PR across borders: Are we all on the same page?

Over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside PR agencies from around the world for my clients. As you’d expect, this always involves plenty of the day-to-day humdrum of co-ordinating a PR account across international borders – the conference calls, meetings, reports and the like. Yet looking beyond the everyday conversations, these processes actually give us a great view of how our trade is practiced around the world.

As PR professionals, we’re all working towards the same goal, yet the approach different agencies take across borders varies. With respect to the economic and cultural differences that exist, the biggest reason for this is the different ways that the media perceives business across different regions.

To start with, the UK likely has one of, if not the toughest media landscapes in the world. British journalists tend to possess an underlying cynicism when it comes to the achievements of businesses – perhaps reflecting the national psyche. This may be seen as a point of pride for many British PRs who can thrive in the face of this challenge, but it’s not without reason. We must be able to demonstrate why our clients’ new software updates, partnerships or perspectives on an issue matters more than that of their rivals, to a journalist who likely has hundreds of other companies vying for his or her attention.

Of course, PRs in the USA, France, Germany or indeed anywhere else must do the same. Yet in these regions, success usually seems to be celebrated, rather than questioned. Yet closer to home, PRs are often seen as ‘spin doctors’ or worse.

It’s important to remember that this is just a general rule with a number of exceptions. Every region will have its share of cynical journalists, and PRs will find that what works for one publication in their region won’t necessarily work with another.

Embracing a challenge

As PRs, we should be celebrating that much of our media is sceptical of every message we communicate. We face a real challenge in convincing the press to air our clients’ views every day, making the results achieved all the more rewarding. A media landscape in which journalists accepted news or analysis without question would be far poorer, not to mention untrustworthy.

In an industry often full of hot air, the only way we as PRs can make our clients heard is to make their message stronger and more relevant than the rest. Just a quick look through the social media profiles of some of our regular media contacts reveals the mistrust PRs are faced with, and judging by the standard of some of the content these journalists receive, that’s hardly a surprise. We as PRs must take the time to understand our counterparts in the press and what their audiences are interested in, and create messages that will matter to them, no matter what region we’re working in. Ultimately, no matter how tough the media might be, the quality of the message will always make all the difference.