For CMOs and marketing managers of global B2B tech brands, it can be challenging to implement a globally-minded communications strategy that achieves results in each local media market. For brands operating in Germany, this is no different. Not only does content need to be localised, but there are distinct variables within the local media market that need to be recognised and leveraged accordingly. To this end, it can benefit to have a local team or agency on board that has the local knowledge, expertise and insight to communicate brand messages effectively to local media.

What follows are some key insights that any global B2B tech brand should know when implementing a PR strategy in Germany.

The German PR landscape

PR professionals in Germany work mostly behind-the-scenes – writing and sending press releases, getting in touch with journalists, and attending events and trade fairs to represent their brand(s). But that is certainly not the difference between doing PR in Germany or in other countries. PR teams in both Germany and the UK definitely share the same goals: promoting brands to make them as successful, honest, important, exciting or relevant as possible. But the media landscape and the way we communicate with our contacts, like journalists and the end-consumers can be quite different.

Facts and Introduction to German Media Landscape

One of the most important differences is the use of media in Germany. A survey from Ipsos Media CT in 2013 showed that nearly 79 per cent of respondents still read offline newspapers compared with only 25 per cent who read online newspapers. And this trend was similar with regards to magazines, radio and books. Exceptional also is the number of special interest publications – in 2013 Germany listed more than 3.800 different magazine titles.

The well-known opinion research institute Statista asked “Which Social Media activities have you already used” and found that Germany is far behind other countries in terms of usage. This was the case especially with microblogs (which are not very well known in Germany), timed photo (like snapchat) social networks. Also, the shares of media types in advertising are still focused on TV (47.6%), magazines and newspaper (29.4%). Only 10.4 per cent are shared for online media and 0.7 per cent for mobile apps.

Conclusion

The differences in doing PR in Germany compared to the UK lie primarily in the media landscape. Social media and online publications have a growing influence, but proportionate online readership remains much less than in other countries. It is important to communicate on social and online/blogs, but print, TV and radio remain the most important in terms of raising awareness. Having a specialist team that understands the local media and how to target it effectively are essential for any global B2B tech brand looking to implement a PR strategy in Germany.

Whether you’re using B2B inbound marketing and PR to generate earned media in Germany or the UK, it’s important to be able to measure value. But what is the best approach for doing this? We explored this question in our latest eBook, asking a number of marketing decision-makers for their thoughts on how to best measure earned media results. To read their insights, download the eBook below.

This blog entry was written in cooperation with our WorldCom partner Champion Communications. The original article can be found here: http://www.championcomms.com/blog/pr-tips-for-global-b2b-tech-brands-operating-in-germany