Building a global PR strategy for the results you want
Expanding your public relations campaign across multiple countries can unlock huge potential for your brand—but Rome wasn’t built in a day. To get the results you want, your campaign must be executed with a clear strategy in mind.
When it comes to global PR strategies, a one-size-fits-all approach won’t cut it. You need to consider cultural nuances and media landscapes, as each market will require a tailored strategy to ensure your messages translate and land effectively.
Now, building a successful global PR strategy takes time and careful planning, which is why we’re here to help. Whether you’re entering new markets or strengthening your presence in established ones, we’re here to help ensure your message resonates and gains the traction it deserves.
It all starts with a strategy
Every effective international PR campaign should start with a clear sense of direction. Before you start looking at your tactics, we advise you to spend some visualising your end goal and what you want to achieve. Remember, a campaign without purpose is just noise, which may not generate the results you deserve.
Before starting work on any global campaign, we ask our clients three key questions. These questions help you to think about the bigger picture, and in turn, help us shape the perfect strategy:
Is this a full market entry with a new product or service?
If you are entering a new market, you will need more than just one press release. You will need a full range of strategic, sustained communications to introduce your company and build credibility amongst a new audience.
Do you already have a presence in your target market, or do you need to look at brand-building?
If you don’t already have a presence, you will need to think about brand building. Our starting point is to identify how your brand is currently perceived (if at all) in that market and put together a bespoke strategy that reinforces your reputation, expands your audience, or increases visibility in the sector.
Do you need to shift perceptions or reposition your brand in a specific territory?
Think about your current reputation and the overall reputation of your industry in the media landscape. Having this information up our sleeve will help us shape your messaging, manage the narrative of your campaign, and ensure the message aligns with local culture, audiences, and news agendas.
By answering these questions, you are laying the foundation for an effective, focused media campaign that communicates the right message in a way that will resonate with local audiences.
Staying true to your values
Before you start communicating in a new market, you will need to step back and consider your overarching brand values. While your messaging may change to suit local audiences, your core identity and brand values should remain consistent. This helps to build your credibility.
Think of your brand values as a thread that ties your communication together. Your brand values define who you are as an organisation, what you stand for, and how you want to be perceived. Whether it’s your commitment to innovation, sustainability, overall quality, or your customer focus, your core values should be clear in all your content.
A PR expert can help you craft compelling messages; ensure they align with your brand values and translate them for an overseas market. We can also advise on overall tone of voice, and act as your brand guardian to ensure every campaign reflects who you are.
Get to know the locals
Running your UK press release through Google Translate isn’t a global strategy and certainly won’t secure you the results you want. Start by getting to know the local audiences and understand the media landscape.
Every market has its own media culture, meaning what is newsworthy in the UK, might be irrelevant elsewhere. Again, this is an area where we can support you. With our global contacts, we can identify what local journalists want and tailor your messaging to suit them.
Think about your target audience(s). It’s not just about translating the language, you may also need to adjust your angle or news hook behind your message to reflect the cultural context, values, and interests of each market.
When your campaign feels native to the market, it stands a far better chance of cutting through the noise and generating results.
A global PR strategy isn’t about blanket coverage—it’s about smart, focused storytelling that is tailored to each individual market. Setting clear goals, tailoring your media approach, and keeping everything cohesive will help you stand out from the crowd.
If you’re ready to start planning your global PR strategy, let’s have a chat. As part of the global iPR Team network, we work with a trusted network of experienced PR and marketing professionals across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the USA to help bring local insight and global coordination to your campaign.