UK manufacturers are exporting around the world, but who knows about it?

The number one rule when driving B2B PR for manufacturers entering new markets is to build recognition and credibility before potential customers are ready to buy. From a PR perspective, that should be bread and butter, along with getting under the skin of those new markets to understand trends, challenges, the wider geopolitical lansdscape and what keeps business owners awake at night.

But in the international markets they’re trying to enter, who actually knows who they are? It’s probably nothing, or at best, not much – which means the company is essentially starting from scratch.

Here’s our top four must haves when managing international PR for manufacturers:

1. The international “start-up” – act like nobody knows you

The temptation when entering a new market is to assume that the reputation you’ve spent years building in the UK will travel with you – but that’s highly unlikely unless you’ve already hit the global news pages with your world-saving widget.

That doesn’t mean abandoning the brand you’ve built, but it does mean taking a step back and asking some fairly fundamental questions. If we were launching this business in this market today, what would we say? How would we explain what we do? Which parts of our proposition would matter most to customers here? And, perhaps most importantly, what would make someone trust us?

The PR strategy should almost approach the market as an international start-up would. That means understanding the language, terminology, concerns and commercial priorities of the market, rather than simply translating UK messaging into another language.

It also means identifying the people and publications in that region and establishing a presence with them.

It’s not about pretending the company is new, moreover it’s recognising that it’s new to a whole new set of potential customers.

2. Show, don’t tell – demonstrate how you’ve solved their problems

One of the easiest traps for an exporter is to talk about itself. We are a leading UK manufacturer…We have 30 years’ experience…Our products are trusted by…and so on.

These are all perfectly legitimate claims, but not necessarily very interesting to someone sitting in a different market wondering whether you can solve their particular problem.

A much more effective PR approach is to start with their problem. Find out what’s happening in this market, what economic pressures are businesses facing, are energy costs an issue, how is regulation helping or hindering thm?

At Catalyst PR we have the tools, expertise and knowhow to speak to publications in the markets you’re looking to penetrate – anywhere on the globe. And we can help you demonstrate what you’ve already done about a similar problem. If UK manufacturers have developed a solution that helped a customer reduce energy consumption, increase productivity or overcome a particular supply-chain challenge, that becomes much more interesting when positioned against a challenge facing the new market.

And crucially, show the evidence. A customer case study, independent data, and third-party endorsement are much more powerful than simply telling an overseas audience that you’re good at what you do. 

3. Talk the buyer’s language

Good PR is always, always, about understanding what the audience actually wants to know. And for manufacturers targeting international markets, that means getting into the mindset of the buyer.

What are they worried about when buying from overseas? What does importing from the UK actually involve? What are the regulatory considerations? How does the UK supply chain work? What support is available to businesses buying from British suppliers? And what advantages might there be to sourcing from the UK rather than closer to home?

Those questions provide opportunities for genuinely useful thought leadership, and rather than producing an article that effectively says “why you should buy our products”, a manufacturer could address the wider issue “What do businesses in [market] need to know before importing from the UK?”

You’re still talking about the benefits of buying from Britain, but you’re doing it by answering the questions already occupying the buyer’s mind.

4. Don’t switch off the UK PR

There is a danger in becoming too focused on the new market. Once the export strategy is underway, PR activity can become almost entirely focused on the target country. But for an experienced international buyer, what’s happening in the manufacturer’s home market can be just as important.

Buyers who regularly import from overseas are watching global economic conditions, exchange rates, logistics, regulation, political developments and supply-chain pressures. They’re looking for signs of stability and evidence that the companies they’re buying from understand what’s happening beyond their own factory gates.

Continuing to build authority in the domestic market provides another layer of evidence for international prospects. Coverage in respected UK manufacturing and trade publications, and senior executives commenting on industry developments all contribute to the wider picture.

An overseas buyer doesn’t necessarily need to have heard of your company before. But if they can search for you and find evidence showing what you do, who you work with and what you know about your industry, that’s much more helpful than finding a website with a list of products and services. 

International expansion doesn’t mean starting your business again. But, from a PR perspective, it does mean building your reputation again – this time with an audience that doesn’t know you yet.

If you’d like to see how we’ve helped UK manufacturers with international PR, or how we’ve helped them build their UK reputation, get in touch.