PR on the road to IPO: How to succeed in the UK

Charlotte Stoel is group managing director at Firefly Communications. 

With the IPO market showing signs of recovery, many companies are once again looking outward. For U.S.-headquartered businesses, Europe is often the first stop. Expanding internationally brings plenty of challenges, but reputation always comes near the top of the list. That’s why PR is one of the main investments companies make as they step into new markets.

Having supported U.S. firms with European PR for more than 18 years, I’ve seen how crucial it is to adapt your strategy to the market you’re entering. And when you’re gearing up for an IPO, the stakes are even higher. Investors, analysts, customers and talent are all paying close attention to how your story is told. The right PR strategy in the right places can create powerful momentum.

What good PR looks like on the road to IPO

In the run-up to IPO, the job of PR is not just to signal growth, credibility and international ambition, but to help shape investor sentiment and build confidence in the company’s long-term story.

That often starts with high-impact company announcements — funding rounds, key hires or strategic milestones. These should be coordinated with third parties, clearly explained and placed in the right outlets so they inform and inspire confidence. Beyond this, it’s vital to show international expansion through key client wins in new markets, partnerships that extend your footprint or office openings that signal commitment to a region.

The “people story” matters too. In London, for example, local papers love growth stories rooted in the city — new jobs, new offices, new hires, new hubs. It’s a clear way of showing investment. Moreover, spotlighting executives and team members on the ground also reinforces that commitment.

Crucially, the timing for U.S. tech companies coming to the UK is favorable. With the newly signed UK/U.S. “Technology Prosperity Deal,” appetite among London investors for credible tech growth stories is high. PR plays a role in making sure the narrative lands — that the company is ambitious, well run and ready for the public markets.

And there are many ways to tell those stories. Traditional media coverage matters, but so do other channels and it’s important to create a coordinated effort. Video testimonials with clients, joint campaigns that amplify both brands, social media and some pay-to-play opportunities with strategic outlets add momentum to a PR program. LinkedIn in particular has become a central place for investors, journalists and peers to see momentum play out. Aligning with how your customers want their stories told is just as important as shaping your own.

Ultimately, aligning your story with how customers, investors and employees want it told is just as important as shaping it yourself.

Why the UK is such a natural launchpad

For many U.S. companies, the UK is the easiest European market to enter from a PR perspective. Language is the obvious reason, but there are also cultural similarities. Like in the U.S., British journalists have a strong appetite for expertise-led content, whether that’s thought leadership articles, social media commentary, podcasts or panel debates.

One big advantage is that UK journalists don’t insist on a UK-based spokesperson unless the topic demands it. If you’re talking about a global theme like AI ethics, sustainability or new workplace trends, it doesn’t matter whether your expert is based in San Francisco or London. What matters is their authority and the strength of their view. Where the location of a spokesperson matters more is when you’re commenting on local issues, such as government regulation or the UK’s skills gap. In those cases, local knowledge understandably adds value.

When it comes to media tactics like exclusives and embargoes, there are subtleties in the UK. Exclusives can be treated with suspicion. Unless the story is truly significant, we’ve had feedback that the offer of an “exclusive” is just a way of dressing up something ordinary. Embargoes are also used more sparingly than in the U.S. They make sense for important company news, but they rarely work for announcements around reports or survey data. UK journalists are more likely to cover a survey once it’s live, not under embargo. It can be a mistake to judge success by the number of embargo accepts because often the real pickup comes later.

Another hugely important tool in the UK is LinkedIn. Journalists and publications are active here, sharing stories and joining in debates. Building relationships on LinkedIn, engaging thoughtfully with content and having executives profile themselves as market commentators can pay dividends. Seeing leaders comment on local market movements sends a clear message of commitment to the region.

For podcasts, the UK media scene is welcoming to guest voices, and podcasts here are often less formal than in other European markets. They’re an excellent way for executives to show both expertise and personality, something written thought leadership can’t always convey.

Finally, there’s the general media culture itself. There is strong skepticism of jargon and fluff, and what is viewed as “spin” tends to backfire. What is welcomed is a clear opinion, a contrarian take or fresh analysis that adds something new to the debate. We once had a national business journalist tell us he actively avoids CEOs because they tend to sound overprepared and generic. My advice to spokespeople is that you don’t need to polish every word; focus on being bold, relevant and true to what you believe.

A quick look across the Channel

The UK may be a natural first step, but the same approach doesn’t automatically work elsewhere. Take France and Germany, Europe’s two other heavyweight markets. In France, seniority matters, with a VP or C-suite title often carrying weight, and corporate news such as appointments or new offices still gains traction. Germany, on the other hand, is the opposite of quick wins. Journalists expect depth and place emphasis on local insight and local data.

This nuance shows why companies heading for IPO can’t just copy and paste a UK or U.S. strategy across Europe. Each country has its own levers of credibility, and investors, analysts and media will quickly spot when a story doesn’t feel tailored.

The impact of European PR on growth

On the road to IPO, a well-executed PR program is a compelling way to tell a bigger story about growth and international ambition. The UK is a natural launchpad and rewards expertise, embraces thought leadership and provides a stage to build international visibility. To sustain that momentum and grow beyond the UK, companies must eventually adapt to the nuances of other European markets, each with their own quirks and expectations.

Handled well, PR becomes part of the investor narrative, part of the customer story and part of the market belief that a company is truly ready for its next big step.