10 Tips for Tech PR in Germany
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© www.unicat-communications.com 10 Tips for Starting Technology PR in Germany by unicat communications
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Germany is the leading European economy and given the size of the market and business potential, it is the ideal basis for expanding business internationally. If you are responsible for marketing or PR at a B2B tech company and want to enter the German market or give your existing PR a fresh start, these 10 tips will help you to understand what it takes to do successful PR in Germany. Although the fundamental PR and marketing practices work similar to any Western market, there are some important cultural and market particularities. More Informaton at http://www.unicat-communications.com Contact me via [email protected] or cal me at +49 89 74345220
Transcript of 10 Tips for Tech PR in Germany
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10 Tips for Starting Technology PR in Germany
by unicat communications
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10 Tips for Starting Technology PR in Germany
Germany is the leading European economy and given the size of the market and business potential, it is the ideal basis for expanding business internationally.
If you are responsible for marketing or PR at a B2B tech company and want to enter the German market or give your existing PR a fresh start, the following 10 tips will help you to understand what it takes to do successful PR in Germany.
Although the fundamental PR and marketing practices work similar to any Western market, there are some important cultural and market particularities.
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For a successful start that brings tangible and measurable success quickly, focus mainly on Product PR and content marketing formats that help sales to sell and generate leads.
Use specific messages, media and influencers for different target groups of decision makers from technical to C-level. Vertical communication is very beneficial and the German media landscape offers a lot of opportunities to communicate industry-specific technology benefits.
1. Tip: Quick Results
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Corporate PR can support German business best by showing your company’s commitment for the local market, channel partners, employees and customers.
Show that you are a local player that understands the market and is able to offer local service and support.
With the exception of the very big global players, international corporate communication content such as financial reporting is a waste of time and resources.
2. Tip: Show that you are a Local Player
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Use spokespeople such as German CEO, country manager or experts to give your company a “local face”. Speak with a “German voice” in trade and business press, on your website, blogs and social media.
By the way, the most import social network for doing business in Germany is XING. LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are less important.
3. Tip: Give your Company a German Face
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You consider Germans as exceptionally rational? You are absolutely right! We just love anything that is based on facts and figures. Studies, market research or any kind of relevant data usually bring excellent press coverage and marketing response rates.
4. Tip: Facts and Figures
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The German public is very critical when it comes to marketing buzzwords such as “leading”, “innovative”, etc. Press releases or B2B marketing content that are too promotional or read like advertising copy will fail.
That doesn’t mean that leadership communication isn’t important. Define your market position and communicate your company as the leader in a relevant area – be it innovation, quality, service or price leadership. Define USPs that really are convincing to German customers.
Be prepared to deliver proof points for your leadership messages based on facts and figures.
5. Tip: Leadership Positioning
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If possible, work with German customer or analyst references and endorsements. Also consider local rules and regulations that often are stricter than in the rest of the world.
Don’t simply have your PR and marketing content translated. It needs to be localized in terms of specific requirements of German media and business culture.
6. Tip: Native Content
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Be selective and limit pitches to the very important topics. If you call a journalist to simply announce a press release, he or she will see this as a waste of time.
PR pitches are a delicate topic in Germany. If you contact a journalist, you really need to be able to offer a true added value such as exclusive content, additional data, or contacts with experts.
7. Tip: Use Pitches Carefully
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Like in the rest of the world, establishing press relations is based on personal relations. Arrange regular meetings with key journalists and your German spokesperson.
German trade journalists often prefer to speak with your company’s technology, market or industry experts rather than with somebody from C-level. If your experts perform well both in terms of knowledge and media savviness, reporters will come back to them for expert quotes, interviews or ask for bylined articles.
Business journalist love to speak to high-level people that are not too shy to express their own opinion and view on the market.
8. Tip: Personal Relations
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Make sure to be pro-active and react quickly. Your Germany PR team needs to be able to anticipate journalists’ needs for expert advice and opinion pieces when trending topics come up. .
If reporters or bloggers ask for comments, quotes or interviews you need to have a well-practiced local team and spokespeople that are able to add a local twist to the story.
9. Tip: Be Responsive and Pro-active
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Work with a PR agency that specializes on the tech sector and insist to have seasoned B2B experts in the team. In addition to media savviness and a creative mind, they need sound technology knowledge and an understanding of your business models, sales channels and how the German tech market works.
Make sure that your agency has experience in working in international marketing and PR teams and is able to act independently in any given frame of communication governance.
10. Tip: Select the Right Agency Partner
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• PR agency based in Germany’s hi-tech cluster
Munich
• Strategic communications for Technology Leaders
• Founded 1989, independently owned
• Focus on IT, high-tech, innovation
• B2B specialists
• Long-term customer relationships
(5+ years on average)
• Very low employee turnover
(on average 8 years of affiliation)
• 70% of clients and references are international
25 Years of Experience in Tech PR
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We specialize exclusively
on technology and B2B.
We understand how media
and tech markets work.
We know the way tech
companies do business.
What Makes us Unique
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Thomas Konrad
Senior PR Consultant
unicat communications
Phone: +49 89 743452-20
http://www.unicat-communications.com/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaskonradmuc
unicat communications
Gabi Eckart & Anja Seubert GbR
Alois-Gilg-Weg 7, 81373 Munich, Germany
Get in Touch!
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