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PR Blogs

Navigating different languages in EMEA

14 October, 2020 By Robin Campbell-Burt

This blog post is part of a series leading up to our webinar: “Five fundamentals of a cyber security PR program in EMEA”. To attend, sign up today.

Native English speakers can easily assume that everyone speaks their language, as almost every country in the world prioritises it as a second language for their citizens to learn.

However, different countries in EMEA have societies with differing levels of language proficiency – especially in a business context. This is a critical issue, depending on the markets in EMEA that you choose to target.

Northern Europeans often speak English better than native speakers, while Mediterranean countries tend to have a much looser grasp. African and Arabic countries will have a reasonable level of English – but this is usually dependent on their historical ties to the UK and the number of ‘expats’ based in the country.

There are four top things to consider when it comes to navigating foreign languages:

English or local language?

For press liaison all written interaction for pitching stories, news releases etc should be in the local language. Supporting materials such as white papers, infographics etc should also be in the local language where possible.

This goes for marketing material as well. Nothing says ‘afterthought’ like trying to communicate with someone in their second language.

The best advice in this area is to appoint a local marketing and public relations agency in that country and listen to their advice. Don’t just view them as a hub for distributing what you have produced centrally.

If they advise that certain content needs to be translated it will be for a good reason – so pay heed!

The best use of translation companies

Your marketing and public relations agency will not be able to translate everything that you send them. While they can handle some everyday items, more in-depth white papers and other supporting material will likely need a professional translator.

The complex and industry-specific language of cyber security means that you need a translator with that specific experience. Your in-country agency should give you the details of some translation companies that they trust for you to consider.

Alternatively, you may want to get in touch with the local translation industry trade body for that country. They tend to have members detailing the correct expertise and with whom you can get in touch. Sorting a good translation provider can take some time so it is important to line one up well in advance.

Approving foreign language content

Approving content is usually straightforward when in English. However, your senior decision makers will not likely have the proficiency for other languages.

Content approvers need to review two things. Firstly, whether the content is technically accurate and communicates your message. Secondly, it needs to be constructed in a coherent way with good grammar.

The best approach is to ask a local internal operative to review for technical proficiency and whether it is communicating the subject that you would like it to. For structure and grammar my advice is to trust your marketing and public relations agency as this (should!) be their area of expertise.

Either way, you will probably need to revise your approval processes to a certain degree for EMEA.

Native spokespeople

Finally, journalists in many countries will only conduct interviews in their own native language. For webinars, podcasts or other verbal content, a native speaker should also be preferred. If you lack a native spokesperson, you can try and get around this by only submitting written commentary to the press and keeping your marketing generally focused on written content.

If you are taking your outreach seriously, you really need someone local with first language experience.

The best approach is to make sure that experience in speaking to the media and supporting the development of verbal marketing content is a component of the job description for the VP sales or other operatives that your organisation is appointing to the country. That way there is no need to hire extra people with this skill set further down the line.

Sign up to our webinar on launching EMEA PR campaigns to find out more about language considerations as well as other issues you need to think about when looking to promote yourself in the region.

How to budget wisely for an effective EMEA PR campaign

7 October, 2020 By Robin Campbell-Burt

This blog post is part of a series leading up to our webinar: “Five fundamentals of a cyber security PR program in EMEA”. To attend, sign up today.

‘EMEA’ is a big place. There are 44 countries in Europe, 54 in Africa and 16 in the Middle East (depending on how you count them). So, when you are asked to construct a PR campaign in EMEA you’ll need to get a lot more specific about what this exactly means.

This is especially important when it comes to budget. One of the most common issues I have when I consult with US cyber security businesses is a desire to cover more countries than their budget can realistically achieve.

Typically, the company board will list a number of countries in the EMEA region where they wish to increase sales. Then the head of marketing will be given a singular budget and told to devise a campaign that includes those target countries.

The first difficulty to overcome is mindset. People think EMEA PR will be one single campaign. In reality every country has its own media and often its own language – EMEA is not singular but very fragmented. Your budget will need to be split between each target country, and this reduces the economies of scale.

Secondly, the cost of doing public relations varies significantly between each country. The UK, Germany or France are larger countries with a greater diversity of media publications. It therefore follows that a greater spend will be needed in these countries over ones that have a much thinner media landscape to target. Furthermore, salaries of PR specialists vary considerably in different parts of EMEA. This also has a big impact on the budget that you need to allocate and must be carefully considered.

Often, the temptation will be to stick with the assigned target list of countries and only allow for a slim budget in each geography. Unfortunately, this is a worse than useless approach. Below a certain threshold, the PR agency that you have appointed simply will not have enough budget to make inroads to build relationships, develop stories, and secure the type of coverage you want to see. You will then face serious questions on the ROI from your internal stakeholders.

So, what can you do with a limited budget to achieve maximum results?

1) Be prepared to push back

Set out what is realistic to the board from the start. Marketing and public relations cannot be everywhere at once, it needs to be targeted. If they still insist, be bold. Do your research and speak to potential partner agencies to figure out what it will really cost. Push back and put forward the best way to get the best results.

2) Flexing between retainers and projects

Long-term success depends on building relationships with journalists and this takes time. So, PR agencies will say that they need the same retainer month in, month out. However, you can still flex. Look at having a base line retainer in target countries but then have the flexibility to put some booster project funding in at specific times of the year. This could be around an upcoming event, a significant white paper that you are publishing etc. This will help maximise coverage levels and give extra resource for when it matters.

3) Focusing on target publications, rather than target countries

You could also consider bringing together a top target list of 20 or so publications. These would be the most significant media channels that align with your business goals, hit your target audience etc. You can then allocate budget to focus on reaching these publications in a more direct way. This can sometimes help in keeping the budget focused and reducing the number of PR agencies that you need to appoint. However, this tends to be more useful to help you manage expectations internally about what you can achieve. Ultimately, you can’t escape the fact that with a limited budget, media coverage will have a limited role in the success of the wider business objectives.

Sign up to our webinar on launching EMEA PR campaigns to explore the issue of budgets as well as the other top headaches and considerations that you will need to address to guarantee success.

DEFENSE IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD

10 September, 2020 By Louay Al-Samarrai

In early July, the United Arab Emirates – a country known for innovating and adopting new and cutting-edge approaches and ideas – announced that it had created the role of Head of Cyber Security, appointing Mohammed Al Kuwaiti.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE stated that he wanted a government that is more agile, meets the new priorities and reflects the changing world. The creation of this role is a very key part of that.

If you think about it, we have seen cyber threats grow, from phishing and email scams to DDoS attacks on corporations and countries alike, with motives such as election interference and foreign agents actively looking to promote agendas and politics in targeted countries.

To that end it is only logical that countries start to see that having a government department and a cabinet level minister representing cyber security is as key as having a minister of defense or national security. The dangers today are virtual and physical, and these virtual attacks are happening almost hourly.

Cyber crime is on the rise

Let’s do some numbers. The FBI as of April 2020 stated that cyber crime had increased to 4,000 attacks per day, a rise of 400 percent, while Interpol is seeing an alarming rate of cyberattacks. Microsoft reports that COVID-19 themed attacks, ranging from phishing to social engineering, are up to 20,000-30,000 per day in the US alone!

MonsterCloud reports that ransomware attacks are up 800 percent. A Fortinet Threat Mapping and Symantec Threat Report states that the top three countries making attacks are China (21 percent), the US (11 percent) and Russia (six percent). Those countries facing attacks are the US (38 percent) and India (17 percent) – if anything this means that the scope for these to rise and intensify are huge.

The Middle East is also seeing its rate of attacks rise hugely and, as the region becomes more prominent for good and bad, it is seen as vulnerable and lucrative for criminals and foreign agents alike.

Countries like Australia and Belgium are listed as being extremely vulnerable to cyber attack and the list is quite a surprising mix of developed and developing countries.

So, what does this all mean and why is this relevant to creating a role like the one that the United Arab Emirates has created?

A new role for new threats

UAE Head of Cyber Security, Mohammed Al Kuwaiti

The world has moved on and while we will always have conflicts and physical crime, nation-states and criminals are turning to the virtual methods to achieve their goals as they are often more effective and can have far better results. If we look at the recent Twitter BitCoin hack as well as the US election and the UK Brexit outcomes, we can see that national agendas can be easily achieved from afar and without a bullet being fired. So, defense takes on a new meaning and while weapons, armies and police forces all have their place, the virtual defense of a nation and its assets is becoming equally important.

Nations have cyber crime and cyber terrorist departments within their police, intelligence and security forces and some may even have them within their armed forces. However, this conveys a message that while cyber is important it is just a part of a wider net of protection around a country.

Having a dedicated ministry with a minister reporting directly to the country’s leadership says a great deal about the level of importance, investment and focus a country places on cyber security. Having such a focus can ensure that they are safer than most and focused on staying in front of in the ever-evolving cyber security environment. It is surprising that – to date – other countries have not created a similar ministry.

Having a ministry solely focused on cyber security sends a message that the country takes its national defense in this extremely sensitive area very seriously. It also shows the world that the nation is investing time, money and resources into cyber defenses and will not be an easy target.

Shaping the future of national defense

This represents a huge opportunity for our clients to become involved at the national level on an ongoing basis. Rather than purely selling and supporting their solutions, our clients can help shape policy and influence the future leadership of a nation in this area.

Given that we in the Code Red Network are focused on the reputation management of our cyber security clients it is truly wonderful to see a country that understands the importance of this area and the vision to anticipate the growing importance of cyber security as a national interest.

In my view we will see more countries adopting this route to reflect an ever evolving and changing world.

84% of senior IT decision-makers are more likely to work with organisations that publish thought leadership over those that don’t

12 March, 2020 By Dianne Canham

New UK survey reveals thought leadership helps cyber security vendors influence and build relationships with CISOs 

More than eight out of 10 (84 percent) IT security decision makers are more likely to work with an organisation that publishes thought leadership content over those that don’t, according to new research. More than 200 senior security decision-makers were surveyed on how thought leadership influences their behaviour by Code Red, an international cyber security specialist PR network. The findings reveal that good thought leadership impacts CISO’s decisions and can put them ahead of their competitors.

The research shows security decision-makers spend more than three hours every week consuming thought leadership content. The amount of time spent consuming thought leadership impacts attitudes towards the organisation that publishes it, with three in five senior security decision-makers stating that it increases respect, trust and perception of an organisation’s capabilities. 74 percent say they are willing to pay a premium price to a cyber security vendor who is a thought leader in their market.

The findings revealed that thought leadership has an impact on the jobs of those who consume it. On average, almost 40 percent of respondents said they believe thought leadership content helps them do their job better with 61 percent claiming it has helped influence a different way of working. The format has a huge influence on its success as Code Red discovered 47 percent prefer factual content through a case study format, followed by the accessibility of podcasts (40 percent), and news articles and webinars (both 39 percent).

Commenting on the findings, Code Red managing director, Dianne Canham said: “This research highlights exactly why cyber security vendors need to invest in creating compelling thought leadership content. A common misconception is that thought leadership only drives initial brand awareness. The findings highlight the role played by different types of thought leadership content throughout the sales buying process from awareness to purchase and beyond. Every marketer working for a cyber security vendor can use this data to justify allocating extra budget to building a thought leadership position for their business.

“To create content that will reach and influence CISOs and other key audiences, organisations must balance fresh, relevant insights and advice with a format that is convenient and accessible. Thought leadership is one of the most powerful tools in a marketer’s arsenal – if you can strike the right balance.”

You can view the full results of the survey here, in our free e-book.

eBooks

2 December, 2019 By benelux

In our eBooks, Code Red agencies provide advice covering the entire launch process in their region, including planning the initial go-to-market, creating a channel network, and establishing a PR strategy.

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About us

18 August, 2019 By benelux

The Code Red IT Security PR Network offers cyber security vendors looking to build a profile in a competitive market place the opportunity to work with security PR specialists globally. Each agency has been hand-picked for its in-depth experience in the IT security market place. The aim is to simplify the task of marketing and corporate communications executives at security vendors in finding and managing specialist agencies to develop and execute multi-country PR campaigns, which can be coordinated either centrally or on a country-by-country basis.

Code Red was founded by UK IT security specialist agency éclat Marketing to fill the gap between large multi-national agency conglomerates and small independent boutique agencies.

Code Red founder Dianne Canham comments: “The security market is currently attracting massive investments on an unprecedented scale and spawning a new wave of innovative start-ups and IPOs. Businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of investing in the appropriate defences against data breaches and malware and are looking for technology to help mitigate the shortage of security skills and tackle new threat vectors posed by mobile devices, the cloud and now the Internet of Things.”

“Currently CMOs at security vendors are forced to choose between global reach and security specialisation in selecting their PR partners. Now there is a viable alternative that allows them to work with a global network of experienced security PR professionals, or – as the profession is so fond of saying – ‘You’re only as strong as the weakest link’.”

Who
Code Red Security PR Network.

What
Global PR-communication services to help security companies expand into new markets and benefit from the local specialist knowledge.

Where
Global presence with partners on every continent.

When
Launched July 2015.

IT Security Blogs

11 August, 2019 By benelux

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it-sa 2018: The Home of IT-Security – DACH Exhibition Highlight

5 December, 2018 By Helmut Weissenbach

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Why it-sa 2018, the world’s largest IT Security Trade Fair, is a “must-attend” for Security Vendors that want to be successful in the DACH Market.

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By: Dorothea Keck, Account Director, Weissenbach PR

In 1999, when the topic of IT security was far from being as important as it is today and the number of security providers was still manageable, when no one was talking about cloud, the IoT or ransomware attacks, the it-sa then started as a small specialized IT security conference and exhibition integrated as part in the IT and Telco trade fair SYSTEMS in Munich. As we all know, these times are long gone and so, paralleled with the dynamic development of the IT security industry, the it-sa has undergone an enormous transformation process within the last 20 years. In 2018, at its tenth anniversary at the present location Nuremberg in Northern Bavaria, the trade fair has set some new amazing records: With 696 exhibitors from 27 countries and the attendance of nearly 15,000 visitors from more than 50 countries, the it-sa 2018 is the largest IT security trade fair of the world. Compared with the world´s most relevant IT Sec exhibitions, the it-sa even beat RSA San Francisco and Infosecurity London with “only” 600 respectively 400 exhibitors this year.

it-sa 2018 1Meet real cybersecurity decision-makers at just one event
For us as a cybersecurity specialized PR agency, the it-sa has long been the most important trade fair and congress of the year, and so it is for all our clients. But the reason why it-sa is a must-attend for all security vendors that want to win the DACH market, is of course not just the pure size of the trade fair but its quality. The most important reason to spend money and engage as a sponsor, speaker or exhibitor at it-sa is certainly the quality of the visitors, and thus the opportunity to generate real and promising leads. Our own observations, but above all the feedback from our clients, has shown that it-sa has become a platform for IT decision-makers, CIOs and employees with managerial responsibility. This fact is also confirmed by the it-sa statistics. 84% of the visitors in 2018 are involved in purchasing decisions in their company and therefore these are interesting prospects for our clients. As a matter of fact, the it-sa again differs from many other large security exhibitions in Europe and around the world, where often one can find hordes of the visitors who mainly zero in on giveaways.

it-sa 2018 2

Meet the leading journalists from all over Europe within only 4 days
Besides generating leads by presenting your products and solutions at the booth, in presentations and panel discussions, the it-sa also provides a platform for extensive media and analyst relations. As a meeting place for leading journalists, blogger, influencer and analysts from all over DACH and even Europe, the it-sa offers opportunities for in-depth media briefings, interviews, analyst meetings, media webcasts, podcasts etc. like no other event or congress does. This is a chance vendors must not miss.

This year, our agency team was able to arrange and manage an average of 14 interviews and analyst meetings for each of our clients who attended. Besides exciting meetings at the booths and the opportunity to initiate long-lasting and valuable relationships with the journalists, these interviews resulted in excellent coverage including the publication of webcast videos which significantly increases visibility in the media.

it-sa 2018 3
Good preparation = great PR success
Good preparation is the key for our clients’ success in every respect and especially regarding PR. We therefore develop individual it-sa plans for each client months before the event and start our activities at an early stage. This includes producing a number of press releases to announce our client’s attendance, the application for speaker slots, drafting award submissions for the it-security awards, identifying media sponsor opportunities, organizing press conferences at the exhibition, reaching out to journalists and analysts to arrange meetings and briefings and posting on social media during the event.

The weeks before it-sa and above all the four days at Nuremberg itself are a stressful time for both our agency team and the spokes people of our clients – but meeting interesting people, having the opportunity to attend outstanding key notes and especially the great PR success achieved following it-sa is definitely worth the effort. So we are looking forward to a successful it-sa 2019.

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