What international businesses need to know before launching a PR cam
Why is it so hard to break into the UK? Why does messaging that worked elsewhere seem to fall flat here? What’s so different about the UK media?
The problem is that UK journalists are some of the most time-poor and sceptical people in the world. Simply launching a product or service (even a groundbreaking one) just isn’t going to be enough to grab their attention.
So, what’s the solution? In this article, we’ve put together our tips on everything you need to do to lay the groundwork for a successful PR campaign in the UK.
Have a business plan for the UK before you do anything else
We might be stating the obvious here, but good PR can’t make up for a bad business plan. If you’re going to try breaking into the UK, make sure you’re ready. Do your research, understand who you’re up against, know your route to market and be clear on what problem you’re solving for a UK audience.
The best business plans will position your brand as having a unique solution to a local problem. This is mostly true in really competitive sectors like FinTech, InsurTech and RetailTech. If your competitors are already dominating, it’s important to have a fresh approach to help you stand out and break through.
Be warned. If you’re not ready, journalists can tell. As part of their due diligence they’ll be on the lookout for signs that a company is serious about operating in the UK, even if it is still early days.
Assign a spokesperson who can respond quickly
The UK media moves quickly and opportunities will often come with very short deadlines. Don’t waste any time trying to find someone from your team who can provide the necessary quote or information. Before launching any PR campaign, make sure there’s a designated spokesperson in place who can quickly represent you when needed.
From experience, we suggest having someone local as this can really help because at least they’ll be in the same time zone as the journalists you’re talking to!
Prepare as many case studies as possible
Case studies are brilliant. Journalists love them and consumers will actually enjoy reading them because they move the messaging away from just listing dry products features and specifications towards a human interest story.
We really value them because they do a lot of heavy lifting. They help to explain how your product or service works in a way that’s much more engaging than a press release, but they also help to build trust. Case studies are essentially a third-party endorsement of what you do, which means the journalist or consumer doesn’t just have to take your word alone for how wonderful you are.
So, not only will they increase your chances of being covered, they’ll also help your PR to be more impactful with your target audience when it lands.
Don’t ask for meetings straight away
The truth is that it’s really hard to speak to journalists in the UK face-to-face unless you’re a recognised global brand or you have a big story to hook them with. Journalists are short on time and budget, with many working on a freelance basis outside of London. As a result, they prioritise sources they already know and trust rather than take a risk on someone new.
It’s usually much easier to get a journalist interested once you have something big to talk about, whether that’s new funding, an acquisition or a major partnership. In most cases, a meeting will come off the back of steadily building your profile, rather than being the first step in your PR journey.
For instance, one of our clients secured £35m funding for their CleanTech innovation, which we shared with the press. This release became the springboard for securing a visit from a top-tier journalist to learn more about their technology.
Use data to build credibility
Journalists will want to see evidence for all claims you’re making. If you’re saying your business is seeing extraordinary growth in the UK, for example, you’ll need the sales data to back that up.
The good news is that, if you’ve been around for a while, you’re probably sitting on useful data already. A good PR strategy is often to review what data you have, work out what you’re able to publish and shape it into a compelling narrative that helps tell a bigger story about your market.
More broadly, insights drawn from market research, regional analysis or sector trends provide a chance to establish you as a thought leader. It’s often your unique interpretation of data (and what the numbers means for customers and the wider market) that’s valuable. After all, you’re the expert!
For example, our client Goboony (whose headquarters are based in the Netherlands) is a motorhome rental company that was looking to boost their market presence in the UK. To help them cut through to their target audience of local holidaymakers and van-lovers, we released a story about how they saw a 56% rise in UK summer booking during times of airport chaos. From using their own sales data, we helped them to secure coverage in top-tier publications like the Telegraph and the Guardian, as well as niche publications like TravelDailyNews and Caravan Times.
Build trust in your leadership team
Strong biographies of the leadership team, combined with visible thought leadership can help secure the trust of the media, partners and potential hires.
This is important because thought leadership content like informed article commentary, online footage and soundbites from events, consistent posting of insights on social media, all help to build familiarity with your team of experts. The more visible they are, the more recognised they’ll be. When journalists regularly see names and perspectives from people they know they’ll be much more likely to have a conversation with them in the future.
Want to reach UK audiences?
We can help. If this article has helped you understand what you need and how to get there, drop us a line to arrange a call to discuss how we can support your entry into the UK market.
By Kirsty Jarvis
Kirsty, our CEO and founder, has spent the past two decades in PR and marketing roles, resulting in a wealth of experience leveraging the power of media and creating impactful campaigns for hundreds of startups and well-known brands.
