Five Ways PR Can Help US Tech Firms Thrive in the UK

By Rachael Birt, Account Manager at Touchdown PR

The US is the biggest tech market in the world. But it’s not the only tech market. In 2022, the UK became the third country in the world to have a tech sector valued at $1 trillion, after the US and China. That means there’s huge potential in this region for US businesses to expand their presence and gain a whole new customer base.?

Companies with an established PR strategy in the US might think it’s a simple case of ‘copy and paste’. But when it comes to communications, businesses must understand that the UK is not just a smaller version of the States. The same techniques and tactics won’t have the same effect, and for every step forward you may find yourself taking two steps backwards.?

Delivered correctly, a PR strategy can take your business to the next level in the UK and beyond. US tech companies are most likely to succeed by working with a PR agency that knows this market like the back of their hand; here’s five ways we can support you.?

Embark on a brand awareness journey?

In most cases, a US business that has never ventured into the UK before will have little to no brand recognition. However, that means the only way is up! Implementing the right PR strategy will ensure that your message is introduced to the UK in a way that resonates with not only the media but also, crucially, prospective customers.?

To increase brand awareness in any new region requires a team with an understanding of the local media landscape, and in-depth knowledge of what stories will have the right impact and how to tell them. For example, US media are much more likely to cover corporate updates and product news, whereas the UK media will want to know the human element to the news - in other words, what does the news actually mean for your customers??

Provide tailored consistency?

As the US and UK are two quite different markets, the communication tactics that will help you succeed need to differ as well. Of course, your business wants to have consistent messaging all over the world - you know what you do, and you want your customers and prospects to know it too. But a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work.?

The key is to recognise that the same messaging can be tailored to get the best results in local markets. A PR team in the UK will know how to pull out the elements of your news story or thought leadership topic in a way that catches the media’s attention.

This tailored consistency is most successful when working with a PR agency that has teams in both the US and UK (rather than two separate agencies). This delivers a seamless PR strategy across both regions, meaning you benefit from local knowledge and contacts amongst teams that operate as one.?

Develop the right relationships?

PR is all about people, both inside your business and outside of it.?

First and foremost, you must utilise the right spokespeople. Typically, UK journalists will always prefer to speak to a UK expert. The problem is that often the senior executives and most experienced spokespeople are based in the US where the business is headquartered. In addition to pitching these spokespeople in a way that overcomes the challenges of their location, a local PR team will also be able to help train any UK-based staff to speak with the media, either in-house or by recruiting the services of a specialist media trainer.?

Then it’s time to build relationships between your business and the local media. A UK-based PR team will always have stronger relationships with local journalists, analysts, and influencers than a US-based team or a company’s internal staff. It’s our bread and butter. Taking advantage of these relationships will result in not only high quality coverage in the right publications, but also conversations with the journalists, analysts, and influencers who can help drive your business to new heights - just like we did for our client Datadobi.?

Build trust and credibility?

“Rome wasn’t built in a day.” We all know the saying, and it’s worth bearing it in mind when embarking on a PR journey in a new region. A relatively unknown US business must build trust amongst a new audience in the UK. Marketing and advertising will always have their place, but PR ensures that your prospective customers don’t feel like they’re just an income - PR will show them that your business understands their challenges like no one else does.?

James Clear, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits, takes this well-known phrase and adds an important caveat: “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour.” While you cannot build trust overnight, the right PR team will work with you to take constant steps - big or small - towards increasing your credibility in the UK market. From securing discussions with and coverage in reputable publications, to getting spokespeople in front of the right audience at well-known industry events, a local PR team will strengthen your presence from the ground up, day by day, brick by brick. Check out how we did just that for one of our clients here.?

Find your touchdown point?

Ultimately, any US tech business looking to make waves in the UK needs a PR agency that will be an extension of its own internal team. That’s what we can do for you. Touchdown was founded on the principle of being a UK-based touchdown point for US businesses looking for support in Europe, and we have exceeded all expectations in doing so. We execute all of the above techniques and many more to not only help your business thrive in the UK, but we can also expand this into EMEA and APAC too, as far as your company vision can go.?

To find out how we can help your US business thrive in the UK and beyond, get in touch today at [email protected].??