Making Waves Across the Pond: Three lessons for Canadian brands to compete abroad

Canadian leaders and organizations can’t rely on hope, nostalgia, or historical ties to succeed on the world stage. Countries are rethinking global alliances, energy networks, supply chains, and technology through an entirely new lens. While governments sign new partnerships and trade deals to open doors, Canadian businesses are the ones that actually have to walk through them and deliver on the ground.

So, what does it take for a Canadian organization to capture attention overseas?

In the premiere episode of Canada’s Brand Abroad – a limited series from Curious Public’s Comms In Question – guest host Steve Paikin joined our panel of global communications experts to explore the strategy, messaging, and cultural pivots needed to do business in the UK and Ireland. 

The message to Canadian business leaders was clear: don’t assume familiarity equals success, and do your homework.

If you missed the live conversation, you can watch the full recording below or listen on your favourite podcast app. 

Being Canadian isn’t enough 

It’s easy for Canadian executives to assume our positive international reputation, shared language, and deep historical ties can open doors. But those factors are “table stakes,” said  Joseph Pickerill, Senior Director of Global Strategic Communications at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. 

“You’ve got to do your research. You’ve got to do your homework. ‘What solution are you providing for them?’ I think that’s the number one question Canadian firms need to ask themselves,” Pickerill said. “If you don’t figure out what it is you’re selling in a way that resonates with the buyer, then, you’re only gonna get so far.”

Hari Srinivas, President of Ethnic Channels Group, asks what’s standing in the way. 

“When you look at an opportunity anywhere, you identify what the bottleneck is… right now in the UK and Ireland, the bottleneck is energy—basically the switch to renewable energy,” said Srinivas.

Trade agreements get you into the room, but a clear, tailored value proposition is what actually closes the deal.

Whether your business operates in AI, clean energy, financial services, or frontier tech, you need to bring a sharp case study showing how you solve a buyer’s specific problem better than anyone else. Trade agreements get you into the room, but a clear, tailored value proposition is what actually closes the deal.

 

You can’t win London or Dublin from a desk in Toronto

English is the primary language in Canada, the UK, and Ireland, but cultural and linguistic nuances run deep. Srinivas summed it up in five words, “Think global, but act local.” 

Think global, but act local. 

Your market entry strategy will backfire if you try to manage it solely from a desk in Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver. You need local intelligence and experienced leaders on the ground who understand regional market dynamics.

This principle applies to your communications and media strategy:

• In the UK: The media environment is crowded, fast, and intensely transactional. Journalists are sharp, competitive, and constantly looking for news angles or inconsistencies. Spokespeople need to be exceptionally well-trained, concise, and quick on their feet to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
• In Ireland: Business is built on long-term relationships and trust. The media landscape is highly concentrated with a laser focus on local economic impact. Media pitches or business propositions that don’t clearly state how you are investing locally or creating jobs will be ignored.

Ann-Marie O’Sullivan, founder and CEO of A.M. O’Sullivan PR, noted the goal is to embed yourself into the local economic fabric rather than treating the market like a distant satellite office.  

“Shopify did a great job during the pandemic, because they actually embedded themselves within,” said O’Sullivan. “They supported local independent retailers, they partnered with domestic bodies here, so very much part of the ecosystem here and of the economy here. So that’s very much a blueprint, for getting established and being successful in the Irish market. We are all about the relationships here.”

 

Lean on the people who already know the market

To expand abroad takes time and sustained investment. But you don’t have to navigate complex regulatory environments alone.

Jennifer Beckermann, Executive Director at the City of London Corporation, urged Canadian leaders to use the existing resources and advisory services available to them.

Don’t be shy about using those resources, because they exist to help make the process easier for you.

“My advice is to use the resources of our Trade Commissioner Service, and other services that are out there, Invest Ireland would be an example,” Beckermann said. “Don’t be shy about using those resources, because they exist to help make the process easier for you. Test and ask questions throughout those processes before, obviously, putting your money where your mouth is.”

Your communications and PR strategy needs to go deeper than “we’re a Canadian brand” to capture the UK and Irish markets. Do your research, hire local talent, respect subtle cultural differences, and focus on the tangible solutions you bring to the table. That is how Canadian organizations win on the global stage.

Watch or listen to the full conversation to hear our experts’ insights to shape your global communications and PR strategy. 

Thank you again to our panelists: Jennifer Beckermann, Ann-Marie O’Sullivan, Joseph Pickerill, and Hari Srinivas.

And a special thanks to our guest host, Steve Paikin. 

 

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