International PR can prove to be a tangled web for tech companies, particularly with the lines spun by many multinational agencies that look to bamboozle and confuse rather than offer clarity.
We see things differently; international PR is really rather simple. What you need are the right boots on the ground, and a consistency of experience anywhere in the world.
It is in this regard that the Whiteoaks International Network excels. We are a partnership of over 70 likeminded, owner-managed agencies that understand the local media market, the tactics and channels that will generate most impact, and – importantly – any cultural sensitivities that must be taken into account. A one-size-fits-all approach simply fails in this regard. Above all else, the client lacks flexibility. There are countless occasions we speak with prospects who are locked into global contracts, unable to free themselves to scale up investment in certain regions, or to take a fresh approach with new activities.
The assumed trade off with the Whiteoaks International Network, then, is that you lose a single experience, creating a headache for already stretched marketing teams. A core pillar of our network, however, is that when agencies engage on an international account, they budget in the same way, report in the same way and are committed to measurement in the same way.
This guarantees a best-of-both approach; local knowledge and expertise with one look-and-feel to international PR.
Content is a classic example. It will always remain hugely important for content and messaging – at a high level – to be managed centrally by head office. This, of course, makes perfect sense. How else will you build a powerful and consistent image for your brand if it is being portrayed numerous ways in numerous regions? Take a global research project as an example. While an active and relatively contained media market like the UK might put forward a roundtable press event to launch the results, on the assumption most target media will have a London base, this tactic simply won’t work in more dispersed areas such as the US or Asia. As we said before, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. Towing the line and trotting out the same tactics will not yield results. It is here that the Network and its flexible approach pays dividends.
There are a host of major multinational tech companies benefitting from this approach, taking away what has proved for many to be a painful process. The continued success of the Whiteoaks International Network lies in its ability to offer clients freedom, flexibility and, above all, expert PR consultants across the globe.
