Larry D. Lauer

In revising the material for the course in international and intercultural communication I am teaching in London this summer, I was reminded once again that all international communication is really local.

Indeed all the analytical skills we use in integrated and strategic marketing and communication apply when working internationally. We must understand the specific needs, behaviors and social trends of our target markets; we must understand the media protocols and expectations of the region; we must know all relevant laws or regulations, we must identify the preferred media of each audience, we must take into account the controversies currently on the public agenda, and we must understand dramatically different customs and special cultural traits.

Indeed, in internatonal communication, cultural values and traditions are especially important.  But that is also true in every domestic communication situation.  Every organization, city, region, and country has distinct cultural characteristics that define its identity and communication parameters. The longer I do this work both at home and abroad the more I realize just how much these dynamic and emotional local intangibles defne success or failure.   

So what makes international communication different? For me, its mostly coming to grips with just how much local help I need when contemplating working in a totally “foreign” environment. It’s fully comprehending that a little knowlege about a country or culture can be dangerous. And it’s coming to a complete understanding of just how fast communication breaks down.

In the final analysis, studying international communication is an exercise in learning how much attention to local detail matters.  And it is also an exercise in experiencing how different those cultures can be, and therefore how important it is to know how to find those local people that can help you.