Examining the Heuristic Value of Models of International Public Relations Practice: A Case Study of the Arla Foods Crisis

When a Danish newspaper published cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in 2005, Danish food company Arla Foods saw its rapid growth in the Middle East halt and sales plummet in the region. Using Arla Foods as a case study, this article tests a critical cultural approach to international public relations through the cultural–economic model, based on the circuit of culture. The article summarizes limitations of the Western neoliberal model of international practice as a segue into the cultural–economic model. By using critical discourse analysis techniques to analyze communications materials from Arla and subsequent news coverage, the study extends international public relations theory and provides suggestions for international public relations best practices.