Local vs Global PR Strategies

Outreaching PR campaigns across the globe can open up a whole host of new opportunities for media coverage and international brand awareness. 

Yet spending time to focus on fostering relationships with key journalists in each local area is equally as important for exposure. 

It’s essential practice to ensure a press release is the right fit for each country, region and city that it’s being pitched to. Drilling down to the specifics and paying attention to detail can be the key to PR success - don’t just assume that one size fits all.

Within the first few seconds of an email pitch landing in a journalist’s inbox, they can determine whether the campaign idea will be a good fit or not. 

And even though the press release may actually be relevant, there are several key mistakes which may be preventing media coverage on both a local and global scale. 

This blog post will explore the reasons why campaigns need to be tailored, and the must-dos for pitching at a local and global scale. 

Why do I need to tailor my PR campaign? 

Deciding to bring PR campaigns onto an international stage can be a great win for media coverage and brand awareness all over the world - but it’s important to remember that strategies for local and global pitching will differ. 

Tailoring PR strategies will ensure each campaign resonates with local and global audiences - winning the right media coverage professionals are looking for. 

In order to ensure that the press release will be a win, be willing to adapt PR strategies to make for a strong campaign which the media landscape is actually interested in.

Must-do’s for global PR campaign pitching:  

Don’t assume one size fits all ‍

Don’t let something as small as spelling differences stop the press release from getting picked up. There is no need to check on any grammatical changes and nuances when pitching locally across the UK. However, it is necessary for international outreach and runs the risk of looking unprofessional without doing so. 

Even if the country is English speaking, professionals must ensure the spelling of certain words is correct - if unsure, change the language settings in the word document to whichever country is on the hit list for targeting, and any incorrect spellings will be highlighted. Have several different versions of one press release depending on however many international locations the pitching strategy requires. 

It’s also important to check British nuances and expressions - sayings that are common here may be complete nonsense somewhere else. It’s best to remove these from the press release when pitching globally to avoid any confusion.

Change any data sources to the right country and use the most up to date information that is available 

Scope out the current media landscape 

Keep a regular lookout for national events that are happening across the world. There may be an opportunity to hook a campaign onto something that is very relevant in a particular country - such as a national holiday or event, and cultural happenings like a popular TV show or celebrity gossip. 

But equally, it’s good to know when to pause pitching PR campaigns depending on the current media landscape. If there is a major event such as an election, or a recent tragedy in the country, keep in mind that the campaign might not be relevant and journalists may have to focus their attention on other reports for the time being. 

Pitch at the right time 

Make sure to schedule sending out campaign pitching to the right time across the world. There is little point pitching something in the morning to Australian journalists as it’ll be the middle of the night. Check what time zones the pitching will need to be adapted to and set up a schedule to get press releases out at the best time. 

Must-do’s for local PR campaign pitching:  

Small but targeted media lists 

When pitching locally in the UK, some regional newspapers and magazines will only have a small handful of relevant journalists for a story. It’s worth noting that some may cover several different topics so check what they have been writing about recently before building media lists. 

And keep in mind that media lists for some areas of the country may need to be even more refined than just the county or city. For example, London journalists can be separated out into each borough to really ensure pitching is relevant. 

Build media lists for broadsheets, tabloids, TV and radio to ensure the campaigns will land in the right places. 

Offer expert and exclusive comments 

Foster a good relationship with journalists who are in the right field for each PR campaign. As well as a friendly email every now and again, professionals should offer their brand up for expert and exclusive comments to gain media coverage.

There will come a point where journalists will reach out directly when they’re looking for some specific commentary for a story, as a reliable and dependable reputation has been built.

Make personal local connection known

One quick way to gain media coverage in a specific area is to ensure personal connections to the area well known amongst journalists. Using a local hook in an area where there is a connection to the brand - such as where the business was first set up, can be a good way in. 

Even though the connection might seem loose, offering it to journalists may make them more likely to use the press campaign if there is a tangible link to the brand and the community. 

If you want to find out more about getting your brand known locally and internationally and how digital PR can help, please get in touch.

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