Image Management in Public Diplomacy A Political Psychology Perspective

Doris A. Graber, U. of Illinois/ChicagoDoris A. Graber, U. of Illinois/Chicago

Professor: Political Science/CommunicationProfessor: Political Science/Communication

What is Public Diplomacy?What is Public Diplomacy?

• My definitionMy definition::

““Government-sponsored Government-sponsored activities designed to persuade activities designed to persuade foreign publics to foreign publics to hold favorable hold favorable images about the sponsoring images about the sponsoring nation’s nature and policies and to nation’s nature and policies and to soften or erase unfavorable images.”soften or erase unfavorable images.”

What is Image Management?THREE MAJOR STEPS

1. Assessing what your target audience likes and dislikes about your country.

2. Strengthening the ‘likes’ side of the ledger and weakening the ‘dislike’ side.

Do so with words and deeds.

3. Avoid contradicting & disconfirming information.

Why Image Management is Crucial in Why Image Management is Crucial in International PoliticsInternational Politics

• Bad images make co-existence & cooperation difficult. They reduce policy effectiveness.

• Bad images increase fears about potentially unfavorable economic or military developments.

• To cooperate successfully, China and USA must pursue vigorous public diplomacy campaigns in words and deeds.

Why Image Management is DifficultWhy Image Management is Difficult

Some Essential Requirements: Some Essential Requirements: • Assess current opinions of target audiences. Assess current opinions of target audiences.

• Know the Know the causes/contributing eventscauses/contributing events of current of current views including local cultures, stereotypes. views including local cultures, stereotypes.

• KnowKnow local legal and political local legal and political environmentsenvironments likely to affect likely to affect PDPD campaigns. campaigns.

• Overcome Overcome conflicting messagesconflicting messages spreading spreading simultaneously in the Internet Age.simultaneously in the Internet Age.

• Cope with the Cope with the Mirror ImageMirror Image effect. effect.

Multiple Assessment Axes

Components of the Mix????Components of the Mix????What Explains the End Product?What Explains the End Product?

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• Nothing Succeeds like SuccessNothing Succeeds like Success• Economic Benefits e.g. African developmentEconomic Benefits e.g. African development• Coping with Cognitive Dissonance??Coping with Cognitive Dissonance??• Public Diplomacy ActivitiesPublic Diplomacy Activities, e.g. Confucius , e.g. Confucius

Institutes, Olympics, Trade Fairs, Non-Institutes, Olympics, Trade Fairs, Non-intervention pledges; skip HR reportsintervention pledges; skip HR reports

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Credit Public DiplomacyCredit Public Diplomacy

• Joshua Kurlantzick, said in Joshua Kurlantzick, said in Charm Charm Offensive: How China's Soft Power is Offensive: How China's Soft Power is Transforming the WorldTransforming the World (2007(2007) that ) that

• "China has drastically changed its image in "China has drastically changed its image in many parts of the world from dangerous to many parts of the world from dangerous to benign. It may already be the preeminent benign. It may already be the preeminent power in parts of Asia, and it could develop power in parts of Asia, and it could develop China-centered spheres of influence in China-centered spheres of influence in other parts of the globe, like Central Asia or other parts of the globe, like Central Asia or Africa" p. 226) .Africa" p. 226) .

Favorable View of China, 2011Favorable View of China, 201114 positive countries, 8 negative14 positive countries, 8 negative

80%80% 70%70% 60%60% 50%50% 40%40% 30%30% 20%20% 10%10%

Pakistan Kenya Russia USA Jordan Germany India Turkey

Ukraine Britain Israel Japan

Palestine France Brazil Mexico

Indonesia Spain

Lithuania

Poland

Egypt

Lebanon

1 1 4 8 3 3 1 1

Favorable View of U.S. 2011Favorable View of U.S. 2011 14 positive countries, 8 negative 14 positive countries, 8 negative

80%80% 70%70% 60%60% 50%50% 40%40% 3030%%

20%20% 10%10%

Japan France Britain Russia Lebanon Egypt Turkey

Kenya Lithuania Germany Indonesia China Jordan

Poland Spain Mexico India Palestine

Israel Ukraine Pakistan

Brazil

22 44 55 33 33 00 11 44

• My Searches for Matching Negative Images My Searches for Matching Negative Images of the U.S. were largely unsuccessful. of the U.S. were largely unsuccessful.

• Apologies! Apologies!

• Patterns suggest that the ratings of China Patterns suggest that the ratings of China and the U.S. are quite similar and the U.S. are quite similar

Major Image Negatives: Major Image Negatives: Economic and Military PowerEconomic and Military Power

Major Image Negatives: Major Image Negatives: Economic and Military PowerEconomic and Military Power• Negative = 40% Econ; 63% MilitaryNegative = 40% Econ; 63% Military

FearFear of China’s Military Power of China’s Military Power % tage of respondents to % tage of respondents to PEW Global Attitudes polls, Spring PEW Global Attitudes polls, Spring

2011 – in percentages2011 – in percentages

• Japan = 87Japan = 87• France = 83France = 83• U.S.A. = 79U.S.A. = 79• Germany = 79Germany = 79• Russia = 74Russia = 74• Spain = 74Spain = 74• Britain = 71Britain = 71• Poland = 68Poland = 68• Turkey = 66Turkey = 66• Israel = 66Israel = 66

• Lebanon = 57Lebanon = 57• Ukraine = 57Ukraine = 57• Mexico = 55Mexico = 55• Jordan = 52Jordan = 52• Brazil = 51Brazil = 51• India = 50India = 50• Egypt = 48Egypt = 48• Indonesia = 36Indonesia = 36• Kenya = 29Kenya = 29• Pakistan = 5%Pakistan = 5%

FearFear of China’s Economic Power of China’s Economic Power % tage of respondents to PEW Global Attitudes polls, Spring

2011 – in percentages

• Turkey = 64Turkey = 64• France = 59France = 59• U.S.A. = 53U.S.A. = 53• Germany = 50Germany = 50

• Mexico = 43Mexico = 43• Poland = 46Poland = 46• Spain = 40Spain = 40• India = 40India = 40• Japan = 35Japan = 35• Lebanon = 29Lebanon = 29• Pakistan = 5Pakistan = 5

Barriers to Image Management SuccessBarriers to Image Management SuccessPsychological Hurdles: Psychological Hurdles:

CultureCulture • Established Established schema structuresschema structures, including shared , including shared

collective memoriescollective memories and and stereotypesstereotypes. .

• Cultural barriersCultural barriers to communication, e. g. to communication, e. g. taboostaboos, , symbolic meanings. symbolic meanings.

• Cultural patterns of message framingCultural patterns of message framing, e.g. norms , e.g. norms of politeness, class distinctions, story-telling. of politeness, class distinctions, story-telling.

• Cultural differences in message meaningsCultural differences in message meanings, e.g. , e.g. value labels like ‘family or ‘religion.’value labels like ‘family or ‘religion.’

Barriers to Image Management SuccessBarriers to Image Management SuccessGroup LoyaltiesGroup Loyalties

• Ingroup/outgroup barriers weaken outgroup Ingroup/outgroup barriers weaken outgroup images. Raise trust and credibility issues images. Raise trust and credibility issues

• Differences in national identity, ethnic Differences in national identity, ethnic identity, language, religion, genderidentity, language, religion, gender

• Clashing value prioritiesClashing value priorities

• Different body language (e.g. to convey Different body language (e.g. to convey respect)respect)

'Uncaring' Image of China & U.S,'Uncaring' Image of China & U.S, Negative responses to "Does China Consider Negative responses to "Does China Consider Interests of Countries Like Yours?“,Interests of Countries Like Yours?“, in %tagesin %tages

(Source: Source: PEW Global Attitudes polls in 24 countries, Spring PEW Global Attitudes polls in 24 countries, Spring 2008; 2008; blue figures show U.S. image in 2011blue figures show U.S. image in 2011)

• France = 82 68• Japan = 79 49• Spain = 77 81• Jordan = 74 77• Egypt = 7279• Australia = 72 --• Britain = 71 60

• Argentina = 70Argentina = 70 ----• S. Korea = 68S. Korea = 68

----• Poland = 61Poland = 61 6767• Germany = 59Germany = 59 4444• U.S.A. = 56U.S.A. = 56 2424• Turkey = 55Turkey = 55 8383• Brazil = 46Brazil = 46 4949

Barriers to Image Management SuccessBarriers to Image Management SuccessCognitive HurdlesCognitive Hurdles

• Existing schemas, embedded in belief systems. Existing schemas, embedded in belief systems.

• People accept reinforcements and reject People accept reinforcements and reject refutations – cognitive dissonance issue.refutations – cognitive dissonance issue.

• Competing messagesCompeting messages usually weaken message usually weaken message impact unless messages are mutually supportive. impact unless messages are mutually supportive. Competing message can come from ingrained Competing message can come from ingrained beliefs, reports or experiences of events, news beliefs, reports or experiences of events, news media stories, entertainment media stories, etc.media stories, entertainment media stories, etc.

Barriers to Image Management SuccessBarriers to Image Management SuccessHostile Environments

• Powerful message competition from internal Powerful message competition from internal government public relations efforts.government public relations efforts.

• Powerful message competition from external Powerful message competition from external government P.R. efforts.government P.R. efforts.

• Distaste for actual past and present policies that Distaste for actual past and present policies that receive extensive media coverage.receive extensive media coverage.

• Growing tides of messages overwhelm individuals Growing tides of messages overwhelm individuals and drown each other out. and drown each other out.

Prognosis for Success of Public Prognosis for Success of Public Diplomacy CampaignsDiplomacy Campaigns

• The Chicago Council on Global Affairs The Chicago Council on Global Affairs surveyed five countries in 2008 – China, the surveyed five countries in 2008 – China, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and United States, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. Respondents in each country Vietnam. Respondents in each country answered 40 to 60 questions about answered 40 to 60 questions about economics, culture, human capital, economics, culture, human capital, diplomacy and politics. The table shows diplomacy and politics. The table shows how China rated in various performance how China rated in various performance realms based on a scale of 0 to 100. realms based on a scale of 0 to 100.

China’s Performance Ratings in China’s Performance Ratings in 5 Realms of Activities – 1-100 Scale5 Realms of Activities – 1-100 Scale

Econo-mic

Human-

istic

Cultur-al

Diplo-

matic

Politi-

cal

USA 52 55 56 40 34

Japan 57 58 57 44 41

S. Korea 57 64 54 51 48

Indonesia 73 74 62 69 71

Vietnam 70 80 77 67 --

Important Lessons from the RatingsImportant Lessons from the Ratings• Diversity of ratings by countries shows that Diversity of ratings by countries shows that

image creation is interactive. image creation is interactive.

• Variances in ratings for various appraisal Variances in ratings for various appraisal dimensions show that images are multi-dimensions show that images are multi-faceted. Ratings of one facet do not faceted. Ratings of one facet do not necessarily affect the ratings of other necessarily affect the ratings of other facets.facets.

• The mindset of observers in each country is The mindset of observers in each country is crucial in shaping their images. Political crucial in shaping their images. Political psychology provides essential insights.psychology provides essential insights.

Lessons from Actual Lessons from Actual PDPD Campaigns Campaigns

• Reaching target audiences does not guarantee Reaching target audiences does not guarantee accurate meaning transmission. It does not accurate meaning transmission. It does not guarantee persuasion. guarantee persuasion.

• PDPD campaigns fail if they are poorly coordinated campaigns fail if they are poorly coordinated with other policies that have image impacts. with other policies that have image impacts. Campaigns need repeats.Campaigns need repeats.

• Message competition from news and Message competition from news and entertainment media is difficult to beat.entertainment media is difficult to beat.

• Changes are mostly domain-specificChanges are mostly domain-specific. .