As businesses expand their reach into diverse markets, they encounter a unique set of hurdles. Successfully orchestrating marketing, communication, and PR campaigns across multiple regions at the same time demands agility, cultural awareness, and strategic planning. Let’s delve into the top challenges faced by marketers and communicators in this global landscape.
First part of the article presents the challenges you probably have experienced. The second one is a Case Study, where we present successful international PR campaigns performed in more than one country.
Challenges
Language
Seems obvious, right? However, I’ve seen that so many times already. The client or a prospective client assures that the language of their website/white papers/press release is spotless. That they had engaged native speakers, or the particular language’s graduate. Then, when presenting that piece of text to my trusted PR consultant in a particular country, I was told – very politely – that it has to be rewritten from scratch… British and Americans, French, Germans – well, almost all of us are quite sensitive about our mother-tongue, right?
⚠ Do not assume a native speaker is a good content writer! ✍
Here’s how to tackle this multinational challenge:
- Translation Accuracy: Ensure accurate translations of your content. Use professional translators who understand cultural nuances. If you are not sure, why not to use Enterie’s local PR consultants, e.g. when sending a press release with us?
- Localized Content: Tailor your messaging to resonate with the local audience. Consider idiomatic expressions, humor, and context.
- Multilingual SEO: Optimize your content for relevant keywords in different languages.
Amidst Noise
In the ever-evolving digital landscape, marketers grapple with an abundance of priorities. 31% of PR professionals identify this challenge, according to the JOTW Strategic Communications Survey for 2022. Cutting through the noise requires clear objectives, strategic planning, and a laser focus on impactful activities.
Feeling overwhelmed? Try to:
- Prioritize: Identify critical tasks and prioritize them. Focus on high-impact activities.
- Delegate: Empower team members to handle specific regions or tasks.
- Automate: Leverage AI automation tools for repetitive processes, like monitoring, analyzing data, creating content, sending newsletters or press releases.
- Outsource: Sometimes it’s helpful to have an external consultant, not tied to other company’s tasks, to take care only about international communication. From time to time I am being engaged as such a consultant (e.g. by European Union startup’s ecosystem program or scaleups merging in eight countries) and my clients are finding this advantageous – read their testimonials here (EU) and here. 😊
Cultural Nuances
Global campaigns demand cultural sensitivity. Leaders who fail to grasp the intricacies of local communication norms may face setbacks. Consider partnering with local experts and conducting thorough research to tailor your messaging effectively.
Remember, global campaigns require adaptability, empathy, and a willingness to learn from each market. For example, your target group in one market can differ significantly from the other one. Differences apply to the crisis communication management or content format – based from our Press Releases Guide you can find out that they vary in different countries.
By addressing these challenges head-on, you’ll pave the way for successful cross-cultural campaigns. 🌎
Check how to tackle crisis situations in different cultures!
Time Zones
Navigating time zones can be tricky. Consider the following strategies:
- Global Calendar: Maintain a shared calendar that displays key events, deadlines, and campaign milestones across time zones. At Enterie we usually use layouts in Google-based Spreadsheets.
- Scheduling Tools: Use scheduling tools to coordinate meetings and social media posts efficiently. They show timezones of your colleagues and clients.
- Be sensitive: It will always be the case that for some the meeting may happen in the early morning, and for others in the evening. Try to “switch roles” and be sensitive for others, who are e.g. driving their car back from their kid’s school. This happened to us recently when we were coordinating projects for NGOs in countries such as the US, the UK, Singapore, France and Central Europe…
Localization
This may be tempting to distribute the same materials in all of the countries. However, the most desired way for local journalists is to get the localized version of a press release/in-depth analysis/thought leadership article – not only professionally translated but also consisting of content referring to their country.
For instance, when we at Enterie write the same story in 5 markets, at the end of the day we create 5 different articles, with local data and research, quotes and other specifics.
That’s How We Do That! International Campaigns Case Studies
Global Industry News (3D Printers)
- Client: Zmorph
- Industry: 3D printing, B2B, Technology
- Area: 8 countries (USA, Europe)
- Lead team: Enterie
Goals
Coordinating local teams (as a single point of contact to the client) when launching high-end, industrial 3D printers in Pan-European/global/local media: in the UK, the US, Benelux, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Poland. Translating and localising global press releases to meet the local markets needs.
👉 Read the Reference from a Client.
PR tools
Press release dispatch tool, management and follow-ups of industrial journalists & influencers.
Results
- 35 publications from the 1st launch dispatch in 5 markets
- 50 publications from the 2nd launch dispatch in 6 markets
- Global and Pan-European clippings (in English): Manufacturingtomorrow.com, Engineerlive.com, Tctmagazine.com, Develop3d.com, Fabbaloo.com, Print Monthly [Press], Nessancleary.co.uk,
- Pan-European clippings (local, national outlets): 3dadept.com (BE), Impresion3daily.es (ES), Industritorget.se (SE), Nordiskaprojekt.se (SE), 3dnatives.com (DE), 3druck.com (DE), Itrmanager.com (FR), Innovationpost.it (IT), Techbusiness.it (IT), Mycompanypolska.pl (PL), Mobirank.pl (PL)
Local PR for European Aviation Leader, WizzAir
Goals
Ensuring Wizz Air’s leadership position in the Hungarian market, building up the company as an industry expert that journalists feel free to ask questions to. Reducing the proportion of negative opinions about air travel challenges and communicating all announcements and messages, including the developments in greener air travel and offering a desirable working schedule for cabin crew and pilots.
* Red Lemon (Enterie Hungary affiliate) is in charge of the Hungarian market, but has also been in touch with other agencies working with WizzAir in other countries.
PR tools
Press releases in Hungarian and occasional quick and short press notifications during events of public interest. Exclusive interviews for print, online and TV with CEO and communications manager. Press events for larger announcements and international press trips for journalists.
Results
- Local (Hungarian) clippings: Index.hu, Telex.hu, Forbes.hu, Blikk.hu, Portfolio.hu, HVG.hu, BBJ.hu, Origo.hu, VG.hu, Roadster.hu, Penzcentrum.hu, Startlap.hu
- International clippings: Reuters, Bloomberg
European Firm Expanding to Hollywood
- Client: Plum Research
- Industry: R&D, SVOD, Enterteinment
- Area: global (focus on the USA)
- Lead team: Bear Icebox & Enterie
Goals
Plum Research provides detailed audience measurement of popular platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and HBO. Most of their final customers are based in Hollywood (movie and entertainment industry), where the Polish brand was totally no-name. To build trust, we strategically decided to focus communication efforts on the American top-tier media. We assumed that local outlets would reprint the articles published in English articles anyway – which actually happened.
👉 Read short Case Study & check the best Entertainment PR Agency. 😉
PR tools
Research, partnerships, weekly reports (“Top 10 Netflix shows” ranking), newsjacking & press release, thought leadership, multimarket management.
Results
- 282 publications in the English-speaking media (Jan-Sept 2023), mostly the US; the total Advertorial Value Equivalent estimated at $15,2M
- 541 publications in the Asian, Pan-European, Polish outlets
- AVE estimated at $2,9M
- 1,6 billion – the total potential reach (audience)
- Global clippings: The Hollywood Reporter, Media Play News, Yahoo, The Wrap, Variety
Local Healthcare Clinic in Global Media
- Client: NordClinic
- Industry: International PR, Healthcare
- Area: 8 countries
- Lead team: Sensus PR
Goals
Featuring the Lithuanian-based healthcare clinic in the top-tier international press (emphasis on the UK, Scandinavia, Baltic markets). The clinic focuses on attracting foreign patients and offers orthopaedic, bariatric, and plastic surgery services.
PR tools
Press releases to international media, media pitches, organizing interviews (live and online), press tours & site inspections.
Results
- 200 publications in total, around 50 per year
- International / UK clippings: BBC.com, Guardian.com, Sun.com/, Nationalworld.com
- International / USA & Canada clippings: Msn.com, HealthDigest.com
- Pan-European (local) clippings: Voici.fr (FR), Spiegel.de (DE), Womagazine.nl (NL)
- Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) clippings: Delfi.lt, Mu.ee, Uudis.net
Merger Communication in CEE and Beyond
- Client: Codecool & SDA
- Industry: Education, Technology
- Area: 8 countries
- Lead team: Enterie
Goals
Communicating a merger of two leading Central European EduTech companies (Hungarian and Polish ones) in eight different markets, as well as being a an information hub for local offices and executing a thought leadership campaign on media publishing in English.
👉 Read the detailed Case Study & the testimonial from a Client.
PR tools
Q&A documents, local media lists for 8 countries, press releases translated to 7 languages and sent under embargo to top-tier media, interviews and follow-ups, creative Social Media campaign (the C-level executives of both companies would change their positions on LinkedIn), thought leadership – expert articles ghostwriting/co-writing with the CEOs.
Results
- 110 news publications in 8 European countries
- 18 publications in Pan-European media outlets (audience 3,8M)
- Pan-European clippings (30 publications in English): EU-Startups, CEO Digital, European Business Review, FEnews, Beta News
- Local (Hungarian) clippings (31 publications): Index.hu, Portfolio.hu, Telex.hu, Hirstart.hu, Hirado.hu, Forbes
- Local (Romanian) clippings (30 publications): Bizlawyer.ro, Businessmagazin.ro, Revista-presei.com, Romania-insider.com, Zf.ro
- Local (Polish) clippings (26 publications): Warsaw Business Journal, Money.pl, Rzeczpospolita daily, Parkiet daily, MSN.com
- Local (Austrian) clippings (12 publications): IT WELT (magazine), ITwelt.at, Ots.at, Trendingtopics.eu
- Local (Albanian) clippings (4 publications): BusinessMag.al
- Local (Czech) clippings (3 publications): Spectrumline.cz
- Local (Estonian) clippings (3 publications): Digi.geenius.ee
👉 Check your leading B2B agency now!
PR for Venture Capital and Private Equity
- Client: Warsaw Equity Group
- Industry: VC, PE, B2B, Technology, Startups
- Area: 5 countries
- Lead team: Enterie & Profeina
Goals
Warsaw Equity Group is a leading private investment company in the CEE, focusing on innovative B2B solutions and sustainability. We were in charge of strategy preparation and implementation, with a focus on Polish, CEE and Pan-Europen media for both the fund, its subsidiary Vigo Ventures, and portfolio companies (startups and scaleups).
👉 Read the Reference from the Client.
PR tools
Press office, interviews, LinkedIn management (including video formats), co-organising and hosting a conference for stakeholders.
Results
- 400+ publications in total
- 470% increase of LinkedIn followers (organic)
- Pan-European and CEE clippings (in English): Trendingtopics.eu, Imveurope.com, EU-startups.com, Tech.eu, Emerging-Europe
- Pan-European clippings (local, national outlets): Tech-test (DK), Internetworld.de (DE) Techfromthenet.it (IT), Engage.it (IT)
- Local (Polish) clippings: 300gopspodarka.pl, MyCompany, Wnp.pl, Rzeczpospolita, Puls Biznesu, Forbes
Rakuten Viber in Hungary
Goals
Rakuten Viber is one of the most popular messaging platforms worldwide, offering the possibility to make calls and use a wide range of entertainment features in addition to traditional messaging. We handle all the local communication activities of Viber, while working together with other agencies from different CEE markets.
PR tools
B2C and B2B communications, press events, surveys and market research, business development activities, business partnership launches. Time by time we organize exclusive interview sessions, spreading corp comms news to leading titles in Hungary.
Results
MedTech Startup Going Global
- Client: Dreem
- Industry: MedTech, Healthcare
- Area: the UK & global
- Lead team: Vitis PR (Enterie UK)
Goals
Dreem is a French neuroscience firm backed by over $57M. It has developed a headband that brings sleep clinic technology into the bedroom. Our main focus was English-speaking European media. We have targeted a very select group of MedTech, consumer and science media. Read our MedTech Case Studies to learn more.
PR tools
Media relations, with a special emphasis on providing interviews and reviews.
Results
- 40 publications
- 347 million – the total potential reach (audience)
- Pan-European clippings (in English): Med-Tech Innovation,Techadvisor.com, Mirror.co.uk, DailyMail, BBC Worklife
Pan-European Communiations for European Union Startup Ecosystem
- Client: EIT Jumpstarter
- Industry: Startup, Technology, Event
- Area: 19 countries
- Lead team: Enterie & Profeina (Enterie Poland)
Goals
The sixth edition of EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final gathered over 150 participants – startups, innovators, experts, and EIT community members. Building general recognition of the EIT Jumpstarter programme as one of the most important pre-accelerator programmes for early-stage innovators in Europe. The aim of 4-month campaign was also to support recruitment of the event’s participants (viewers, attendees) and to announce the results, keeping in mind that the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final is also an important stepping stone for the recruitment of early-stage start-up teams for the future editions and engaging the innovators community.
👉 Read the detailed Case Study & the testimonial from a Client.
PR tools
Media relations, interviews, media partnerships, D-day management, press release dispatch.
Results
- 165 publications in total: 15 global, 10 Pan-European and 140 local media
- Audience: 118.5M
- 42 countries, where the news dispatch about the results were published
- Read the Reference
- Pan-European and global clippings: EU-Startups, W-Insight, Yahoo Finance, Euractiv;
- Top-tier national business and startup clippings: Forbes (ES), Puls Biznesu (PL), Ekonomist (TR), Money (IT), Dnevnik (SI);
Addressing Medical Professionals in Europe and Beyond
- Client: Fitodenta
- Industry: Healthcare
- Area: 5 countries
- Lead team: Sensus PR
Goals
Giving the initial push to introduce the client to dentists and medical professionals in Europe. Fitodenta is a group of bioscientists who invented a natural product that helps with the recovery of post-dental interventions.
👉 Looking for a Healthcare PR Agency? ⚕ Check us!
PR tools
Short media campaign consisting of 2 press releases and media pitches
Results
- 8 publications in industry international media (Sept-Nov 2023)
- Pan-European and global clippings (incl. the UK, Scotland, the US): Sdmag.co.uk, DentalReview.news, Azolifesciences.com, Nature.com,
- Local Baltics clippings (Latvia, Lithuania): Bernardinai.lt, Verslo Žinios
How do you find our resolutions for the international challenges that we as communicators face? Is that any way we could assist you in your challenges? Don’t hesitate to contact me at michal@enterie.com.
