PR in the US vs. Europe
I entered the US PR Market in 2022:
Here are 5 Ways the Media Market is Different from the United Kingdom and Ireland.
By Chloe Donnellan
Moving to the US always seemed inevitable to me - everything on a much greater scale than at home. Ireland doesn’t boast the same opportunities that you can find here, and I knew once I graduated that this was the place for me. And where better than New York City to get the full experience, both personally and professionally? In some ways, America has been quite similar to Ireland but that’s not to say there haven’t been more than a few culture shocks, including the professional workplace. When comparing the media market, specifically within public relations, while the fundamentals remain the same, I have encountered some differences here in the US.
Topic Interest: Public relations and media initiatives in my home country and the UK take a worldwide perspective and are primarily industry-focused. However, UK and Irish media might be surprised to learn that US public relations is strongly US-based instead. Additionally, US public relations offers a different perspective that is less common in Europe: concentrating solely on one company's news - which is great! It indicates that a large number of business journals are eager to publish an individual CEO's perspectives on leadership, market positioning, and industry developments. Popular topics over here include corporate growth and specialized business strategies. The same is true for coverage of standalone products. US media outlets are receptive to an entire story on the characteristics and benefits of a single product or service (assuming the story is captivating, of course), whereas UK and Ireland-based publications typically focus on product roundups.
Relationship vs Reputation Management: The shared goal is to win over potential customers (both consumers and business-to-business) and to try to safeguard the company’s public image. They do, however, have some differences. The relationship-building aspect of public relations is heavily emphasized by American public relations firms, whereas reputation management is heavily emphasized by Irish PR firms.
Competition for Media Coverage: Given that the US population is about five times larger than the UK population, not even including the Irish population, this should not be too surprising. Due to this disparity in population, there are many more media sources in the US. So, those in US PR are managing an extensive number of publications, websites, podcasts, and influencer channels. Although there are many more opportunities for media coverage, this translates into more competition within the US.
Mediums Used: Press releases at home are common, referring typically to media listings. However, in comparing both markets, there is a key distinction between both. For example, take public officials in the United States and those in Europe: while American officials tweet and use Facebook like no other, those in Europe continue to place a strong emphasis on conventional media methods. The US tends to be very social media-focused, especially when it comes to politics. European public officials do use Facebook and Twitter but to a much lesser extent – are not constantly tweeting and posting. Writing press releases/statements and sending them to newspapers and radio stations, as well as relying on local news is considered the norm in Ireland. And although it can be argued that print media has lost its standing, whenever I return home, newspapers are still tucked under people’s arms.
More Expensive: In reality, hiring a full-time PR agency in the US requires a substantially larger budget than it does in Ireland and the UK. One key reason for higher costs is that PR specialists cover greater ground (both in terms of work responsibility and the media landscape). If you’re a start-up looking for brand exposure, cost is a real consideration, especially when ROI is so important. So even though the reach and opportunities may not scale to US measures, a smaller UK and Irish market may be of benefit to companies starting out who may not be able to afford to break the US market from the get-go. Yes, there are some big differences between the US and the British/Irish media market and public relations, and there are some basic universal truths. If you are aware of the important nuances that need to be observed, navigating the media and public relations industry Stateside is not all that different from what you are used to doing in your home market.
Born and raised in Galway, Ireland, Chloe Donnellan spent a year at Rosen Group during an international internship program handling social media for a number of clients. Her favorite media outlet in Ireland is TodayFM; in the US it is The New Yorker.
By Chloe Donnellan
