As with any PR activity, when running global digital publicity campaigns, understanding your audience will be central to connecting successfully with your target. In the realm of international publicity, your team’s understanding of culture can make or break your success.
After nearly a decade of launching worldwide communications campaigns out of the U.S., I’ve found that the most critical piece of international publicity is thoughtful and attentive engagement with a people’s culture. But understanding culture in preparation for an international digital campaign isn’t like getting ready for a one-week vacation in Italy or Borneo. You’re not simply trying to experience another culture—you are trying to connect with its people.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Begin with a sober view of the communications landscape. The most vital information your team will need for digital campaigning will be demographics on who’s got Web access. A good first stop for raw numbers is www.internetworldstats.com. But you’ll still need the demographics. A bevy of academic literature is dedicated to that area, so another stop may be the communications school at a local college or university. While you’re there, stop by the international relations school and get some face time with a regional or country expert. They may be able to give you some insight into the cultural aspects of Internet use.
If you have the resources, explore putting an in-country PR consultant in place. A good consultant will understand the media market for your industry and have previous work relationships with local editors and reporters.
INTEGRATED EXECUTION
A truly globe-trotting digital campaign will be a natural extension of your domestic Web campaign, but with a twist here and there. Tactically speaking, the Web campaign (and any other whiz-bang add-ons) should be a part of a well-established traditional publicity strategy. Don’t jettison the good old wire-based press releases, in-country briefings, press kits, mass mailings and trade event appearances. Audiences will always receive information along an entire spectrum of information outlets.
WHEN IN DOUBT, PRINT IT OUT
To that end, there’s rarely a greater teacher than a rough experience. I was in Dubai in late 2009 for one of our industry’s major trade events. We had been experiencing such great results over the last few months with our digital campaigns that we leaned on them for everything. Now, I’d been to Dubai many times over the last few years and noticed that some of my non-American competitors never offered event attendees from the Gulf Region the line: “…for more information on so-and-so, please visit www.so-and-so.com.”
I honestly thought that these companies were missing a major marketing opportunity until some local colleagues let me in on a grand piece of information about my target audience, politicians and military leaders: They don’t read online—it’s just not part of their culture. Ex-pats read online, but local government officials? Never.
I was blown away. With our company in full green mode, we had few printed brochures and therefore lost our connection with an audience that deeply appreciated printed products. For the next press briefing I printed up every marketing piece and photograph I could find to hand out to government staffers.
ROI: THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
While almost everyone in the world speaks ROI, be sure to take technical barriers into account. Before doing business with international online publications or Web sites, make sure you’ll be able to get good, understandable metrics from the publisher. Two tips here:
1. Find out whether the Web site you want to advertise with is regularly audited. A good magazine or Web publisher incorporates auditing as a part of generating professional integrity, staying above board in the areas of international copyrights, commerce law, taxation, disclaimers, etc.
2. Make sure that the Web site allows third-party ad service. Using one helps ensure the publisher honors things like placement, size, location and length of time the ad is posted. The service can also gather unbiased metrics (hit-counts, site visits, etc.).
WIN IN TRANSLATION
Even though English tends to be the language of business worldwide, take time to translate everything on your Web site to the most official local dialect. Triple-check messages that may get lost in translation; “affordable” may translate into cheap, and “advanced” may mean complex or difficult.
In addition, make sure there’s an easy-to-find translation button up front on the site—not tucked down below next to the eight-point font “contact us” link.
Remember, while ultimately you’re connecting with people, you must make their culture a priority. PRN
CONTACT:
Paul Cabellon is a communications manager at Northrop Grumman Corp. in Baltimore, MD. He can be reached at [email protected].