Part II of a two-part series covering global media relations strategies and tactics
In our first installment on getting international press coverage without busting the PR budget, we covered the basics of identifying and wooing the international press corps from two perspectives: how to get foreign journalists interested in your activities here in the States and how to get press attention when you are overseas – at trade fairs, signing a deal or opening a new operation in a foreign country.
Part II offers advice on how to get inside the overseas PR community and the journalists' inner circles where you can build long-term relationships with leading press people.
President Obama made news when he visited Jakarta, Photo by Dick Pirozzolo © 2010
For starters, when you know you know your company will be taking part in a trade fair or event in Jakarta, Tokyo or Paris one of the easiest ways to start developing relationships with editors and reporters is to ask the editor of a US daily newspaper or trade magazine for an assignment to cover the event in which your client is participating. Ask for a letter indicating your role as a reporter with that particular media outlet. The letter will be a door opener. At a trade event, having media credentials will get you into the pressroom and direct access to reporters you want to reach. Just be subtle and not too pushy or you will lose credibility. If you are acting as a journalist in addition to your PR duties, disclose your client relationship when interviewing sources for a freelance article at an international event.
Before you go, join the Foreign Press Association of New York at 333 East 46th Street,
New York, New York 10017. FPA accepts associate memberships from US public relations professionals and organizes topnotch events with leading journalists such as Chris Matthews of MSNBC’s Hardball who was the keynoter at a recent event and Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes will be speaking at an upcoming dinner. Telephone 212-370-1054 or email
Fpanewyork@aol.com to inquire about membership. The FPA will also issue you a press pass.
Online media directory resources include Mondo Times at http://www.mondotimes.com, and subscription Media Database services such as PR Newswire’s Media Atlas provide overseas media contact information. PR Newswire will also translate news releases with 24 hours advance notice. The New York and Washington, DC bureaus of overseas media outlets will – most often – gladly provide you with press contacts overseas and may even help you by making introductions.
Need a photo in Indonesia?
Internationally, local newspapers are a great resource for getting publicity photos taken. Most staff photographers are happy for the extra work and, if the photo warrants, will submit it to their own newspaper for publication. Similarly, AP provides a worldwide photo service that is convenient but generally costs more than going directly to a local media outlet and asking to speak with someone in the photo department.
Of course, local PR expertise is worth a great deal when expanding your PR efforts abroad. If the PR budget is not sufficient to hire a local firm for an entire project, many PR industry professionals will gladly offer a few hours of consulting to help navigate the local media waters in their country.
For example, we learned from our affiliate in Indonesia that sometimes the rules of “earned media” don’t apply overseas. N Mark Castro of Asia Leads in Jakarta explains,
“Insofar as print media is concerned, sadly, in Asia, envelopmental journalism is rampant. This is not endemic to Indonesia. It applies to the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore – the more refined the media, the more refined the "gifts." But minor media platforms tend to receive and print materials they deem newsworthy, as long as their relationship with the PR person is solid. This is where relationships play a crucial role.”
In Asia, press clubs provide a remarkable service by helping newcomers get the lay of the land, learn the issues and rub elbows with local and overseas press. Castro, whose wife Kathy is with CNN, points out that, most foreign companies tend to partner with local PR agencies that are members of international associations such as the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club (www.jfcc.com). The global image of Indonesia comes from this club, which has weekly forums with government officials. It's the go-to place when the president’s spokesman is addressing important national issues.”
In Japan the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan (FCCJ) http://www.fccj.or.jp/ is similar to foreign press association in New York. Miki Ebara, NHK’s New York correspondent explains that in Japan there are more formalized routes to gaining media coverage. She says press clubs often focus on specific subject areas, “for those reporting on the Prime Minister's office there is a press club, or the Foreign Ministry has a press club. Automobile manufacturers have their own press clubs, etc., etc. - it's a convenient way for the [PR person who] – does not have to look for contacts with the press. When they have an announcement, they just notify those who are registered with the club.”
Ebara adds. “And once journalists are registered with a press club, they will never miss being notified when an announcement is made. However, it is not mandatory. Anyone can organize a press conference any time, anywhere. It just takes more hustle, that's all.”
Advance planning and research together with thoughtful insights from indigenous PR professionals and journalists will go a long way toward creating a successful campaign in overseas markets. The rest is just old-fashioned PR smarts, have a good story, localize it, build relationships with journalists and keep your message simple.
Dick Pirozzolo is the founder of Pirozzolo Company Public Relations (www.pirozzolo.com). The firm offers global Public Relations services and PR executive training in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the US. Pirozzolo Company represented the Vietnam government during reconciliation and Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Other international engagements include clients in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Germany, the UK, China and Japan.
A Dutch Television journalist interviews students at President Barack Obama's grammar school in Jakarta, Indonesia. Dick Pirozzolo photo © 2010
