Even when you’re a household brand name like Trex, things can get lost in
translation. Ove
r the past decade, the leading manufacturer of wood-alternative
decking and railing has focused on expanding its global footprint. Today, Trex
products are available in more than 40 countries. As the PR agency of record
for Trex, the LCWA home PR team has been at the forefront of introducing and driving preference
for the brand in these new markets through public relations, specifically by maximizing
earned media coverage across priority markets including Australia, France,
Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Successfully executing PR on an international level takes
strategy, advanced planning and a little local insight. Through our
involvement in the Public Relations Global Network, we have had the pleasure
to partner with some of the finest independent firms in the world, who act as
extensions of our LCWA account team. In essence, we are the central hub for
Trex global public relations, providing strategic direction, developing core
content, and ensuring brand consistency,
while our agency partners serve as in-market experts, offering local insight
and customization to ensure our approaches and materials reach and resonate
with their intended audiences.
While we aim to promote and deliver
one brand everywhere, we have learned that one size does not fit all when it
comes to international PR. Here are a few tips and tricks for achieving PR
success on a global scale:
1. Be Aware of Brand
Awareness.
In
the U.S., Trex has been virtually synonymous with composite decking since the
company first invented and introduced the concept back in 1996. While the brand
has earned enviable brand awareness domestically, international awareness is a
much different story. In fact, the whole idea of wood-plastic composites (WPC)
is relatively new to international audiences – thus impacting the direction,
tone and focus of our global outreach.
2. Know the
Market.
We learned quickly that expanding internationally would require
much more than just expanding our media distribution lists. Each of Trex’s
priority markets came with its own unique set of characteristics and
challenges. Beyond the anticipated cultural and lingual differences, each
market had distinctive distribution channels and product offerings, as well as differing
levels of understanding of and receptiveness to WPC products. For example,
German consumers are avid DIYers but need proof of product quality and performance,
while French consumers value eco-friendly products and prefer to enlist
professional contractors to build their decks. These insights influence the
focus of our messaging when developing programming and materials for each
market.
3. Master the
Language.
While in most of the
markets we target for Trex, English is widely understood and used, differences
in diction and nuances in enunciation play a key role in communicating and
establishing Trex as culturally authentic. Our agency partners lend their local
expertise by customizing materials to reflect local trends, expressions and
colloquialisms. For instance, where we often compare Trex decking to wood in
the U.S., our partners in the UK and Australia refer to “timber” instead. Additionally,
a “garden” in the UK can refer to a deck or patio, not just a bed of flowers or
vegetables. In Germany, “decking” translates to “outdoor flooring.” But our
favorite phraseology by far is the reference to “secret fixings” in the UK when
referring to the Trex Hideaway hidden fastening system. It sounds like
something straight out of a Sherlock Holmes novel.
4. Appear
Authentic.
It’s not enough to use the right words – the right images are
important as well. We learned early on in our international expansion process
that pictures of elaborate, multi-tiered Trex decks with vast ocean views did
not necessarily resonate with consumers in France, Germany and the UK where
backyards are much more modest in size. Landscape, too, has to be considered.
For instance, we can’t provide our Australian PR team with outdoor living
images that have evergreens or maple trees in the background. This attention to
detail allows our international teams to provide media with suitable images,
increasing opportunities for coverage. In some cases, we have worked with our
agency partners to source local photographers and coordinate market-specific
photo shoots to capture imagery that is truly authentic and relatable.
A strong sense of
brand combined with attention to cultural distinctions have been the driving
forces behind our international expansion efforts for Trex. Through seamless
collaboration with our agency partners, we have been able to successfully drive
awareness and preference for Trex in all of its key markets. Vive le Trex!
