The Cultural Rift That Could Help Us Communicate Better

— A reflection on Janan Ganesh's FT piece and what it means for global comms

Let’s be honest:
Most of us in communications have been working under the assumption that the North Atlantic is one big cultural bubble.

We may tailor our visuals or translate the copy, but deep down, we often treat the US and Europe as variations of the same cultural audience. And the internet, with its platforms, memes, and global influencers, only reinforces that illusion.

But what if that assumption is completely wrong?

A Transatlantic Wake-Up Call

In a recent article for the Financial Times, columnist Janan Ganesh offered a compelling take on the growing cultural rift between the US and Europe. His argument? The divide isn’t just political—it’s cultural, historical, and foundational. And maybe, just maybe, that’s a good thing.

Some of his examples are subtle but powerful:

• In the US, “Asian” often refers to East or Southeast Asians. In the UK, it usually means people from the Indian subcontinent.

• “Woke,” as an ideology and political shorthand, was born of American racial history—but somehow transplanted wholesale into European discourse.

• Free speech debates in the US center around the First Amendment. Europe doesn’t have one, and it shows.

Ganesh’s takeaway?
During the Cold War, the transatlantic relationship was politically tight—but culturally distinct. That balance might actually have been healthier than what we’re seeing today: a growing political rift combined with deepening cultural mimicry.

Why This Matters for Communicators

If you're in communications—especially in international campaigns, development, education, or policy—this isn't just academic.

This affects:

• How you frame a message.

• Who gets to carry that message.

• And whether it will resonate or completely misfire.

At Mesogio, we’ve seen this firsthand.

During the European Year of Youth, we worked on EU campaigns that had to launch right after the pandemic and just as the war in Ukraine broke out. Context mattered. Copycatting American-style "hope" campaigns wasn’t going to land. We had to listen. Localise. Let others lead.

In Yemen, we had to co-create content with local influencers—not translate from Brussels.
In climate action work with the Global Compact of Mayors, we had to turn data into narrative without preaching, especially when US-style urgency didn’t align with local political will.

The point?
We don’t need more alignment. We need more attunement.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Ganesh writes:

“It might not be the worst thing if America and Europe have a bit less to do with each other.”

In communication terms, maybe that means:

• Stop lifting and pasting campaign frameworks from one continent to another.

• Start building regional listening strategies before the creative even begins.

• Acknowledge the nuance: not every message has to be global to be powerful.

Want to read Ganesh’s full piece?
Here’s the link to the original article.

Your Turn:

What’s one moment where a global campaign didn’t quite translate in your region?
Or better yet—where it did, but only because someone took the time to localise it properly?

Let’s stop pretending cultural sameness exists.
Let’s design for local meaning, not algorithmic mimicry.

#GlobalCommunications #NarrativeStrategy #TransatlanticRelations #LocalizationMatters #CultureInComms #MesogioJournal