For many US tech brands that have mastered their homeland, the next big frontier is often Europe. But how many of these companies actually see success in this diverse continent? Not all of them. While European growth is part of many organisations strategies, success can only be achieved if you can acknowledge and adhere to local standards and expectations. With that in mind, here are our top four things to consider when doing technology PR in Europe.
Understand the European Landscape
When it comes to the Europe, just about everything can differ, from language and culture to typical vacation periods and social media preferences. To understand the European landscape, however, you must look beyond the cultural differences, language barriers and translation requirements (as important as they all are), and gain a thorough understanding of the individual countries and regions you wish to target, and the strategy required to establish a presence in each.
Don’t Run Before You Can Walk
Prioritisation is key, and for any company looking to establish a presence in Europe, it’s crucial that you don’t run before you can walk. Start by defining which countries are most important to you, and are most in line with your business objectives. You may well be dealing with limited budget and resources, therefore, once you’ve began to increase awareness in your core market(s), it may be that you choose to focus on additional European countries on an ad-hoc basis. A solely pragmatic approach would be to initially establish a presence in the UK, followed by Germany and then France, but this will ultimately depend on your industry.
Style of Press Releases are Different
Another area that shouldn’t be overlooked is the style of press releases. While journalists across Europe typically prefer shorter press releases, than American journalists, the preferred style of press releases differ further from country to country. As an example, Germans will look for lots of facts and figures, although journalists from across Europe all want case studies originating from their specific country.
Effective Communication is Paramount to European Success
Unfortunately, understanding the region is only the first step for doing technology PR in Europe. The fact is, effective communication is paramount to the success of any European strategy, and it is often overlooked. Realistically, you should consider using European representation, particularly for your PR, and while it’s possible to run a European PR campaign from the States, it is much more beneficial to have someone on the ground, representing your brand. Without local representation, you are challenged with a whole range of time-zone issues, not to mention language barriers and knowledge of the European market.
In order to keep consistency and enhance the success of your European strategy, it is recommended that you conduct regular calls with your agencies and local sales reps, to ensure consistency and provide feedback, as well as to discuss key fundamentals including messaging, the availability of spokespeople, required actions and general distribution information such as the date of an embargo.
For further insight and best practices for doing technology PR in Europe, download our guide to planning and implementing a successful European PR strategy.
