If you’re looking to make an impact on your next campaign, have you considered taking it internationally? Expanding your PR goals to international countries can be a great way of diversifying your client’s Google rankings, their client base, and your outreach capabilities for future clients too.
When we consider European countries that would be key to target with international PR campaigns, Spain comes in at the top of the list. So, here’s our guide for navigating the media landscape in Spain.
An overview of the media landscape in Spain
With a population of 47m people and the 12th largest economy in the world, Spain has a solid foundation as a country of influence in the global sphere, not least thanks to its native language. More than 472 million people around the world speak Spanish, making it the second most spoken language in the world after Mandarin Chinese.
This makes breaking into the Spanish market an incredible opportunity to crack further potential outreach in other Spanish-speaking countries, of which there is a total of 21.
Many Spanish media outlets do prepare their content for potential extension beyond the borders of Spain itself out to other Spanish-speaking countries like Argentina, Mexico, and Puerto Rico to name a few.
When you want to get your content into Spanish publications and outlets, you need to ensure that you are getting your content in front of the right pair of eyes. Getting the right journalists and publications is the key to carving a niche for you or your clients in the Spanish market.
Traditional media also still plays a massive part in the Iberian country, with 63% of all Spanish journalists being found within this space.[1] It’s important to know the nature of many of these media niches as they are more politically motivated than in other European countries.
The main media niches in Spain
The 5 main niches of Spanish media that have the strongest audiences and the closest similarity to those in the UK are politics, sport, lifestyle, food, and entertainment. Here is some more information about each of these niches, as well as the top 3 outlets you should consider reaching out to when you outreach your international PR campaigns.
Politics
The term politics is used here as an umbrella term to cover everything important under the political sphere e.g., the economy, law, finances, political opinions, commentary, news, etc. The three main Spanish media outlets for these topics would be El Mundo, El Pais, and ABC.
These outlets cover major events in Spain and around the world, similar to how outlets such as The Guardian or the BBC would cover things happening at home and abroad, such as a US election or a foreign war.
Their target audience is mainly adults, around 25 and over, who are interested in world events, and it’s best to adopt an authoritative and respectful tone of voice with these types of outlets.
The campaigns that would work best for El Mundo would be international campaigns that relate to the EU or the US for example, and campaigns on comparing finances in different countries or working conditions.
El Pais would be similar to El Mundo, but they have more of a national focus on Spain, so international campaigns may not land as well. Similarly, ABC would welcome more formal campaigns on finances, work, legalities, and major news/events that have a strong Spanish/European focus.
Sport
The sports media outlets in Spain are very similar to those in the UK, however, the biggest difference is that some outlets align themselves with, and favour, certain sports teams, even if they aren’t directly associated with those teams in question. The three main outlets for sports campaigns in Spain are Marca, AS, and SPORT.
Marca has always been said to favour Real Madrid CF, and AS likewise with FC Barcelona. These outlets mainly cover football and basketball, as these are the two most popular sports in the country, however, they do cover a variety of other sports.
They do not have a target age for their publications, they simply aim to bring sports news and entertainment to all those who enjoy the sports they comment on. Their tone of voice is more informal than that of their political counterparts but not to the extent of the British tabloids.
All three of these outlets are likely to be interested in sporting campaigns that focus mainly on football (soccer) as it will be the biggest topic they cover, as well as campaigns on basketball, which is very popular in the country. Campaigns on sports with prominent Spanish athletes such as Tennis, Golf or Formula 1 are another great sell-in for these outlets.
Entertainment
The entertainment media outlets follow a similar style as their international, US, and UK equivalents. The top 3 outlets in this niche would be Vanidades, !Hola!, and the Spanish versions of international outlets like Vogue and Cosmopolitan.
Their content is extremely informal, following the lives of celebrities and lifestyle commentary on fashion, design, beauty, etc. They tend to focus on drama, both on and off the screen, keeping their readers updated on the lives of their favourite actors and actresses. Their target audience is mostly female, from age 16 upwards, and their tone of voice is extremely informal.
The international branches of Vogue and Cosmopolitan will run very similar campaigns to their British and American counterparts, so you can safely assume that your campaigns could work for them.
Whilst the Spanish outlets focus more on Spanish entertainment, they are still interested in US celebrities and South American celebrities, such as Bad Bunny or Shakira. US entertainment campaigns that work well could also work here, e.g., “The most followed Spanish-speaking artists in the world” or “Who are the richest Spanish actors in Hollywood?”.
Food
Food is an incredibly important part of Spain’s heritage and culture; therefore, it plays a big role in their media and several large media outlets are very popular with the public at large. The top 3 outlets for food topics in Spain are Gourmet, Cocina, and Sabor.
Spaniards take great pride in their traditions and national dishes, however, these outlets can be quite informal in their tone of voice, as if they are sharing recipes with their families and friends. They will mainly target a slightly older audience of 35 and over, who are interested in cooking, baking, and culinary arts.
It’s worth being aware of cultural dishes and cooking methods, as campaigning an article on the perfect way to make Spanish omelettes may not go down so well with a Spanish audience if it’s not 100% correct!
It’s best to avoid offending the audience when food is such a huge part of the culture. You can target these outlets with similar campaigns you would use in the UK e.g., “The most popular foreign dishes around Europe”.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle media outlets tend to be quite informal in every country, and Spain is no exception. A lot of these outlets are similar to those of the Entertainment niche, however, the most popular outlets in Spain for lifestyle content are Yo Dona, Mujer Hoy, and SModa.
The lifestyle outlets operate in a similar but separate league to the entertainment outlets mentioned previously – their content revolves around lifestyle content to do with health, beauty, relationships, and work, as opposed to celebrities and drama. Their target audience is mainly female, although by a smaller majority, and they target a younger audience of 16–35-year-olds.
Popular campaigns that work well in this type of outlet include fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and celebrity content. Yo Dona and Mujer Hoy have more of a focus on celebrity and lifestyle, while SModa has more of a fashion angle.
For successful international PR campaigns, it is vital to understand the culture, traditions, and landscape of the country you are targeting. The international section of the c3 website offers further insight into media landscapes around the world. Our native in-house speakers can also provide insight for you into different industries and PR campaigns.
[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1024740/share-of-employed-journalists-by-the-media-they-work-in-spain/
