CHEN PR and Johnson King Host International PR Seminar

Talk of global PR programs often conjures up thoughts of world-traveling PR practitioners schmoozing in Five-Star hotels and exotic locations. That, however, represents the dream state.

Closer to reality, according to those who’ve done it successfully, is the capability to concurrently manage a mountain of unglamorous, tactical details across a dozen time zones and getting the company CFO on board early to facilitate access to budget.

Enlisting the support of a company’s chief financial executive was a key piece of advice offered at a standing room-only seminar held in Waltham last month on how to conduct a successful pan-European PR program. CHEN PR and UK-based PR agency Johnson King sponsored the event. Following are excerpts from the presentation of Chris Carleton, CHEN PR Founder and Principal.

The Internet enables even small companies to do business globally. While having a Website doesn’t immediately give you an international brand, it helps companies reach beyond US shores to drive revenue.

Creating an industry-leading brand and thought leadership increasingly demands an international PR effort. It’s difficult and requires a lot of work, but when done right, it delivers major dividends to business and sales growth.

Many companies take the first step to globalizing PR efforts by focusing on England, France and Germany, with Spain, Italy and the Benelux countries also figuring into the mix. That’s because they offer many commonalities to the U.S. in terms of culture and language. (Notable, Asia-Pacific is rapidly joining the global PR “must have” list. That will be the subject of a future article.)

Before beginning an international PR effort there are three important questions to answer: Why are we doing this now? Will people care? How will this help drive sales and business development? Once you’ve determined that an international PR program makes sense, here are some rules of the road:

1. Find your internal champions — Enlist the CFO or controller as well as colleagues in sales, marketing and executive management who agree with your requirement to expand the PR program internationally and are willing to support it with time, budget and resources.



2. Prioritize your targets — It’s a big world out there. Unless you’re a "megamultinational" the size of Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Sony or Intel, few companies need to do everything at once. Determine which regions have the most potential for revenue generation.



3. Put your team together — Most companies adopt a mix of internal and external resources, and small and large PR agencies. A large agency can have sub-agencies to offer an integrated, coordinated approach. Small agencies can move fast and have the same or better contact networks and teams as larger agencies. Look closely at both, but hire for the experience of the team.



4. Finalize budgets and set measurement criteria — Each country has unique program requirements and needs to be budgeted accordingly. And as you create your international PR program, determine benchmarks for success by individual country and as a program overall.



5. Create the plan — Centralize management but localize implementation to avoid the risk of “Americanitis” -- forcing other countries to do something that doesn’t make sense for their markets. Get your local country managers and agency contacts involved in localizing the plan. Lead by example and foster two-way communication. Program results will be better, and all parties will take a stronger sense of ownership.



6. Be consistent — This is the biggest requirement and the hardest task for US-based companies. While you empower country managers and agency contacts to implement the best PR programs for their geographic areas, make certain that the message stays consistent on an international basis.

Done correctly, an international PR program can contribute significantly to the sales process, drive revenue share price and increase international brand awareness.

If you’d like to talk with Chris about your company’s PR needs, call him at 781-466-8282 x15 or email ccarleton@chenpr.com.

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