In an increasingly global economy, most tech startups are naturally thinking about how they’ll connect with potential buyers in foreign markets. And yet, most startups aren’t in a position to do effective PR abroad. They don’t have the money to hire a major global PR agency and the prospect of shopping for a PR firm in an unfamiliar country is daunting.
Fortunately, some tech-focused PR agencies are forming international networks of allied agencies. Swyft, for instance, helped form the First PR Alliance, which includes a network of agencies in 19 countries and five continents. Networks such as these offer startups the opportunity to draw on experience in different markets flexibly and affordably.
In an increasingly global economy, most tech startups are naturally thinking about how they’ll connect with potential buyers in foreign markets. And yet, most startups aren’t in a position to do effective PR abroad. Networks such as these offer startups the opportunity to draw on experience in different markets flexibly and affordably.
Relationships with media in different countries
Decades of experience dealing with U.S. media doesn’t count for much when you’re trying to get positive media coverage in the UK, Germany or Singapore. You have a much better chance of gaining traction with foreign media if you are working with professionals who have relationships with top media outlets in those markets.
An international PR agency network gives you access to people who have gained the trust of local journalists and understand the types of stories they are looking for. This makes it much more likely that you will get a story placed and that that story will reflect well on your brand.
Localization of media campaign strategy
Just as important as understanding the local media is understanding the people who are consuming it. They are the potential buyers and investors you are targeting. What are they interested in? What issues and call-to-actions are most likely to resonate with them? It’s hard to know if you don’t have professionals on the ground who understand the local culture.
Access to senior talent
One of the problems with hiring a major global PR firm is that you’re paying for their reputation and managerial overhead, but unless you’re one of their biggest clients, you probably won’t have access to their most experienced staff. If you’re a tech startup or mid-tier tech company on a small budget, your campaign will almost certainly be handled by lower-level staff.
The benefit of an international network of boutique PR agencies is that each one will provide you with access to their top talent. Those running these agencies have opted out of top roles at major companies or large agencies because of the excitement of helping young companies thrive.
Lower fee structure compared to global PR firms
In PR, high prices don’t always equal high quality. In the case of global PR firms, you’ll often be paying premium prices but being served primarily by lower-level staff with limited experience and confidence about how to market your brand in different corners of the world.
If you opt for an agile agency that is part of an international network of similar firms, you’ll get the benefit of deep experience and global awareness. But you won’t have to pay for the substantial overhead costs associated with major firms.
Scalable support
Flexibility is always one of the strengths of leaner PR firms. They don’t tend to burden clients with major fixed costs but are able to ramp up staffing, either internally or through their partnerships with other agile firms, in accordance with the client’s needs.
A network of agile PR agencies are positioned well to deliver you exactly what you need, when you need it. At the moment that you need PR assistance in another country, your agency can connect you with a relevant partner agency to help you out. This will save you the substantial effort and expense of shopping for an available PR team in an unfamiliar country.
Recent Comments