In PR, it’s common to receive a press release written for another market and be tasked with making it relevant to your own.

But that doesn’t mean you can simply change the spelling, swap dollars for pounds and hit send. The challenge is knowing what to change and, equally importantly, what to leave alone.

The first step is to identify the core story. What is the announcement actually saying, and what are the one or two messages it needs to communicate? Those elements should remain intact. Your role isn’t to rewrite the story from scratch, but to make sure it resonates with the journalists and audiences you know best.

Next, look at the local relevance. A reference that works in one country may mean little in another. Consider industry-specific terms – what works in a trade-focused release may need altering for consumer media – spelling, currency, geography and cultural references.

For a cruise release, for example, an itinerary or port that is a major selling point in one country may be less compelling in another, while a different destination or departure point could be more newsworthy. This might mean reshaping the introduction or moving a significant detail further up.

Finally, protect the brand voice and factual integrity. Any adaptation should still feel recognisably like the original announcement, with quotes and key facts accurately represented.

Ultimately, the art of adapting a press release is knowing when to make your mark and when to step back. It should feel natural, relevant to the audience and authentic to the brand, without losing sight of the original story. Get that balance right and it becomes an opportunity to make a good story work harder in your market.

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