Businesses often come to us looking for guidance as they scale into new markets. Many are driven by the desire to leverage global reach, respond to customer demands, and stay ahead of the competition. However, this strategy is often met with concerns such as "Nobody knows who we are in this market" and "How do we make sure we are visible amongst our target audiences?"
Brand awareness when scaling into a new market is a common challenge. According to a poll by Kantar, 71% of senior executives ranked brand building as the top priority for international expansion ahead of marketing or sales. Additionally, a report by the CMO Council revealed that 77% of marketing leaders say a lack of brand awareness is a major challenge to expanding globally.
So, what steps can businesses take to ensure they can overcome this challenge?
1. Research target audience: It is crucial to understand the target audience you are trying to engage with. Having insight into the target demographics, as well as their media habits and purchasing preferences, is crucial.
2. Market intelligence: Collecting insight into the media landscapes, policy shifts, and public opinion trends allows you to understand each market. This information will inform your strategy.
3. Competitive audit: Conduct an audit of the businesses within each market to understand how they position themselves, their messaging, product offerings, marketing channels etc. This intelligence will help identify potential gaps or opportunities in the market.
4. Identify key media: Determine the main traditional and digital media channels that your target audience consumes. This will help ensure that you prioritise visibility within the media your prospects are consuming.
5. Prospect-centric content: Once you understand your target demographic, focus on developing content that is relevant to your buyers. Create value-driven content that addresses their challenges and pain points. This will ensure that your content is impactful and resonates with your audience.
6. PR outreach: Build relationships with local journalists and influencers to gain press coverage and endorsements. This strategy will generate third-party endorsement, leading to increased awareness, trust, and validation of your organisation.
With an integrated PR strategy, companies can raise visibility, enhance credibility, and shape narratives as they scale into new regions. If you’re looking to expand into new markets, and need help to do so, get in touch with us here.