Conducting PR on a Global Scale (7/12)

Conducting PR on a Global Scale

Discover the common pitfalls and successful strategies of conducting PR on a global scale.

As an increasing number of U.S. companies venture into international markets, it is becoming more and more important to adopt a global mindset for all business objectives -- including public relations (PR). Moreover, the Internet has made doing international business a reality for even those companies who never dreamed of going global. Companies that hope to support and sustain their international presence are learning how to take PR to the next level.

The role of PR takes on many faces in the global arena. In addition to being a media relations guru and expert marketer, the global PR practitioner can act as your company's own U.S. ambassador, conditioning local consumers and building relationships with government officials.

Strategic management of communications between a business and its foreign audiences, however, can be quite intimidating for many American companies, because, although PR is PR, the challenges of launching a successful campaign are magnified on the international scene. From cultural and language differences to scattered time zones and logistical obstacles, this article will examine the overriding issues involved in conducting PR in foreign markets, including the common pitfalls and successful strategies of companies in the international trenches.

Before You Begin

The first major consideration is whether to create your global PR campaign in-house or outsource the task to individual firms in local foreign markets. Either approach will require a strong financial commitment on your part - and experts say a fundamental faux pas is under-funding the international PR program.

Your decision about whether or not to outsource will also largely depend on your company's specific PR objectives. For example, if your primary goal is to achieve a unified message across all markets, this may best be accomplished by generating all communications from a single source or location. On the other hand, if you are trying to promote your brands or launch your products in varied, yet specific markets, you can benefit from hiring an in-country firm with knowledge of the local consumer and competitive landscapes. A combination of outsourcing and in-house ownership is often the most effective solution.

"It's really not going to work if you entirely outsource it, or equally, if you entirely bring the whole thing in-house," says Tim Dyson, CEO of Text100, a high-tech global public relations firm based in Seattle. "In all cases, you do need one in-house owner, at the very least, in order to make the project work."

Experts say instilling a sense of program ownership in both your domestic and international PR representatives will help your company maintain a consistent message across all target markets in your global campaign. "Input from a variety of cultures ensures that the end result is truly as global as its intent," says Howard Clabo, director of firm development for the GCI Group, a global public relations firm based in New York City.

Consistent communications is key, but delivering the same exact message to all countries is a mistake. Having an intimate understanding of your target market, and sculpting messages that will appeal to that target market, is critical. According to Lou Hoffman, principal of Hoffman Public Relations, a global firm with offices in California and the Asia-Pacific, when global communications decisions are being made solely from within the States, there is a tendency for Americans to look at other continental markets as homogenous regions -- a potentially fatal mistake.

"To view Asia-Pacific as one homogenous region borders on lunacy, once you drill beneath the surface," says Hoffman. "Japan is going to be very different from China; and China is going to be very different from Singapore. Americans tend to view these markets on a regional level, and you can't. You really have to view it at a country level."

Even regions within countries can be altogether different. For this reason, Clabo suggests determining the underlying message in-house, but then allow your professionals in each individual market to adapt the template according to the social values, interests and demographics of the region. Once you've determined your overall objectives, identified your target audiences, developed your key messages, and planned activities for garnering publicity, it's time to put your plan in action.

A World of Challenges

On a fundamental level, conducting PR in international markets is much the same as conducting PR in the States. In essence, PR is getting journalists to listen to your story and then convincing them of its merits. "How you persuade them that it's a good story doesn't really change that much from market to market," says Dyson. "The tools that you use definitely change. The ways and means of getting information to people, those things are different."

In addition to the fundamental task of distributing your message to key audiences, you've also got tactical challenges in the form of culture, language and logistics. For example, dealing with the international press is a diverse culturally based challenge in itself. The practices among media are quite different from country to country. For example, in many parts of the world, PR is deemed press manipulation and is not welcome.

"The practice of journalism overseas is not quite the same as the practice of journalism here in the U.S.," insists Hoffman. "For example, in the Asia-Pacific, the lead pin is really the relationship. If you don't have a relationship with the media, you don't even get to the point of the journalist looking at the story." He says in Japan, it is considered rude, at best, to call a reporter you don't already know. International trade shows can be an excellent forum for getting to know the trade media in your industry.

Being conscious of the individual needs of the media in different countries, and giving fair time to all reporters, will increase your chances for a successful campaign. Dyson says you really need to allow foreign media representatives to practice journalism in their own manner. "The U.K. media, for example, don't mind press conferences, but they don't love them," says Dyson. "They like to ask their own questions, in privacy preferably, so they can get their own answers."

Maura M. Kennedy, PR Newswire's manager of international sales and markets, suggests allowing multiple ways for the international media to contact your company. By allowing a foreign correspondent to e-mail you with questions, for example, you begin a dialogue with a cadence that is in favor of someone who cannot speak English very well, and you also ensure that your message is communicated properly across language barriers. In that same vein, it is important to give stories a national or local angle that is pertinent to your target audience. Experts say too many times, stories have an American relevance that is not of use to international journalists. Understanding your target market will allow you to formulate story ideas that are of interest to a specific publication's readers.

Another common mistake is not making follow-up calls. "While language barriers, lack of research, lack of media intelligence, and other unknowns may dissuade you from making follow-up calls, these are important and as expected as they are in the United States," says Kennedy. To be sure, besides culture, the language barrier is often the greatest challenge to overcome in the global PR arena. Kennedy says it can be difficult to maintain the integrity and consistency of the message upon translation. This challenge leads to another common mistake by American PR practitioners -- communicating only in English. Experts stress the importance of translating press releases and other communications into the local language. Even releases written in English need to be approached differently in different countries.

And then there's the difference in time zones. Forget hours -- when it's Monday in the States, it's Tuesday in Hong Kong. "For time-sensitive messages, it is often difficult to control its path to the extent that you can in the United States," explains Kennedy. "Also, be wary of things like embargoes and whether or not they are honored in your targeted region."

One Size Does Not Fit All

Determining which medium best suits your message is yet another challenge of global PR. While print media is typically effective in most major foreign markets, you need to approach each market on a case-by-case basis. "Broadly speaking, certain regions are more technologically advanced than others, making them more receptive to Internet technologies as a medium," says Kennedy. "Conversely, regions that rely heavily on relationships, more so than anything else, respond to one-on-one communication and direct approaches."

For example, with a population of about 900 million and a number of high circulation newspapers, print media is a favorite in India. Access to TV, on the other hand, is incredibly limited because of the nature of the economy. Typically, it's a safe bet to utilize the most prevalent form of media in any market as your primary channel. Kennedy says, give that the landscape is changing rapidly, and practices still vary dramatically from country to country, it is wise to take advantage of all media, including telephone, fax, e-mail, wire, audio, video and the Internet. However, in countries where the trade media has limited credibility -- or doesn't even exist -- more unconventional approaches may be in order.

"In a lot of emerging markets, we take the message directly to the prospect by helping our clients put on sales seminars," explains Hoffman. "We'll actually organize and market them. That's something that, here in the U.S., we would never do. In fact, it probably wouldn't even fall under PR. But overseas, in both Europe and Asia, what we call marketing communications in the U.S. tends to be synonymous with PR."

Strategies in Motion

Companies of all sizes have embarked on international PR campaigns with much success by understanding and respecting the challenges of creating public awareness of their product in distinct markets. Oakwood Corporate Housing, for example, offers furnished apartments for business travelers in various countries around the world. Robert Phillips, director of international communications for Oakwood, says, in addition to coordinating PR strategies in-house, the company also uses local consultants in foreign markets to gain a better understanding of how the needs of their target audience differ in the various geographic regions they serve. Experts say the trick is adapting your PR approach to suit the dynamics of specific societies.

"In Asia, for example, kitchens do not usually have ovens because most cooking does not require an oven," explains Phillips. "But we found that families who have to relocate to Asia from America or Europe would really like an oven. So that's something we've now incorporated into our product and into our publicity for Asia."

Borders Books is another company that is benefiting from thorough foreign market research. Of special note was a recent bookstore opening in Singapore, where, instead of flexing their muscle as a major American company, they catered to local values. "Borders focused on being the first bookstore in Singapore with a large, free ranging selection," says Phillips. "They also really focused on the fact that you could come in, sit down and browse the books without buying them, which was an alien concept there."

In both of these examples, each company was able to identify something about their product or service that was unique to the local markets. However, if it is impossible to visit these regions, there are global newswires that will distribute your press materials, such as Business Wire and NewsDesk. These types of services often allow you access to many local foreign wires, as well.

Managing International PR

Regardless of the strategy you employ for disseminating your message to international audiences, measuring the results of your efforts is critical for benchmarking the success of your campaign. But with clips in many different foreign languages, this obstacle can be difficult to overcome, at best. The Internet provides some relief by allowing companies to attach unique URLs to different announcements and track responses using in-house logging software. The jury is still out on the best way to measure global PR.

However, there is one key experts do agree upon: Measurement starts at the beginning of the process -- not the end. In order to effectively measure results, it is advisable to determine clear objectives at the onset of the project, then tie those expectations into the business performance of the company around the world. It's also important to manage those expectations based on the resources available in each market. For example, you can't hold your office in Bolivia to the same standards as your office in China when the latter has a billion more people to serve with a fraction of the budget.

"It's quality, not quantity," insists Phillips. "If you have a few pieces that open up markets for you and are read by the core audiences that you desire, then you may consider that a success."