international pr

Gain A Competitive Edge with International Experience: Part 1

Lauren Gray Leave a comment

This is a part of our month-long participation in PRSA Diversity Month

I wasn’t just bit by the travel bug at an early age; I was rather infected. I first got my peek of the world outside of the U.S. when I visited my family in South America. Later on, I participated in short trips to Europe with my high school and university. Though, it was not until my experience of studying abroad in Spain last spring that really triggered my desire to live and work abroad.

Image credit to UCLA

As a new professional entering the market place, I strongly believe that now is the time to kick start our international experience. The older we get, the more responsibilities we are bound to, and the harder it is to just drop everything and leave. For this reason, it is better to start early in your career.

The benefits of gaining international experience are endless, however, I have narrowed it down to just three that I think are the most important and meaningful of going abroad:

1.     Gaining a different perspective on the world

Many of us grow accustomed to the same surroundings everyday. We forget about the world around us, the one beyond our so-called “bubble.” Traveling abroad is an eye opener, and for some, it is the reason why you experience culture shock. Encountering a completely different culture first hand means you are educating yourself on all aspects of a new country, such as music, food, religion, political and economical issues, and so much more.

Experiencing and understanding a foreign culture allows you to become more global minded and aware of a life different from your own. Your perspective on the world can change drastically, causing you to not only form an appreciation for the country you traveled to, but also to have an appreciation for the one where you are from.

2.     Personal Growth

Change can be a scary, yet exciting, thought for some. Going abroad means getting out of your comfort zone, and challenging yourself both mentally and emotionally. No matter where you go, there will always be different values, customs, and mannerisms. Therefore, you will learn to become adaptable. This rings a huge sense of personal achievement because you are facing and embracing change all at the same time.

According to research published in the Harvard Business Review, “People who have international experience are better problem solvers and display more creativity.” In addition to this, being abroad allows you to grow as an individual, granting you the independence and confidence to adapt to unfamiliarity.

3.     Career Advancement

International experience gives you a huge competitive and global edge in your professional career. For example, an employer is going to remember a person who had an incredible story to share about a time in South Africa compared to a person who has basic industry experience. Employers look for candidates who can contribute to their company’s diversity. Whether it is a new client or coworker, you will often encounter someone in the workplace who is of a different ethnicity or background. By having international experience and intercultural awareness, you become a bridge to a gap of cultural differences.

When you go abroad, you are also expanding your network globally. In order to do so though, you have to make the effort to create and maintain relationships. In my previous blog post with The Edge, I explained the importance of networking and staying connected. When you take networking to an international level, you not only create a large space of opportunities for yourself, but you also bring valuable business contacts to a company.

Traveling abroad is undoubtedly a life changing and valuable experience. Whether you choose to work, study, or volunteer in another country, each offers rewarding benefits to both your personal life and professional career. If any one of these global opportunities is something you seek, check out Part 2 of this blog post for things to consider before making a decision. A list of resources will be provided as well!

What has been your favorite travel experience and what is the number one thing you took away from it?

 

Screen Shot 2014-11-17 at 12.10.20 PMCatalina Gomez is a graduate of Philadelphia University with a Bachelor of Science in Professional Communication. She specializes in public relations and has experience working with lifestyle and consumer brands. Catalina is also an active member of the Hispanic community and currently resides in Maryland. Connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.

 

A Guide to A Successful International PR Campaign

Lauren Gray Leave a comment

Businesses communicate to a wider and more international audience these days.  Defining an international PR strategy is a very important step as perceptions in one part of the world can have an immediate impact across the globe.

map-of-the-world-9-colorful-abstract-art-sharon-cummings

Before you start writing, emailing and tweeting, take the time to ask yourself: “why am I doing this?” and “what am I trying to achieve?” “What is the aim of this challenging international PR campaign?” Most of the time, the ultimate goal is to make an international brand shine across countries, engage in new conversations and attract new clients across cultures.

Today, I invite you to take a ride into a new PR mindset and adapt a glocal perspective!

Glocal: a connection between global and local. In business, being glocal is having a worldwide strategy while adapting it to local cultures.

  1. Differentiate global and local: First identify and differentiate your global strategy from your local initiatives in each country. Global is your brand’s overall personality while local is your cultural characteristics.
  2. Divide responsibilities: The head of global reputation shouldn’t execute any local initiatives as it might affect his vision. Beware of conflicts of interest in communication. One or two heads maximum should lead the campaign in one central city and define responsibilities in each country.
  3. Execute locally: If the brand is targeting the European market, you will need to define mini campaigns for each country. You might be aware of the diversity of food in Europe? Well, for media, it’s quite similar. Media landscapes and cultures in Europe are as varied as national food specialities! Pitching a journalist in Germany, France, the UK or Switzerland is totally different. The best way forward is to coordinate with local PR professionals with strong media relationships.

So what’s next? Now that you are involved in an international campaign, ask yourself the following questions before pushing the green light:

  • Does this local initiative respect the global corporate messages?
  • How will the product/service adapt to the local market?
  • Can we push the product through the same channels in each country?
  • What social media outlets should we use?
  • How and when will we translate content to impact local markets?

A few answers and tips:

  1. Work with locals: As you can’t be everywhere, liaising with local experts will help you understand habits and attitudes of your audience. In addition to this, even if English is a leading business language, speaking other languages can be beneficial in communication. Your impact with be much bigger if you speak a fluent German to German journalists.
  2. Build conversations: Shaping a reputation is less about what companies say about themselves but more about what people say about them. In this context, it’s vital to initiate conversations globally. Create a consistent brand internationally through traditional tools (website, blogs, press releases, by-line articles) while engaging with local audiences on traditional and social media. Let your market influencers become your brand ambassadors!
  3. Communicate among teams: As information travels fast, give priority to transparency and dialogue between your teams. It’s better to over communicate. Even if meetings can be laborious sometime, daily updates guarantee that nothing is missed.

Think cross-cultural, think glocal.

 

corpDiane Gaillard is an International PR Consultant with experience in the financial, real estate, hospitality and B2B sectors after having worked in London and Paris. She develops cross-cultural communication campaigns and raises the profile of international companies and startups in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the U.S. To learn more about Diane, visit her website at www.dianegaillard.com.

 

Intro to International PR: Why Going Global Can (and Should) Be Your Next Career Move by Stephanie Takach

Heather Sliwinski 3 Comments

For new public relations professionals looking to get ahead and obtain a unique skill set, getting international career experience is more than a viable option—it’s one that’s becoming a necessity—as organizations increasingly expand outside of the United States. To find out more about what it takes for PR professionals to get experience overseas, I sat down and interviewed Stacie Berdan, an international careers consultant and author of the new eBook GO GLOBAL! Launching an International Career Here or Abroad. Stacie has more than a decade of experience at Burson-Marstellar and later joined Unilever before publishing her first book Get Ahead By Going Abroad.

Stephanie Takach: Why do you think it’s important for PR professionals to experience part (or all) of their career abroad?

Stacie Berdan: Globalization is here and its pervasiveness is destined to expand. There has been a shift in many companies as to where their revenue is being generated–for many it’s in the emerging markets and at increasing percentages. As a consultant or a support function in-house, PR professionals who have a combination of industry skills and international experience can better support their client’s or organization’s global growth.

ST: Are there any unique skill sets that PR young professionals need or should pick up before looking to jump-start their international career?

SB: Acquire as much international experience as possible. Before you graduate, study or intern, join international clubs, practice foreign languages, volunteer or work abroad. Once you’re in the workforce, work on global teams or with global clients to demonstrate that you can work cross-culturally and on virtual teams. If you have foreign language skills, practice. If you have knowledge of or experience with another culture or country, try to get involved in a relevant assignment.

It’s important that young PR professionals build up what I like to call their “toolbox of talents”–working with top-notch professionals at the start of their career. This could be anywhere in the world but requires some thought. Once you have three to four years of experience, you can start branching out and looking for opportunities most anywhere because you will then have multiple offerings: solid PR skills, international mobility and the global skills you’ve acquired.

ST: And what about languages? For PR pros who only speak English fluently, how much of a barrier can that be?

SB: Being bilingual or trilingual is a definite benefit to working in the global marketplace, but it doesn’t have to be a deal breaker. Consider what other skills you have that an organization would benefit from and market them. Exceptional English language skills can prove beneficial in many markets where English is the second or third language to ensure accuracy, but you’ll want to be careful you don’t simply become the editor as opposed to the strategist behind the PR.

ST: What advantages does international PR bring to the table for young professionals? Are there any disadvantages?

SB: International PR provides the opportunity to work at the forefront of the globalization wave, which shows no sign of slowing down. Most internationalists agree that the personal and professional growth is explosive–working abroad for one year usually feels like the equivalent of three in experience. However, the downsides can be the incredibly challenging circumstances you face every day. It’s difficult to live in another country and work cross-culturally every day, in a second language or through interpreters; learning new ways of doing things as well as new regulations, currencies and politics can be draining.

ST: When is the right time in one’s career to go global?

SB: The right time is when you spot the opportunity because there are benefits to going at any stage in a PR professional’s career. If you go early on, you probably have fewer restrictions, yet the flexibility to go anywhere, which many companies appreciate and want, so the opportunities are probably the broadest. If you go mid-career, you’ll have significant talents in your toolbox and can probably step up your game in a smaller or emerging market that needs your professional expertise. This could then transfer to greater responsibility faster to be leveraged in another market or your home market after a few years. If you go as a senior person, you have a great deal of practical knowledge and experience to offer a new market, yet you’ll still need to learn about your new home. It all depends on what you’re looking for, your expectations and your flexibility, which are key in seeking, landing and thriving in an international role.

Is now the right time in your career for you to go global? What challenges or roadblocks have you encountered on your journey to gain international PR experience?

Stephanie Takach is a senior at Drexel University, majoring in communication with a minor in marketing. Takach is also president of Drexel’s Public Relations Student Society of America Chapter and an aspiring PR and marketing professional. Feel free to contact Stephanie on Twitter.

Intro to Military PR by Lt. Colonel Ann Peru Knabe, APR+M

Heather Sliwinski 3 Comments

Ann KnabeIt is hard to believe I have been in military public affairs – the military’s version of PR – for almost two decades. I joined the Air Force Reserve in college and along the way was commissioned as an officer. Just like in the 1990s, today’s public affairs field is very exciting.

What exactly do I do? Right now I am assigned as a Reservist to the Pentagon, serving in a public affairs role with the office of the Secretary of the Air Force – Public Affairs. My immediate role is to support the outreach, opinion and engagement division.

My primary job for the last couple of months has been working on media training for high-level defense and federal officials. I develop training scripts, play the role of reporter and help with scheduling (this is all in addition to my full-time teaching job in Wisconsin). My favorite part of this job is playing the role of a reporter live from a remote location in New York. The trainee cannot see me, so it can be quite challenging. We provide feedback, offer other scenarios and give the trainees a video of everything that occurred. The Air Force has a very comprehensive media training program at the Pentagon – it shares the same tech qualities and capabilities of regular TV.

But PA – as we call public affairs – is not limited to media training. For many years, I served as the director of public affairs at an Air Force wing. I was responsible for community relations (tours, special events, and outreach), internal communications (employee newsletters and related communications), media relations and congressional relations. As a part-time employee, I had a lot of fun and gained exceptional experience. We managed a variety of projects, ranging from military balls to Presidential visits.

More recently, I have been involved in the Reserve’s social media strategy and have supported special projects like Tour for the Troops. In the Tour for the Troops, I executed the social media plan for Air Force Reserve as we flew Kid Rock around to various concerts in the war zone. Now THAT was interesting!

It is also important to note that you do not have to wear the uniform or join the military to do public affairs. The different branches of service have hundreds of opportunities to work as a civilian in PA.  Of course, as a civilian, you are less likely to deploy to remote places.

If I had to identify when my role really transformed, it would be 9/11. Ten years ago, my military job changed significantly, as did the “ops tempo” or rate we were supporting the active duty Air Force. Suddenly, we were helping activated Reservists, managing multiple media requests, honoring returning Airmen and Soldiers and executing other wartime activities in addition to our regular work. I was also activated – or deployed – three times in the last five years. I completed two tours in Southwest Asia, where we have a large base flying daily missions into Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa. I served as the Pentagon’s spokesperson for the Guantanamo Bay War Court in my most recent tour. Throughout these experiences, I have made the greatest friends of my life. After sacrificing and facing daily uncertainty with my brothers and sisters in arms, we cannot help but become closer because of the trust needed in a mission. I love this aspect of the military.

I love the Air Force, and cannot say enough positive things about my experience in the Reserve. I have worked in more than 20 different countries, met lifelong friends and mastered tough communication skills. The Reserve has also given me priceless education and extra income. There is room for more public affairs officers and civilians – the military can be a fabulous career.

It is not a piece of cake, though. On those days that seem especially hard or challenging, I always remember this quote: “If it was easy, everyone would do it.”

Ann KnabeLt. Colonel Ann Peru Knabe, APR+M, Air Force Reserve Public Affairs Officer

Knabe is a dynamic change-agent in public relations. She believes innovation and progressive thinking are keys to survival in today’s competitive global PR environment. Her 20+ years in military public affairs and international NATO settings leverage her civilian and educational experiences. Knabe is a “relationship-builder,” referring to her extensive work in media relations, internal communications, social media, community relations, international public affairs and congressional relations.

FREE Webinar: Breaking Into International PR

bcamen 1 Comment

Ever thought about working overseas or wondered what it might be like representing foreign clients at a major agency? Have you considered working at the U.S. headquarters of a foreign-based company or an international non-governmental organization (NGO)?

Geared towards students, new professionals and more experienced pros looking for new horizons, this free webinar will provide expert advice on how to take advantage of the growing opportunities in the global practice of public relations.

The webinar will be led by David Gallagher, senior partner at Ketchum and president of the company’s European operations. Based in London with dual U.S. and U.K. nationality, David is also chairman of the British Public Relations Consultants Association and a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the PR Guild of the City of the London. He sits on management boards for Ketchum companies in the U.K., France, Spain and Italy, and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s global advisory council on news, media and entertainment and sits and its global health advisory board. He is a journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.

Date: Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Time: 1 p.m. Eastern
12 p.m. Central
11 a.m. Mountain
10 a.m. Pacific
Duration: 60 minutes

To register & more info: http://bit.ly/eyPDWQ