At Kemp & Kjær, we advise many tech companies on international PR and press coverage abroad. And the first answer to “What PR strategy?” is “It depends!” It’s all about traction and newsworthiness—and about the expansion strategy.
PR is planned in line with the business strategy, so much of the PR strategy is typically already determined. However, I always recommend consulting your PR advisor before prioritizing countries, especially if PR is an integral part of your go-to-market strategy. That way, you’ll know what kind of PR is feasible in a given country and can establish a realistic budget.
PR for Market Entry
When it comes to niche B2B technology, most companies focus on one or a few countries at a time. Perhaps there has been a pilot program involving targeted sales and marketing in a number of countries, after which the three most promising markets were selected to launch in. Or they prioritize countries based on a number of criteria such as language, proximity, purchasing power, competitors, and so on.
PR is rarely the strategy that opens up a market. Instead, it’s targeted marketing and direct sales. Once the first customers have been secured and you may have hired a local employee, it’s easier to get a journalist interested in the company and the product if you’re seeking editorial coverage.
The exception is if you have a truly groundbreaking innovation—that is, a strong product unlike anything else on the market. For example, when Kemp & Kjær handled PR for Ziemi’s groundbreaking light, which shines on the cyclist rather than on the road. Or Lyras’ water- and CO2-saving alternative to pasteurization. In such cases, you can get coverage based on the newsworthiness of the story, but follow-up stories require more creativity until you’ve established a solid presence in the market.
Without local traction or high news value, you can use other tactics, such as opinion pieces and debate articles, that position the company, its leadership, or a local expert in relation to the market—the bar is typically lower than when trying to get a journalist to write an article. This is especially true if the topic and issue are truly global, so that the local audience can relate to them.
Can’t you just pay for coverage?
The same rule applies here as in Denmark: You can’t buy positive editorial coverage. That said, there are some markets where advertising in a niche media outlet can greatly encourage journalists to write about your company. But this is absolutely only in exceptional cases, and the story must still meet the outlet’s news criteria.
A paid article—“native advertising”—is a way to gain visibility, and it can be relevant for marketing, but it is not the same as genuine editorial coverage. When it comes to visibility in Google and AI searches, genuine editorial coverage can have a different value than paid content. However, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be mentioned in AI responses.
PR once you’re established in the market
With clients and a local office run by local management, it’s much easier to generate PR in another country. Journalists have a news criterion called “identification,” and it’s easier for readers to identify with companies and people from their own country than with something foreign.
So when you’re on the ground, you can use customer case studies, thought leadership columns, participate in interviews and events, and all that. You’ll find that competitors with local headquarters—and thus local senior leadership—are given higher priority than a company from Denmark. That’s just how it is, but it’s actually a good, professional challenge.
Remember that being local matters a lot: You can’t expect the same amount of coverage for stories about a Danish company abroad as you’re used to getting in Denmark.
Localization is more than just translation
We call it “transcreation” when a Danish story is adapted for another country. The translation is just the tip of the iceberg. If a niche story is really going to capture the interest of local readers, you need to use local statistics, spokespersons, and companies—and try to address local issues relevant to the industry or the country. You might also involve local third-party sources, such as experts, politicians, or professional organizations.
That’s why we always recommend letting a local PR consultant craft the story however they see fit. Of course, the story must align with the company’s brand, but a strong angle in one country might not work elsewhere:
In Denmark, a tech story might focus on the green transition and energy efficiency. In Germany, it might be more relevant to link the same technology to energy prices and industrial competitiveness. In England, a story about building energy ratings and renovation needs might be more interesting.
Should the press release be distributed via a “newswire”?
It’s certainly tempting when you’re in Denmark and aren’t familiar with the media in the other country. It can be relevant, and, for example, publicly traded companies should use a wire service because they need to communicate accurately to the entire market at once. They may still choose to speak with journalists under a confidentiality agreement—an embargo—to publish the story at a specific time.
For stories with a narrower appeal, distributing them via a newswire can ruin the chance of getting coverage in your target media. At least if you distribute the story widely before your target media has published it. Furthermore, it can be a waste of money compared to reaching out directly to relevant media outlets.
After a press release is distributed via a newswire, you typically receive a long list of reputable media outlets that have published it. It has simply ended up in a press release section—along with the 1,000 other press releases from that day. This is quite different from a journalistic article on nytimes.com, especially if your goal is to be found in search results and AI-generated responses.
That’s why it’s better to create your own local media list and then contact journalists and newsrooms directly.
In short, enlist the help of a local PR consultant so your resources are spent on driving results.
Contact Jakob Kemp Hessellund
jh@kempkjaer.dk | +45 4038 4586
Help with International PR
If you want to generate press coverage abroad, Kemp & Kjær can help with PR strategy and coordination from Denmark. Through our international PR network, we have access to local PR agencies in more than 100 countries, so we can tailor our efforts to the market, the journalists, and your budget.
