World‐class public relations: A model for effective public relations in the multinational

Abstract

As organisations become multinational, their reputations are increasingly subject to the effects of culture, politics, socioeconomics and other factors that become much more complex in the international arena than in domestic contexts. The crisis suffered by Coca‐Cola in Europe in 1999 can be a lesson to multinationals, small or large, which are not fully prepared to handle cross‐border issues. Studies conducted by this author have led to a useful model for effective public relations across borders, and have shown how European‐based multinationals are often better equipped than American firms to preserve their reputations on a global basis.