By Beverly Butler, APR, ABC
VP Wells Fargo
As technology advances and the world is now everyone’s backyard, business owners are increasingly looking beyond their borders to find new customers. That’s true in the PR world too and David Landis, PR Global Network president and CEO/Founder of Landis Communications, showed us how at our September 24 meeting.
David began by showing a clip from the TV show SMASH where the main character, portraying Marilyn Monroe on Broadway, sings a tribute to public relations as reporters from around the world sidle up for a chance to interview the Blonde Bombshell. It might not be quite that easy to get international exposure, but David explained how the network approach connects agencies to clients for a one-stop shopping approach.
PR Global Network consists of 50 independent affiliated agencies set up to compete with the big firms. It’s an invitation only group that provides “the right answer to questions coming up about the global need for communications,” says David. By combining forces, these affiliated agencies are working with Fortune 100 companies, winning business beyond their own market.
There are challenges. Each country is different in terms of culture, fees, time zones, language and client expectations. That’s where a pitch coordinator comes in to define the strategy and set specific deliverables. One agency is the contract holder (dealing with Non-Disclosure Agreements, country taxes, legal and regulatory activities) and the other agencies act as sub-contractors.
David showed a case study about Amorim, a cork producer in Portugal experiencing a sales slump due to fears of cork taint. PR Global Network convened a series of discussions in Germany, Spain and France; developed a white paper; and had spokespeople in those countries discuss the importance of sustainability (cork is highly renewable) and the safety of the product. The result? More than 150 media placements in five international markets.
David capped his presentation by projecting a Skype session with his German colleague, Uwe Schmidt, who was gracious and informative even though it was 10 p.m. in Hamburg. Questions posed to Mr. Schmidt by members Karen Ames, John McDowell, Juan Lezama, Jill Center and John Berard were answered by both presenters, marking a first ever live international feed from SF Public Relations Round Table!
Well done David.
Beverly Butler is VP, Client Delivery Communications at Wells Fargo Treasury Management. In addition to her daytime job, Beverly is an accomplished playwright: her play Indelible was performed in San Francisco last April and Downward Dog was performed in Grand Rapids, Michigan three years ago.