3 Ways PR and Marketing Can Help Companies Expand Globally

Earlier this year, the market research and consultancy research2guidance, which specializes in mobile business, put out a report on the state of mHealth in Europe (requires sign up). Their findings concluded that Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom have the best conditions for mHealth companies to be successful in the EU.

They took into consideration business factors, such as eHealth adoption, level digitization, market potential, ease of starting a business and regulations, along with an assessment of local app publishers. After the calculations, they concluded: “Any mHealth company should consider those top ranked countries as good starting points for their EU mHealth business.”

While it is crucial to have the market mapped out, it is a smart play to consider the marketing team’s input before making the expansion leap. Here a here a few pointers that, from the communications perspective, can positively influence and accelerate the growth process:

Know your audienceDemographic information, such as age, gender, ethnicity, employment status, average income, education level etc. is important for a capable outreach. The psychographic information, however, is what will help tailor the message and tone specifically to make the messaging even more efficient. Data about values, opinions, attitudes, interests and lifestyles make the brand even more relatable to clients.

Avoid language barriersCommunication is a tough process; a lot can be lost in translation. To avoid butchering a carefully constructed message, it is always best to opt for a native speaker with translation experience. That will certainly raise costs and take more time. So why not consider that before expanding and choose a country that shares your primary language?

Consider cultural differencesEven though the United Kingdom, Cameroon, the Philippines, Australia and Jamaica all have English as their national language, they have very distinct cultural traits. Leveraging the differences is common sense, but it can certainly play in favor of the new entrant.

The research2guidance study goes on to state that “50 percent of the mHealth practitioners say that a good country ranking [for mHealth expansion] depends on how open doctors are for applying and integrating mHealth solutions into their patient treatments and communication.”

That also applies to marketing initiatives. Knowing the audience before communicating is the market equivalent of knowing the market before opening shop. In either case it is vital to build a winning strategy.

If you’re in healthcare, insurance, technology or other professional services industries, and need help with a PR, marketing or social media campaign, contact Scott Public Relations.

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