For any Australian company looking to build its profile through the British media, it’s absolutely crucial to recognise the differences that exist between the two markets, despite our shared language and cultural similarities.
Here are five differences to keep in mind.
1. Market size and competition
The UK media industry is significantly larger than Australia’s. However, there are also many more companies and individuals vying for media attention in what is the world’s sixth largest economy. It makes the UK a far more saturated and competitive market.
This requires high-quality, truly newsworthy stories and novel insights that tap into the zeitgeist. It’s also essential to understand the media you are pitching to – including their areas of interest and what makes their readership tick – and to use this intelligence to create highly-targeted pitches to help your business cut through in this crowded space.
2. Formal approach
In Australia, media relations tends to be more collaborative. In the UK, unless you already have a strong, long-standing relationship with a journalist, PR professionals tend to take a more formal, pitch-driven approach. This means that the strength and relevance of your story is the decider of whether your news will make the cut.
While this more formal approach can present significant challenges for brands entering the UK, investing in relationship-building is still crucial for long-term success. The scale of the UK market means that it is impossible to cultivate relationships with all relevant media, so prioritise and invest more time in creating ties with the journalists that matter most to your business. Building credibility with targeted sector media is a vital first step and where you will gain editorial interest far sooner.
3. The ‘nationals’: ABC versus BBC
The BBC, the UK’s public service broadcaster, far outstrips its Australian counterpart in terms of breadth, scale and influence. It is hugely influential both in the UK and overseas, and operates across a range of channels including TV, radio and online. This makes it a prime target for any Australian business operating in the UK. It is however vital to recognise the BBC’s editorial guidelines which emphasise maintaining impartiality and avoiding undue prominence when mentioning brands in their content.
Other broadcasters with large online reach include Sky News, ITV News and Channel 4 News. These compete with the digital offerings from national newspapers including The Times, The Financial Times, Daily Mail, The Guardian, and more. The likes of Bloomberg and Reuters have significant London bureaus.
4. Regional media
In the UK, the word “regional” has a different meaning. Whereas in Australia the term is likely to refer to ANZ or APAC, within the UK, PR and media professionals typically consider regional as geographic areas within England, plus the nations of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. More targeted still is local media, which generally means media publications covering the news within a specific city or town.
This rich landscape of media presents many opportunities – for example, to build your employer brand to help attract talent in strategic locations, or to emphasise customer storytelling in priority geographies for customer growth.
Most regional and local publications now fall under the ownership of a handful of large news groups such as Reach plc and Newsquest. Along with news and feature content provided by PA Media (the Press Association), articles can often be syndicated widely across numerous publications.
5. Trade media
The UK trade media landscape is significantly larger and more specialised than Australia’s. Some of these UK-based titles take an industry-wide view, while others cover industry niches, or ‘verticals’, providing highly-informed expert news, features and deep analysis that is specifically targeted to professionals working in a particular field.
This extensive ecosystem of digital and print publications opens up opportunities for businesses to reach niche customer audiences with more complex and nuanced messaging.
Understanding these key differences is essential for any Australian company looking to navigate the larger, more competitive UK media landscape. These insights can help to inform successful PR and communications strategies, ultimately enhancing a business’ visibility and credibility in this important market.
