Raising your business’ presence from national to international holds a host of opportunities. It also comes with a lot of responsibility. Brands looking to expand overseas need to realize solid, professional communication strategies are paramount to success. There are several options available: they can either work with an international global agency or run the campaign from home. Some brands happen to collaborate with a new PR agency in the new country while others decide to work with a network like PROI. Below we are going to briefly discuss the options:

  1. International global agency: Given the option, brands prefer to continue working with the same PR company, just in a different region. Yes, international agencies have offices in many countries; but one jarring factor is they usually miss cultural aspects in their communications strategy, as they are so focused on spreading a unified, global message. They also have high markups for services that can be achieved at a much cheaper rate.
  2. Run from home: Running international PR campaigns with the same local agency also poses problems with the first being relationships, especially with the press. Local agencies have the advantage of maintaining good media relations that usually takes years to build. By running your campaign from home are you going to have such strong media connections in the new market? No! Having a local public relations agency working for you should instantly open the flood gates and make sure your story is conveyed effectively.
  3. Working with a partner in the destination country: Many agencies now choose to have partners in multiple cities. Working with a partner in the destination country is a good option, but is likely to lack coordination and consistency with the main domestic strategy unless this coordination is managed in-house. Having coordinated in-house management gives you more control over the quality of work and the ability to better define and preserve your company culture.
  4. Using multinational networks: A network of global agencies is an untapped resource. Working with a PR company that is  part of a multilateral network, brands get the benefit of both worlds. Membership in networks such as PROI Worldwide and PRSA gives agencies the same benefits of an international agency with a branch network. It also allows members to remain independent. Partner agencies have immediate access to shared resources, databases and expertise. You can read about the advantages of using  multinational networks in our next blog post, here.

Midas PR is also a proud member of PROI Worldwide, the world’s largest partnership of independent integrated communications agencies. Being the only member from Thailand, the agency has had the opportunity to work on various multi-national campaigns. Visit our website www.midas-pr.com today for more information or get in touch with us by email.