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The 3 Must-Dos For F&B PR To Be Culturally Sensitive In The Region

Successful food and beverage (F&B) public relations (PR) goes beyond communicating the best tastes and prices, but a firm understanding of the underlying relations of F&B with culture, language and religion.

The Southeast Asian region is home to a kaleidoscope of cultural differences, and F&B PR professionals have to be sensitive to these differences in order to communicate a brand that successfully resonates with the hearts of the target consumers. Here are the top 3 things PR agents must take care of while doing F&B PR:

Respect The Locals’ Practices

Every country in the region has different food restrictions due to their cultural differences and religious practices, and this calls for PR professionals to be discerning in knowing what specific types of food would be suitable in each country.

Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism are some key religions in the Southeast Asian region that follow certain dietary guidelines, such as only consuming Halal or (lacto)vegetarian food. As such, in the event of media tastings, PR agents have to be crystal clear about the religious profiles of the target media and their dietary restrictions, if any. This is a critical step that will demonstrate a brand’s respect and sensitivity for individuals’ cultural differences and religious practices.

Besides religious beliefs, cultural backgrounds of the target consumers are also important to take note of. For example, there is little or no acceptance of the consumption of exotic meats across many cultures. As such, a Facebook post by a local online grocery store to sell exotic meats like koala sausages and panda meat was considered offensive even for an April Fool’s joke. The intention of the campaign was to raise awareness on the plight of endangered animals and the perils of illegal animal trafficking. However, the way the campaign was executed was distasteful and ill-judged, as the brand disregarded Singaporeans’ cultural norms, hence drawing much flak from the locals and the large expat community in the country.

By respecting and catering to the locals’ cultural and religious practices, PR experts are essentially sending the right brand messages to help achieve mutual respect between both parties that will enable positive rapport building and garner support for the brand.

Know The Festivals

The variety of cultural festivals celebrated in the region, from Chinese New Year to Hari Raya and Christmas, is never a complete celebration without feasting. F&B plays a huge role in these events, and PR agencies should take time to research on the target country’s festivals and incorporate them into the calendar of a F&B brand’s PR efforts. Given the huge scale of these festivals, there is much potential to leverage on them by planning to coincide a restaurant opening, festive menu launch or special promotions with these celebratory dates. This positions F&B brands to be culturally aware and relevant to their target consumers.

Pay Attention To Language Use

Every culture is embodied by a different language, and with no two languages being the same in terms of meaning and structure, it is essential to pay attention to language use in the culturally diversified Southeast Asia. The same words in different languages may convey a totally different meaning and often this may be overlooked without a professional and astute eye when doing translation work for any publication materials. Especially in F&B PR, where products are meant for consumption, an inappropriate translation will lead to consequential miscommunication of ideas.

What works in one country may not work in another, especially in a culturally and religiously diverse region such as Southeast Asia. Regional PR agencies have to ensure research is done to acquire solid knowledge and understanding of the target locals’ language and cultural practices. Local PR agencies would be the best bet since they are experts in the local market and culture.

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Try to Use an Online Camp Management Software to Save Time and Cost

Camps are organized throughout the year to satisfy different motives and goals. For example, governments of various countries arranges camps to provide shelter and protection to refugees and nationals who have lost their homes because of some natural calamities or war. We also find many organizations planning summer camps for kids or adults to let them enjoy the day and participate in various fun-filled activities. Now, whether a State organizes a camp or a professional institute, there is an urgent need to manage these camps properly to save time and cost.

Managing camps, especially the big ones is a mammoth task. You need to handle the registration phase as well as fee collection to ensure the success of the camping experience. An online camp management software can help you streamline and handle such elements of the camping registration process at an affordable cost. It is because of the cost effective nature that we see the majority of camp organizers turning towards using the Cloud-based camp management solution instead of manually controlling and supervising the event.

Technology is slowly overpowering the manual aspects of executing a task. Let’s see how such a solution is helping the camp owners manage work professionally.

Camp Registration Forms

You can create, design and publish the camp registration forms just like your existing hard copy forms. The only difference being is that instead of printing the form on paper, you publish it on the website. I Interested individuals can start filling it up their details as soon as it is uploaded on the website. If there is a need to enhance and publicize the organization’s brand value and corporate identity, it can be done by customizing the forms to make them look like your camp website. You can even add any number of questions on the forms to gather relevant details from each registrant.

Confirmation Emails

With an online management app, you no longer need to print and post individual confirmation letters to the respective registrants. You can quickly send confirmation group emails to all the participants after the successful completion of registration as well as any links or attachments that needs to be filled out.

Payments Collection

Cloud-based camp management app will let you accept registration fees using one’s credit cards and such other leading payment gateways. As a camp organizer, you can utilize the online payment solution to send refunds or chargeback to individuals who decide to withdraw their registration due to some personal reason.

Generation of Online Reports

After the camp gets over, the next key element is to generate a variety of reports to measure the specific aspects of business activities and ROI. Online generation of reports saves time and you can create multiple reports and store them on a single activity dashboard in minutes. All registrant plus their payment details get automatically stored in the solution database; hence you can instantly access them online to import them in excel or such standard formats.

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African Tour of Tanzania and Egypt – The Right Mix of History, Wildlife and Culture on Your Trip

A trip combining Egypt and Tanzania is a perfect tour for African travel enthusiasts who are seeking the right mix to optimize their experience. If you were to make a once-in-a-life-time trip to Africa, this would be it.

Tanzania is home to some of the most interesting wildlife areas in the world today. This destination has top value game reserves and parks. As a traveler on safari, you get the perfect chance to get up close with African nature. Whichever park you opt for – Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Selous, Grumeti, Katavi, Gombe – you are not likely to regret it.

Egypt, on the eastern terminus of the Sahara desert, has her own miracles – The Nile and the ancient landmarks and signatures of ancient civilization. The Pharaohs left behind magnificent temples and pyramids. Their subjects built amazing tombs in Luxor and Abu Simbel. The Nile, rising from the remote parts of African uplands, has for thousands of years given life to Egypt by sweeping fertilizing silts down its valley, feeding Egypt.

Geting There:

Flight Connections between Egypt and Tanzania: Egypt Air and Kenya Airways are some of the regional airlines that provide the flights between these 2 countries. They flight is likely to have a stop over in Nairobi, Kenya. Other airlines like Ethiopian Airlines and Air Tanzania also serve this route.

What You will See When You Travel to Egypt and Tanzania: Tanzania, as a travel destination is renowned for its savannah wildlife. This country will offer you the opportunity to see all sorts of wildlife – some only found in Africa. You will certainly see Elephants, Lions, Buffalo, Zebra, Giraffe, Rhino and even Chimpanzee if you include that in your itinerary.

Egypt is of course a top travel destination for many. The attractions are many, varied and simply amazing. You will see the Pyramids of Giza, The Temples of Karnak, Visit the Medieval Cairo, Temple of Luxor, The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities in Cairo and then Cruise on the Nile.

Accommodation Options for Travelers to Egypt and Tanzania: While in Egypt, travelers will have a very wide range of accommodation options. Egypt has a variety of hotels ranging from mid-level to top luxury resorts and hotels. The top end luxury hotels in Egypt offer state-of-the-art facilities and services. You will access cafes, Jacuzzis, fitness centres, swimming pools etc. The top rated hotels are likely to be in the plush cities of Luxor and Cairo. But the other lesser cities Aswan and Sharm El Sheikh will not disappoint with their budget and mid-level range of services.

The Nile Cruise is the core of your Egypt part of your African trip. Very few tourists visit Egypt without doing the cruise. It is a great way to see Egypt’s antiquities. Depending on your style and budget, you can choose from standard to deluxe to top luxury boat. The most luxurious cabins of the boats will be large with air-conditioning, private bathroom. Most boats will have evening entertainment on board – belly dancing or a disco party.

For Tanzania, just like with Egypt and any other vacation destination, your accommodation for the safari will depend on your taste and budget. You can opt to stay in the game lodges. These are solid permanent structures consisting of private hotel-type private bandas with communal dinning and lounging areas. The alternative, if your budget is high enough, is to stay in the luxury canvas tents.

Itinerary Suggestions for the Egypt and Tanzania Trip: You can opt for generic ready-made itineraries or ask for a tailor-made program. This also depends on your style, interest and budget. A selection of ready-made itineraries are on offer from good tour operators. They offer tours that will take you to the most visited parts of Egypt and Tanzania.

Besides the privacy, tailor-made tours allow you to add your own areas of interest and include them in your program. From exciting Savannah game safaris to combination itineraries that blend a multitude of different opportunities including visit to the Bedouin camps, Red Sea to visiting the Savannah game of the plains, the beaches of Zanzibar, the chimpanzee of Mahale. It is up to you to decide.

The Best Time to Make Your Vacation Trip to Egypt and Tanzania: Tanzania is basically an all year destination. But I hasten to say that there is what would be considered the ideal, prime period to visit. Each period offers different aspects of its attractions. For example, the great wildebeest migration is seen between January and March and again between June and July. If your interest lies with the Chimpanzee of Mahale and Gombe, the best time to visit is between May and October. These are dry months. You can also see the chimps during the short rains – between January and February.

For the sake of comfort (temperatures), the best time to visit Egypt is October through May. At this time, temperatures are between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Most days will be sunny and the nights will be cool. From March to May, dust storms make it difficult to enjoy your vacation. For those considering swimming in the Mediterranean, you are advised to avoid the period between December and February. And if your big consideration is to save money, please travel during summer. It will be cheap, only that the temperatures are likely to be above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.