which best practices are similar? – Marketer
Let’s start with the language differences: if Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world, and Portuguese the fifth, the Portuguese already bet more on learning new languages than their Spanish neighbors. According to the EF English Proficiency Index, Portugal is the 7th country in the world with the highest level of English well ahead of Spain in 33rd place. And, if on the one hand, 10% of Portuguese speak Spanish, only 1.7% of Spaniards speak Portuguese. This propensity of the Portuguese to adapt to other languages (especially Spanish and English) has facilitated the arrival of many companies in Portuguese national territory, not only from the point of view of recruitment – as employees quickly get used to multicultural environments – as from the perspective of public relations, given that journalists’ openness to foreign spokespersons. This is not the case in Spain, and there is a need for native interlocutors in practically the entire advisory process.
With regard to the greatest similarities, without a doubt we are witnessing throughout the Iberian Peninsula a deep crisis in traditional media that have the need to reinvent themselves in an increasingly digital world. Television and radio are increasingly fragmented due to competition from video-on-demand, podcast, etc. platforms. In both countries, audio has gained strength, Portugal with 34% of listeners and Spain with 40%, both above the global average. Also for this reason, it is above all in the way of approaching the means and the need for personalization of content that these countries are more specific. Despite the huge disparity in the number of media (just as an example, the Spaniards have more than 90 regional media and 600 specialized magazines), when it comes to producing and sending content, in both countries it happens priority to direct contact, individual and personalized pitching, and understanding of what each medium wants.
Looking at the digital panorama, there are some differences, even though both Portugal and Spain are following world trends. In Spain, the most used application is WhatsApp, followed by Youtube, while the favorite social networks are Facebook and Instagram. In Portugal in first place is Youtube followed by Facebook and FB Messenger. Spain is the world leader in the penetration of smartphones and fiber optics at home, however, it is the Portuguese who spend more time on social networks with 2h04 a day against 1h54 in Spain, unlike television, in which they are the Spaniards who are ahead with 3:22 am diary and thePortuguese with 2h38, data that reveal the division that exists between the younger population, strongly focused on digital channels, and the more adult population that still prefers conventional media.
Looking at the big events that capture the most media attention, we see today great references in both countries: the Mobile World Congress, present in Barcelona since 2006, and the Web Summit, in Lisbon since 2016.
For all these reasons, consider that having local communication teams is a key factor for the success of brands, as this is the only way for global organizations to be successful locally. Regardless of the size of the country or the specific market of a certain market in the plans of companies, relying on the experience of those who live and breathe a national culture makes all the difference when implementing efficient and long-lasting communication.