The Caribbean is truly an exotic haven and the communication practitioners in the region are no exception.
Each nation has its own dialect, cultural nuances and unique personality: Barbadians are known to be conservative but highly educated; Trinidadians, creatively adventurous; Jamaicans, bold and sexy within a very multicultural environment.
These intricacies must be appreciated before any company can effectively penetrate these markets.
It is wise to work closely with a specialist agency in the destination of choice or one of few experienced public relations/ marketing firms that has mastered the art of infiltrating the entire belt of island nations.
Websites such as www.reachcaribbean.com, www.caribbean360.com and www.caribbeannetnews.com are great for fact finding, however. The top national newspapers and radio stations are largely online, including an increasing number of blogs and social media sites.
In tandem with Caribbean diplomatic offices across the globe are great ways to reach and appreciate Caribbean nationals at home and in the Diaspora.
The bottom line is therefore, not much different to any foreign country one might be seeking to practice effective communications in.
It requires an appreciation for the cultural and socio-economic nature of the individual nations. While there are many similarities, very few carte blanche campaigns have succeeded.
(Original written for IABC's Communication World Magazine May/June 2008 edition
Latin America/ Caribbean supplement.)
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