Intercultural Communication Relations

The concept of work tends to border upon the familiar: a steady routine, daily tasks that are either reproduced or produced similarly, a break for lunch – if you are lucky – and communicating in your native language. Or at least, that was my impression before I started a summer internship at Convensis, and decided to remain a part of the team.

My German was a little bit rusty, but good enough to communicate with my new colleagues in Stuttgart. Being an English teacher offers the advantage to have summers free to either plan for the year ahead, relax, or to explore a new avenue. I decided on the latter, which brought me to Convensis. I was nervous, at first — as I’m sure most would be. But soon I was given a new perspective of how work could be different. Quickly, I learned, each day was unlike the day before. Communication meant working across different modes and different cultures.

Writing is in the Details

In the classroom, writing has always been a format to communicate in a certain way. Whether it’s an acronym for an analytical paragraph (PEEZY – P: Point, E: Evidence, E: Explanation, Z: Zoom, Y: Your Response), or how to ‘show not tell’ with verb choices, or how to tell a story in reflection of Freytag’s plot pyramid — there was always a strategy on how to deliver it best. There’s a format in Public Relations, too, but its more abstract than an acronym – it’s in the details.

Being an English native, I helped assist with German articles that needed an English translation. Here, I offered a new skill set that ChatGPT is unable to offer: be a human eye, where the writing has a pulse. This digital, immersive experience helped me connect to the German language in a more meaningful way. I digested vocabulary that was more advanced and enhanced my bilingualism. The same clarification was achieved when my German colleagues sought confirmation for specific English expressions . We learned there is an art to speeches, press releases, articles, and even emails – it’s knowing your audience.

Creativity is at the core:

Being creative in an agency is an essential trait of what we do. Our society is media driven, so many cutting-edge ideas are already out there. But there are also different markets to reach a certain audience. Working with colleagues from another culture is a chance to approach a topic with a fresh lens. Questions are posed that have not been asked before. With this, there is an invitation to unique territory that is both foreign and new. But newness is also an opportunity to learn.

At Convensis, they had a client that wanted to extend their brand and enter the American market.

But, at the same time, the client placed personal value of being a German established brand. So, we put our heads together to draft slogan pitches in English – while communicating in German. In the end, the multicultural exchange allowed us to expand on the familiar and gain a new perspective on the unfamiliar.

The Power of Open-mindedness:

The secret to success amidst intercultural relations is to be open-minded. When working interculturally, you must rely on the knowledge and background of the target audience for a product. When it happens to be a new cultural audience, it is important to be optimistic, and absorb the ideas offered from the native speaker of that culture.

For example, I helped assist in building campaigns for a German company that wanted the communication to be in English. For this, the goal was to honor the German culture of the product, while also extending it to reach a wider, cultural audience. To do so, we had to address the reference of the origin of the product in a different way. Americans are not familiar with all of the major cities in Germany, so a simple emphasis on the country was the preferred angle. With this, the ability to exchange the expertise of each culture, and find an approach that supports both, is key.

Family is the Foundation:

At Convensis, everybody has a seat at the table. CEO Prof. Dr. Stefan Hencke and COO Susanne Hencke create an inviting atmosphere in the office. Everyone is welcome there. Upon approaching them about my idea for an internship, they responded by saying: “Ich finde es prima!”  Being that my husband has worked at the company for the nearly 6 years, I’ve had an extended connection with Convensis, but never an immersive one, until now.

The work that is typed, exchanged, brainstormed, and communicated is done through a network of support smiles, a belly of laughter, and maybe even signed off with a cheers of Pastis in hand. It is not just teamwork, it’s family.

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