How To Do Digital PR in France

Breaking into the French digital PR landscape isn’t just about translating your UK campaigns into French; it’s about learning an entirely new playbook. While the UK’s digital PR scene is a well-oiled machine, with established processes and eager press ready to lap up consumer-friendly stories, France is a different beast entirely.

In this collaborative piece, myself (Thea Chippendale), a French Digital PR Freelancer who’s spent the past few years helping agencies and brands land stories in France, team up with Gideon Katz, Digital PR Strategist at Distinctly, to break down exactly how to navigate this unique market.

Between us, we’ve launched dozens of campaigns in France, tested what sticks (and what spectacularly doesn’t), and learned how to tailor everything from outreach tone to data credibility to regional sensitivities. In short, we’ve made the mistakes so you don’t have to.

So, whether you’re a UK-based PR eyeing up France as your next market, or simply curious about why your campaigns haven’t landed there yet, here’s our guide to what makes French digital PR tick, and how to actually get results.

What makes the French Digital PR market so different from the UK?

If you’re used to running digital PR campaigns in the UK, diving into the French market can come as a bit of a shock. The rules, expectations, and even what journalists consider “newsworthy” can look completely different.

We’ve pulled out the biggest differences we’ve encountered, the practical realities that often catch UK PRs by surprise, so you can spot them early, adapt your campaigns, and avoid wasting time on approaches that simply don’t translate.

1. A far lower reliance on PR-led content

In the UK, entire publications are practically fuelled by PR content. Reach PLC titles, for example, are packed with consumer-driven stories that come straight out of a PR pitch, whether it’s a warning about the cost of living, a playful TikTok trend piece, or a light-hearted ranking. Journalists in the UK have come to expect these kinds of stories, and many editorial desks are specifically set up to turn PR campaigns into quick, attention-grabbing reads.

France, by contrast, is still in the early stages of adopting this kind of PR-driven content model. Many French journalists simply don’t see PR campaigns as an essential pipeline for their daily output, which means there’s a much higher bar to clear for your story to even be considered. In fact, nearly half of French journalists rarely respond to PR pitches at all, so your campaign has to work exponentially harder to prove it’s genuinely worth their time.

2. A demand for robust data and clear methodologies

If there’s one area where the UK and France diverge most sharply, it’s around data expectations. In the UK, you can often land coverage off the back of a clever hook paired with a quick expert quote, even if the data behind it is relatively lightweight or only lightly summarised. French journalists, however, hold data to a completely different standard.

They expect to see a thorough, clearly explained methodology that leaves no room for ambiguity about how your conclusions were reached or where exactly your data came from. Crucially, they don’t have the time, or often the inclination, to chase you for missing details or clarifications. If your pitch arrives with sources that aren’t robust or a methodology that isn’t totally transparent, it will almost always be quietly set aside in favour of more credible, better-substantiated stories.

3. Fewer tools and manual processes

One of the first operational differences you’ll notice is the sheer lack of infrastructure around press lists. In the UK, platforms like Roxhill and ResponseSource make building journalist lists quick, simple and largely automated, allowing you to pull together hundreds of contacts in minutes. France doesn’t have anything quite like this, which means outreach becomes a far more manual, hands-on process.

While that might seem frustrating, it actually has a hidden benefit: it forces you to be far more intentional. Without a tool doing the heavy lifting, you’ll naturally end up focusing on quality over quantity, building shorter, sharper lists of genuinely relevant journalists. In the long run, this means your outreach is more personalised, more targeted, and more likely to resonate, laying the groundwork for stronger media relationships.

4. Different press culture

If you’ve worked in UK digital PR for any length of time, you’ll know that sensational headlines are a staple of getting stories picked up. Pitches framed around fear or urgency, think “The one mistake that could cost you £500”, are practically designed for the UK’s tabloid ecosystem, and often perform extremely well.

In France, however, this type of framing doesn’t land in the same way. French journalists generally avoid overly dramatic or fear-driven narratives, preferring more measured, balanced reporting. This means that even if you have a concept that’s worked brilliantly in the UK, you’ll need to rethink how you position it for French editors to ensure it feels credible, relevant, and appropriately pitched to local sensibilities.

5. Regional rivalries matter more

Regional storytelling is powerful everywhere, but in France, it carries an even greater weight. City rivalries and local pride are deeply ingrained, which means data that breaks down findings by region or city can immediately add a layer of intrigue and debate that purely national stats often lack.

On top of this cultural factor, there’s a strategic one: France’s media landscape is heavily influenced by four major regional syndication groups: Rossel, EBRA, GSO and Centre France. When you tap into these networks with a well-targeted local angle, your story has the potential to spread rapidly across dozens of regional outlets, dramatically amplifying your reach from a single campaign.

6. A strong expectation of formality

Perhaps one of the most underestimated differences is just how much more formal and precise French outreach needs to be. French journalists place a high value on professionalism, politeness, and impeccably written French. Relying on Google Translate is a fast way to undermine your credibility, as automated translations often miss key nuances like gendered language and the appropriate level of formality, leading to emails that feel awkward at best or outright disrespectful at worst.

Taking the time to ensure your outreach is carefully crafted, culturally sensitive, and linguistically spot on isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s essential if you want your campaigns to be taken seriously in the French market.

How the French press is slowly becoming more like the UK

While there are still plenty of differences that demand a tailored approach, it’s also clear that the French media landscape is evolving, and in some ways, starting to edge closer to the UK model of digital PR. From our experience running campaigns across both markets, we’ve spotted a few key shifts that UK PRs can lean into.

This doesn’t mean you can simply copy-paste your UK strategy and expect identical results. But it does mean there are growing opportunities to run the kinds of stories that might have struggled to cut through in France even just a few years ago.

1. Journalists increasingly build stories from other media

One of the most noticeable changes is how French journalists are now treating other publications as sources, much like we see in the UK. It’s becoming increasingly common for titles such as La Dépêche, Nice-Matin, or HuffPost France to pick up on a piece first published in Le Parisien and create their own localised version or spin it into a fresh follow-up angle.

For PRs, this means a well-placed story in the right initial outlet can quickly snowball into secondary coverage across other publications, even without additional outreach, in exactly the same way UK campaigns often ripple out through the press.

2. Reactive, trend-led stories are gaining traction

Another shift we’ve observed is how French publications, especially in lifestyle, entertainment and culture, are starting to embrace more UK-style reactive PR. In the past, building a campaign around a trending topic, viral TikTok or influencer moment could feel like pushing uphill in France. But that’s changing.

We’re now seeing far more openness to stories pegged to what people are talking about online right now, meaning there’s real scope to bring over the kind of nimble, culturally tapped-in campaigns that UK PRs excel at, provided you still keep them rooted in credible data or meaningful insight.

3. Google Trends and search-led content is on the rise

Much like their UK counterparts, many French journalists now actively turn to Google Trends or broader search data to both shape the topics they’re covering and back up the angles they pursue.

For digital PRs, this means campaigns grounded in what people are genuinely searching for, whether that’s the most Googled destinations, recipes, home hacks or cost-of-living worries, are increasingly well placed to secure coverage. It opens up another avenue for data storytelling that simply didn’t exist to the same extent in France a few years ago.

French Digital PR Case Study: The rudest cities in France

Objective: With this campaign, we wanted to play off the French stereotype of rudeness and find out which cities’ residents most frequently demonstrated a series of ‘rude behaviours’. 

Results: The campaign landed 70 links with over 100 media mentions, with placements in most of France’s leading news, lifestyle, and regional publications. The campaign was covered on France’s main TV news channel, TF1, with an average of 4.7 million daily views. Social placements on X resulted in over 2 million views, 3k shares and 12k likes, showing just how much the issue resonated with people across France.

Why it worked:

Personalised outreach to target journalists

With fewer regional publications and limited journalist contacts in France, personalised pitching became essential. We targeted national, regional, and lifestyle publications through tailored emails that referenced journalists' previous relevant work, prioritising quality connections over volume to capture individual attention.

Regional angles

The campaign played into an ongoing polarising topic across the country - which cities are nicer than others? We were able to contact regional journalists exclusively covering specific areas, broadening our outreach potential and giving journalists something to spark a discussion. 

Substantial on-site content

Our on-site content was designed with multiple standalone angles, all strong enough to function as independent campaigns. Secondary results like 'The least generous cities' gained traction as a separate story, demonstrating how comprehensive content can lead to additional pickup opportunities beyond the main campaign focus, without needing to do any extra work. 

Essential tips and steps to building a successful digital PR campaign in France

So you understand how France differs from the UK, and you’ve seen how it’s slowly starting to edge closer in some areas. The real question is: how do you take all that knowledge and turn it into a campaign that actually lands coverage?

Drawing on what we’ve learned from building dozens of campaigns specifically for the French market, here’s our joint breakdown of the essential steps and considerations that will give your story the best possible chance.

1. Start by researching the French press landscape in your niche

Before you even start ideating campaign hooks, spend time properly understanding how your client’s sector is covered in France. The mix of publications, their editorial priorities, and the prevalence of consumer versus trade coverage often looks quite different to the UK.

Look at which stories are performing well right now, who’s writing them, and whether they rely on official institutional data or if they’re already opening up to more branded studies. This will give you a grounded sense of the standards you’ll need to meet.

2. Build campaigns on genuinely robust data (and prepare to share your workings)

French journalists hold data to extremely high standards, and it’s not enough to simply slap together a quick ranking or scrape a few web pages. Your data has to be watertight, clearly sourced, transparently calculated, and set out in a methodology that would stand up under proper journalistic scrutiny.

Expect to be asked for details before a story goes live. Often, journalists will come back to confirm exactly how you collected your data or double-check figures before committing to publish. Treat this as a positive sign of serious interest, and make sure you have all your spreadsheets, sources and workings ready to go.

3. Build a strong, shareable on-site report

Because French journalists are less inclined to repackage weak or thin content, your on-site asset needs to do a lot of heavy lifting. Invest the time to create a page that feels authoritative and complete: not just a handful of stats, but layered findings that could support multiple angles.

This approach doesn’t just bolster your credibility, it also makes it more likely journalists will pull out alternative storylines or revisit your piece later for follow-ups.

4. Lean heavily into regional data and local pride

France’s strong sense of regional identity means data broken down by city or region can supercharge your outreach. Whether it’s highlighting which cities are the most generous, which regions are searching most for a certain trend, or even playful rankings that tap into local stereotypes, you’re giving journalists a way to turn your story into something directly relevant to their readers.

And remember to account for France’s four major regional syndication networks. A single well-positioned local piece can be picked up across dozens of regional titles, multiplying your results far beyond your initial target.

5. Personalise your outreach and perfect your French

This is where many UK campaigns fall down. French journalists expect more formality, carefully crafted language, and evidence you genuinely understand what they cover. Never rely on Google Translate,it’s almost guaranteed to slip up on gendered terms or levels of formality.

Invest in a professional translation or work with a fluent team member who can adjust phrasing, tone and subtle cultural references. Then make sure your outreach is deeply personalised, referencing past articles or particular beats the journalist covers. It’s not just courteous; it’s often the difference between a polite ignore and a serious read.

6. Position your story with a clear editorial “why”

Unlike in the UK, where a quirky or purely fun angle might fly on its own, French journalists usually want a clear reason why your story matters. Is it revealing an unexpected national habit? Challenging a stereotype? Tapping into a local debate? Make sure that “why this story matters now” is front and centre in your outreach.

7. Be prepared for slower momentum and more back-and-forth

Finally, go in with the expectation that things might move more slowly. The French press cycle generally isn’t as rapid as the UK’s, and it’s not unusual for journalists to sit on a story for a few extra days or to come back with multiple rounds of questions before agreeing to cover it.

Stay patient, respond promptly and with full transparency, and you’ll build the kind of trust that leads to long-term relationships, something that’s even more valuable in a market still finding its digital PR feet.

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Breaking into the French digital PR landscape isn’t something you can do by simply translating a UK campaign and hoping for the best. As we’ve explored throughout this guide, it requires a genuine understanding of how the French press operates, from the way journalists treat PR content, to their rigorous data standards, to the cultural nuances that shape everything from story angles to email tone.

At the same time, it’s clear that the French market is evolving. As more publications start to mirror UK habits, building stories off other media, embracing trend-led pieces, and relying on search data to shape editorial, there’s never been a better moment for UK brands and agencies to expand into France. Provided you adapt thoughtfully, the door is opening wider than ever before.

Between us, we’ve launched enough campaigns to know exactly what tends to land, what quietly fizzles out, and how to balance the tried-and-tested principles of UK digital PR with the unique expectations of French journalists. If there’s one thing we’d stress, it’s that success in France isn’t about reinventing your entire approach; it’s about paying close attention to the details that matter, your data, your regional relevance, your linguistic precision, and above all, the clear editorial “why” behind your story.

Get those foundations right, and you’ll not only start seeing real results in France, you’ll also build meaningful relationships with journalists who’ll remember your name the next time a relevant story crosses their desk. And if you ever want an experienced second opinion or just a sounding board for your ideas, we’re always happy to help.