Glocal brands - views from USA

"The key challenge for global brand positioning and communication is to engage consumers from around the world and evoke an identical brand image or image." - Hamsini Shivkumar

This challenge seems pretty simple and straightforward, but actually making it happen is anything but. A successful brand positioning should create a similar understanding in all markets within their respective cultural context. The difficult and complex process begins with B2B marketers reviewing the differences in each market and adapting strategies for individual regions in a way that simultaneously preserves the essence of the brand. In addition, there is a wide range of local issues to consider, from government regulations to religious restrictions to different languages to translate into.

Another challenge is that many global B2B companies do not have the budget to adapt messages and the methods for disseminating them in each market. The problem lies in the multitude of different channels, so prioritization in media selection is essential to reach all key socio-demographic audiences. You need to determine the relevance of your message to potentially dozens of different cultures and markets, while ensuring a consistent brand position.

Ricardo de la Blanca, a well-known global marketing consultant in the U.S. recommends that the next step after establishing brand positioning is to formulate strategies at the local level that include the following:

• What are your specific objectives for this market? And what attributes of your brand need to be adapted to meet the cultural needs of the market?
• Choose the best local channels to communicate your message as effectively as possible.
• Match your content strategy to the channels you choose, and consider how to use that content to best achieve your objectives.
• What media and platforms exist in your chosen markets? How and for what does your target audience use them, and how can they be played with together to meet the needs of your global strategy?
• Select those technology solutions that allow for a local design in your foreign markets that is adapted to the respective market requirements and expand these local solutions.

Your global marketing strategy requires prioritization, coordination and focus. Marketing messages must work in concert with other initiatives while also supporting the corporate infrastructure, especially sales in global markets. Take the following advice to heart regarding your global communications: every message about your company is a brand message and every experience with your company is a brand experience, no matter where in the world that takes place. In a media landscape that is constantly changing, this forms a very important cornerstone for a consistent customer experience.

Wächter, Godfrey and Worldwide Partners can help you understand the markets, adapt your messages to cultural specifics and optimize your media mix for all markets because we have local partners in every major market who are happy to do just that for you.