belgium
• School kids drank coke and got ill
• Coca-cola did not accept any responsibility
• After 9 days the CEO tried to solve the
problem;
What happened?
• low power distance and low uncertainty
avoidance = USA
• Complex cultural variations in Europe