Leading B2B PR agency shares their top tips for building a strong UK presence
Going international lies at the heart of every business’s dream, transforming your brand into a world-wide name. And what better place to start than Britain? The home of global finance, world-class innovation, and a media landscape that punches above its weight.
But breaking into the UK market isn’t as simple as booking a flight and adopting a tea habit. It requires a genuine understanding of the culture you’re entering. Expansion into a new country means your business must resonate with a new audience and connect with local values, media, and decision-makers.
That’s where a B2B PR agency becomes invaluable. With over two decades of industry experience, our experts at Holyrood PR have guided many businesses through the complex process of launching, and thriving, in the UK market.
We know the challenges, the cultural nuances, and the media landscape inside out. That’s why we’re sharing our top tips for a successful UK launch so your business can make an impact from day one.
1. Understand the culture
When you have a product or service that people love, and loyal customers from back home to support it, it’s easy to assume a new market will respond in the same way.
But what is the first rule of entering a new market? Don’t assume it works like home. The UK may be a small island, but it has a complex identity shaped by deep-rooted traditions, layered communication styles and a highly discerning business audience.
With its famously dry sense of humour, strong regional differences and countless unspoken social rules, the UK is a country where behaviour matters. Understanding and reflecting these behaviours, from how you present your brand to how you engage with media and stakeholders, is essential.
This is exactly where a B2B PR agency proves its value, helping you formulate a narrative that connects with a British audience. Each country has its own unique cultural norms; a skilled agency understands how to take your service and create stories which reflect on these cultural nuances.
With the help of strategic PR, you can avoid cultural missteps and align your messaging with UK expectations and build trust in a market that places high value on credibility and consistency.
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2. Establish yourself as a voice for Change
Britain is a country shrouded in tradition and established ways of doing business. But that doesn’t mean you can’t shake things up.
Whilst it is the home of traditionalism, it is also an exciting hub of new ideas, and nothing earns immediate respect like establishing yourself as a leading voice for change in your sector.
Establishing your credibility in a new market starts with showing that you understand it. One of the fastest ways to do that is through thought leadership, sharing your views on sector issues and providing insight into emerging trends, challenges or opportunities.
UK audiences, particularly in B2B sectors, place real value on expertise, insight and informed opinion over promotional messaging. By commenting on industry developments, joining timely conversations or publishing content led by your experts, your business is seen as one that contributes value — not just seeks attention.
These insights can be particularly valuable as you offer a new perspective to the British market and can reflect upon the cultural differences between your industry in your home country and in Britain and highlight the ways in which both are succeeding and how both can learn from one-another.
3. Get involved in the community
When launching into a new country, it can be difficult to gain the trust of a new audience. You are new to the scene, and it may be hard for some to resonate with your business or see the expansion as anything more than a profit move. As a result, they may be inclined to stick with existing British options instead.
This is why it’s crucial to build trust in the communities you’re launching into and win the loyalty of your target audience. Trust doesn’t come from visibility alone. In the UK, building meaningful relationships with local networks, industry bodies and community initiatives can be just as important as a flashy launch.
By engaging with the local community — whether that’s donating to local causes, creating new jobs in the area or participating in business events — you highlight the positive contributions your business is making. This kind of involvement helps to establish credibility and earn trust.
A B2B PR agency can help you identify the right partnerships, get your team in front of influential local players and ensure your efforts are seen by the people who matter. From arranging expert speaking opportunities to securing media coverage for your community involvement, good PR ensures you show up in all the right places.
4. Think local to go national
When creating your launch strategy, it can be tempting to go after the big-name national outlets in the hopes of reaching a UK-wide audience in quickly. However, national media coverage doesn’t always lead to tangible business results.
As discussed, an effective launch into the UK requires the trust of your audience, built through cultural understanding, community engagement and consistent, locally relevant messaging. This cannot always be achieved through coverage in major business headlines.
Media coverage in local press is key for helping to build this trust and in fact, may lead to more tangible business results than targeting national media. Studies have highlighted that people often trust local news outlets more than national ones, feeling that they are more trustworthy and report more fairly on local communities.
That’s why it’s critical not to underestimate the value of building strong relationships at the local and regional level through well-targeted, community-focused campaigns.
Having crafted award-winning campaigns for over 20 years, we’ve found strategic local PR to have an impressive impact on a national scale.
Take the work we did with Indigo Sun for example. When the brand embarked on their ambitious UK expansion plan, we focused not on broad national coverage, but on carefully tailored stories for regional press. By highlighting job creation, community investment and local success stories, we secured widespread regional coverage that not only boosted customers but also elevated the brand’s national profile through building sustained relationships in smaller communities.
These 1% wins built consistently over time, combine to create national recognition and a lasting reputation.
Conclusion
Breaking into the UK market takes more than just ambition. It requires cultural awareness, strategic storytelling and a genuine commitment to connecting with the people and places that shape your new audience.
From understanding regional values to building local credibility and positioning your business as a voice for change, each step in your launch matters. These actions may seem small, but together they create the momentum needed to move from market entry to long-term success.
A B2B PR agency can help guide that journey — not just by getting your name out there, but by making sure it lands in the right way, with the right people.
Get it right, and the UK won’t just be your next market. It will be one of your strongest.
