8 August 2025, NIICE Commentary 11592
Madhurjya Pratim Sarmah
Joseph Nye, a prominent American political scientist, introduced the concept of ‘ Soft Power’ in the late 1980s. According to him, soft power is the ability to achieve desired outcomes through attraction rather than coercion. He argues that a country’s soft power arises from the attractiveness of its culture, political ideals and policies.
Now, at first, if we define public diplomacy, it is the attempts by a government to establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with foreign publics, to gain support for its foreign policy objectives. Public diplomacy is a tool of international relations, and the very purpose of it is to gain support for foreign policy objectives. If we discuss the Key components, actors come first. The actors here are for Governments with whom they are trying to establish a relationship. Well sometimes we've seen Governments try to engage everybody like after 9/11, the US was trying to win the hearts and minds of the Muslim world essentially a billion plus people out there well that's a very broad kind of stakeholder group but often public diplomacy is going to focus on a very few number of people such as leading journalists or economic decision makers or politicians or other types of influencers who are fundamental to the success or failure of the public diplomacy campaign. So, the stakeholders of the foreign publics can be as narrow as a few people or as broad as everybody in the world. More successful campaigns are much more targeted than trying to influence everybody in the country; it's just not going to work typically. Now, if we focus on foreign policy objectives, these are different for different types of government. Some Governments are going to try to encourage foreign investment in their country or encourage people from another country to come to visit to promote tourism or to promote it's national brands. e.g. Korea and its strong national brands with the cars from Hyundai or Kia, so maybe the Government is going to try to encourage people to trust Korean brands, but another country, such as Israel, may want to gain support for its foreign policy, they may try to shift the conversation away from one discussion.
In the digital age, public diplomacy and soft power projection have become significant tools for nations to proliferate their global influence and reputation. Public diplomacy includes engaging with foreign publics with the goal of promoting a country's interests, values, and culture, while soft power projection enhances a nation's attractiveness and credibility to achieve its desired objectives. Digital platforms have brought revolution in public diplomacy, with cutting-edge advantages like real-time communication, global outreach, and targeted messaging. Social media, in particular, has nowadays come out as a powerful tool for public diplomacy, enabling nations to engage with diverse audiences, build relationships, and elevate their brand. Effective public diplomacy and soft power projection in the digital age demands an in-depth understanding of the targeted audience, cultural sensitivity, and a strategic approach to messaging and engagement. By utilising the power of digital diplomacy, nations can build strong and enhanced relationships, promote mutual understanding, and achieve their foreign policy objectives in an expeditiously changing global landscape.
Nations can strengthen public diplomacy and soft power projection in the concurrent digital age by constructively using social media platforms to engage with global audiences, promote cultural exchange, and promote their values and achievements. Investing in digital diplomacy training for diplomats and officials can also help them effectively utilise online platforms. Moreover, nations can stimulate online communities, consorting with influencers, and create captivating content to foster relationships and promote mutual understanding. Boosting transparency, authenticity, and responsiveness in digital communication can also help build trust and trustworthiness. Furthermore, nations can leverage data analytics to gain an advantage in engagement, measure impact, and adjust their strategies accordingly. By embracing these approaches, nations can elevate their global influence, build more strong relationships, and achieve their foreign policy objectives in the digital age. Using compelling narratives and multimedia content to proliferate, prosper and convey a nation’s values, culture and milestones achieved.
As we look to the future, public diplomacy and soft power projection in the digital age will continue to evolve and progress, driven by advantages in technology and shifting global dynamics. To stay at frontwards, nations must adapt and innovate, exploiting tools like artificial intelligence, virtual diplomacy and social media to enhance their global influence. Expanding comprehensive digital engagement plans, investing in digital infrastructure and literacy programs, and engaging more with online communities will be critical. Effective and impactful pdigital diplomacy demands an in depth grasp of digital tech features, cultural nuances and global and global audiences. Additionally, governments must prioritise transparency, authenticity and responsiveness in digital communication to build trust and credibility with global audiences. By adapting these strategies, nations can continuously wield soft power, promote mutual understanding and achieve their foreign policy objectives in a developing complex digital landscape.
Madhurjya Pratim Sarmah is a Research Intern at NIICE & he has completed his Master of Arts in Defence and Strategic Studies at the Central University of Gujarat, India.
