Too Many Markets, Too Little Time: How to Build a European PR Programme That Delivers

It’s that time of year again – the point where PR leaders are deep in planning mode, reviewing what worked this year, navigating budget discussions, and trying to get everything agreed before colleagues start logging off for the holidays.  

If you’re responsible for managing PR across multiple European markets, you’ll know the drill all too well and the challenges it brings. Keeping programmes consistent. Demonstrating value. Making budgets stretch further – often at short notice – all while every line of spend is being scrutinised. It’s something that comes up frequently in my conversations with internal teams at this time of year.  

Add to that the impact of AI on communications, plus ongoing economic and geopolitical turbulence, and it’s fair to say the uncertainty feels even sharper this year. With the pace of change accelerating, staying ahead has never been more demanding. 

Throwing more money at the problem isn’t an option for most teams and it wouldn’t solve it anyway. After all, the most effective comms programmes aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets. They’re the ones built with focus, flexibility and a single team working to a shared plan. 

Here’s some of the advice I’ve been offering clients as they prepare for 2026.

Be clear about what success means

Before any plan takes shape, I always ask clients the same question: what does success genuinely look like for your business? 

In B2B technology, that might mean building credibility with analysts or industry influencers, shaping reputation around innovation or supporting growth in new markets.  

Whatever the goal, make it specific and measurable, and ensure that everyone on your team – internal and external – understands and gets behind it. 

When objectives are aligned, effort is focused and the priorities stand out more clearly. This helps ensure that you avoid duplicating work, confusing the market (or your team) with mixed messaging or wasting time and resources – three things no one can afford right now.  

Plan for change and expect nothing less   

If there’s one universal truth in PR, it’s that plans will change. Priorities shift, product launches get delayed, and new issues emerge without warning out of nowhere. 

The real problem isn’t the change itself, it’s how long it takes agencies to respond.  

In traditional setups, even small adjustments can trigger rounds of approvals and bun fights over budget between markets. What should be a quick decision often turns into a slow, painful process. 

This shouldn’t still be the case in 2025, or 2026 for that matter.  

Agencies should make change easier, not harder, but all too often they don’t as their siloed structures create obstacles for clients and cannot easily adjust to change. 

That’s why we built Tyto to offer a more seamless and flexible model across Europe –  so clients can move budget between countries and channels whenever they need to, without the friction or internal politics that usually come with it.  

That flexibility matters even more when expectations are growing faster than budgets. 

Use data to stay focused

Data has become a bigger part of every planning conversation I’ve had this year 

While instinct and experience are invaluable, data gives you the clarity to plan and measure effectively. Use it to identify where the biggest opportunities lie, which audiences matter most, and how your stories perform once they’re out in the world. 

Whether it’s identifying which audiences matter most, understanding where you have the strongest reputation, or evaluating how your stories land in each market, good data keeps teams aligned and confident. 

Our Tyto Tech 500 report, for example, helps leaders pinpoint who actually shapes opinion in Europe’s tech landscape – not just who’s loudest. It’s become a go-to planning tool for clients who want to build influence, strengthen executive visibility and make smarter decisions.  

In B2B technology, where influence is fragmented across media, analysts, investors and customers, that kind of intelligence gives you the full picture. 

It also helps you avoid spreading limited budgets too thinly. 

Keep it simple to ensure European comms is aligned

The most effective comms programmes combine a single strategic vision, with local market expertise and execution. Achieving this becomes harder the more teams, agencies and layers are involved across your comms function.  

A complex network of local and global agencies rarely works as it should. Multiple partners, competing priorities and long approval chains slow everything down. 

A simpler setup almost always performs better. One plan. One strategy. One team working in sync, sharing insights openly and adapting as priorities evolve locally.  

The best-performing teams across Europe are the ones that truly operate as a single unit – not a loose collection of local agencies. 

This is the foundation of our PRWithoutBorders model: a single team telling a unified story and delivering consistent quality and messages in every market. It’s how our clients maintain momentum even when budgets tighten or priorities shift. 

This doesn’t mean more co-ordination calls. It means removing barriers. It means encouraging markets to share insights and content freely. It means creating a culture where ideas can travel and where decisions can be made quickly. 

Make a bigger impact in 2026  

No one knows exactly what the new year will bring. But every comms leader can build a PR programme that’s as ready for it as possible and have control over how their PR teams adapt and respond to whatever the year brings. 

Clarity, simplicity, flexibility, data and teamwork are what make multi-market PR work. They’re also what Tyto’s PRWithoutBorders model was founded on. 

If you’re reviewing your plans for next year and want a fresh perspective, I’m always happy to chat. These planning conversations are always some of the most energising of the year, and we’ve helped many technology brands build strategies and campaigns that hold up under pressure and deliver with impact.