Many things have happened this year, not only to us but also to our clients. Some have dived headfirst in to the pool (ocean in this case) and have opened offices in different places of Latin America. We also work with some clients from over there that want to tell what they do in Spain … so the bonds have narrowed and almost «forced by our market,» and thanks to the trust they have placed in us, finally, we dare to take the big step.
For now it will be a presence in the distance, an e-presence … focused, above everything, but not exclusively in Argentina and Mexico. As a first step we’ve decided to acquire our own database so it will help us to substantially expand the media contacts we already have in different Spanish-speaking countries and Brazil. In this first stage, culminating before September is over, we will increase our agenda. We now have over 11,000 references about more than 4,000 journalists in the Spanish media, and we’ll virtually duplicate the news coverage of our clients, expanding our lists with 5,900 media from Mexico to Argentina. This represents more than 20,000 new names of colleague journalists. But of course, we won’t remain there. That is just the starting point to continue searching for friends and collaborators among specific media for each sector or the target of each of our clients.
Also, at this time of the internationalization project we are in the search of funding to help us dive with the security of being well supported by technology and good training for increasing awareness and “interculturality”.
In a second stage, and if our current clients, or those who are to come, so require, we will consider opening local offices, either by alliances with communication agencies similar to us in structure and philosophy of work or by opening offices in the most active countries. The idea would be to reproduce the qualities why our clients have trust in us for so many years in the new markets.
For now it’s just a dream, but one of those dreams that is taking shape in a huge speed. We will not enter as «elephant in a china shop», first because our resources are very limited and we have to grow with our clients. Second, but not least, because we want to do it with all the respect for the great professionals who are working there. We’d like to have regard to the information needs, deference to the culture of each country, attention to time and language differences. Details like delete from press releases verbs like «coger» and use «agarrar», and a lot of formulas that we will learn and implement so our arrival in Latin America will not be an entry, but a fusion.
Slowly, but the first steps have been taken!
If you consider that your company has, or may have in the future, interest in Latin America, be sure to communicate us, and we will make a proposal that fits the situation!