How to design research that earns media coverage across multiple markets
Original research can be one of the most valuable assets in a B2B communications campaign. Done well, it gives brands something genuinely new to say, provides journalists with credible evidence and equips spokespeople with original data to support their perspective on the issues shaping their industry.
In an international sense, the impact of original research can go even further. One study could fuel multiple news stories across geographies, uncovering striking differences between local audiences along the way. It can also lay the foundation for a rich and credible content pipeline in different regions long after the initial launch.
That makes research a powerful way to support bigger communications and business objectives, from increasing awareness in priority markets to building authority around a particular issue or strengthening the visibility of senior leaders.
But getting that return from international research projects requires much more than commissioning a survey and waiting for the data to come back.
Start with the story you want to tell and what you want to achieve
Developing the right hypothesis, designing questions, coordinating samples across countries, analysing the data and turning the findings into media stories, reports in local languages and supporting content is a significant undertaking. And if local relevance has not been considered from the outset, a sizeable investment can produce very little that journalists in individual markets actually want to cover.
That makes it important to be clear from the start about what the research needs to achieve. Is the aim to build credibility around a particular industry topic? Increase awareness in priority markets? Or create content that can engage prospective customers over a longer period?
From there, the research should focus on the conversations a business wants to influence. For example, survey questions could be framed around the challenges that customers are talking about, or there might be market assumptions that the research could challenge. Thinking about the potential headlines before the fieldwork begins can help avoid a final report that is full of interesting but ultimately unsurprising and unnewsworthy statistics.
It is also worth agreeing how the campaign will be measured before commissioning the research. Depending on the wider business goals, success could include social engagement, report downloads, event opportunities or inbound enquiries. For an international strategy, effective measurement can reveal which stories and markets performed particularly well, potentially informing the next project.
Draw on local expertise
A global research project needs consistency, but that does not mean every market should be treated in exactly the same way. The issues attracting media attention in the UK might look completely different from those dominating conversations in France, Germany or Australia. Language, cultural attitudes, regulations and market maturity can all affect how the research topic is understood and which findings are likely to resonate after launch.
Bringing local PR expertise into the process helps ensure the research has relevance in each priority market. Teams on the ground can identify market-specific considerations that could affect how respondents interpret a question. Familiar business terminology in one market might be less widely recognised elsewhere, while attitudes towards topics such as AI, risk, data privacy, sustainability or leadership can vary considerably.
Local teams can advise on how to preserve local relevance without compromising the consistency of the wider study. They will also apply the same scrutiny and oversight once the survey results come back.
Understanding cultural nuances, language differences and country regulations can turn one international dataset into a series of locally relevant stories, giving brands a stronger chance of earning meaningful coverage across multiple markets rather than relying on the same global angle everywhere.
Plan how the research will work beyond launch day
Media coverage might be one of the most visible outputs from a research campaign, but it should rarely be the only one. The research itself should be viewed as a source of ideas and evidence that can support communications over time. Individual findings can extend beyond media stories and into LinkedIn content, blogs, infographics or videos. Larger themes could support webinars, or even panel discussions or customer events.
International research gives businesses even more material to work with. The global findings could lead the initial announcement. France might later focus on an unexpected national result, Germany on a particular industry finding and Australia on a trend becoming increasingly relevant to its market. That helps brands get more from the investment while maintaining a consistent presence around the issues they want to be associated with.
Research is also one of the best ways to strengthen thought leadership. Rather than executives simply offering an opinion on an industry issue, they can draw on original evidence to support their perspective. Used this way, and one research project can fuel communications activity across multiple markets and channels for months.
Make international research work harder for your brand
International research can place considerable demands on an in-house communications team, requiring a good balance between global consistency and local flexibility. The research needs a central idea strong enough to hold the campaign together, while giving individual markets enough scope to identify the stories that will resonate with their own media and audiences.
This is where an international PR agency network can add particular value. At the WIN PR Group, partners across markets can contribute local knowledge throughout the campaign while working towards the same wider communications objectives. That means the research can be shaped with international media potential in mind from the outset and then activated in ways that make sense locally once the findings are available.
For global B2B brands, the result is one research investment that can support awareness, credibility and thought leadership across multiple markets, while creating a pipeline of original content that continues to work long after the first headlines appear.
Contact us at hello@winprgroup.com to discuss how an international research campaign could support your global communications goals.