Name: Going global: How to market your brand internationally
Uploaded: 2023-09-13T10:28:46.012Z
Duration: 416.52
Description: When it comes to taking your brand global, it's not enough just to translate your marketing strategy into a new language. Companies need to find ways to adapt their strategy to the cultural nuances in different parts of the world. Allyson Stewart-Allen, award-winning educator, advisor and author, explains some of the key things to work through if you want to grow internationally.

Interview 1- internationalisation v4.mp4

Interview 1- internationalisation v3.vtt

english

{{00:00:00}}
Now there's some studies about
what matters,  in marketing,

{{00:00:03}}
what are the key criteria, and
one of those is responsiveness.

{{00:00:07}}
Another one is assurance.

{{00:00:09}}
It's the guarantees behind
your online product or service.

{{00:00:13}}
And there's a number of other things
that really count when you are

{{00:00:18}}
wanting to be successful around the
globe, not just in your home market.

{{00:00:32}}
I'm Alison Stewart Allen.

{{00:00:34}}
I'm CEO at International Marketing
Partners, and I set this business

{{00:00:37}}
up in 1991 really to help
companies grow internationally.

{{00:00:42}}
So besides authoring a bestselling book
called Working With Americans,  I've

{{00:00:46}}
helped over 260 businesses across 27
countries,  who are really keen to

{{00:00:52}}
make sure that they are profitably
expanding across geographies,  and

{{00:00:57}}
avoiding some of the many pitfalls,
that could get in their way.

{{00:01:08}}
You know, manybrands  are looking at
ways to internationalize,  and really

{{00:01:15}}
what we're talking about is making
sure that they  are globally relevant

{{00:01:20}}
and locally relevant at the same time.

{{00:01:23}}
And one of the challenges for leaders
and businesses is the fact that

{{00:01:26}}
they often think they have to do
one over the other when actually.

{{00:01:31}}
You have to do both.

{{00:01:31}}
So you have to have the core part
of your value proposition that

{{00:01:35}}
can play everywhere,  whether
it's a product or service.

{{00:01:39}}
And then you have an element that you
can localize, whether it's language

{{00:01:43}}
or color or size,  or brand name even.

{{00:01:47}}
But you need to make sure that
you do both at the same time.

{{00:01:50}}
Because if you only do one over the
other,  you're gonna either be relevant

{{00:01:55}}
in a very small market or you're gonna
be irrelevant everywhere so that's

{{00:02:00}}
the trick is to combine the two.

{{00:02:09}}
You know, even though,  we have a
kind of global culture, you could

{{00:02:13}}
argue,  in certain parts of the world,
not everywhere,  you may wonder is it

{{00:02:19}}
even,  relevant to be talking about
internationalization and getting this

{{00:02:23}}
global and local tension managed.

{{00:02:26}}
But it's incredibly
important that you do both.

{{00:02:30}}
So even though there might be a
monoculture around the world, you

{{00:02:33}}
know, Levi's for example, McDonald's
brands that are everywhere,  you

{{00:02:38}}
might think that of course,
they haven't had to localize,

{{00:02:42}}
but actually they really have.

{{00:02:44}}
So, for example, with
McDonald's,  their menus

{{00:02:47}}
are not the same everywhere.

{{00:02:48}}
They have Mexican items in Southern
California where I'm from,  they have

{{00:02:53}}
the MC Arabia in the Middle East.

{{00:02:55}}
So while you might have some
stuff that's core and might appeal

{{00:03:00}}
everywhere, you still have to
make sure that you, you know,

{{00:03:05}}
adapt,  to different cultures
in different parts of the world.

{{00:03:15}}
You know, when people think about,  how
do you, what do you need to localize?

{{00:03:20}}
In what ways?

{{00:03:21}}
You know, one example is color.

{{00:03:23}}
So there's a very famous
product,  that is a plant

{{00:03:28}}
fertilizer called Miracle Grow.

{{00:03:30}}
And the colors on their pack are
green, white, yellow, and black.

{{00:03:34}}
But in Southeast Asia where,  the
owners of Miracle Grow,  originally

{{00:03:39}}
tried to expand,  without making any
adaptations, they discovered that

{{00:03:45}}
their product wasn't selling at all.

{{00:03:47}}
And mainly this was a
function of the color green.

{{00:03:51}}
And the color green on the packaging
means rot like jungle rot, fungal rot.

{{00:03:57}}
So miracle grow learned the hard way
that the color actually really matters.

{{00:04:02}}
It communicates quality, but it
communicates meaning as well.

{{00:04:07}}
Other things around localization that's
important if you think about Starbucks,

{{00:04:12}}
they have a very pro,  popular product
in the United States, which is called

{{00:04:15}}
the Tentra, which an Italian means 30.

{{00:04:18}}
It's a 30 ounce cup, which just
to put it, that into context, is

{{00:04:24}}
a full bottle of wine and a few
more,  ounces on top of that.

{{00:04:29}}
Now, that's a popular size in the US.

{{00:04:32}}
However, when it showed up on
counters in Europe, roughly a

{{00:04:36}}
decade ago, consumers didn't really
understand why anyone would be

{{00:04:41}}
interested in a drink of that size.

{{00:04:44}}
And all it did was communicated
to european markets and consumers,

{{00:04:50}}
we don't understand you.

{{00:04:52}}
We think you're gonna like
what works well in America.

{{00:04:55}}
And by the way, the Supersize Me
debate was raging at the time.

{{00:04:59}}
And it just demonstrated a
lack of listening,  and perhaps

{{00:05:03}}
even a cultural imposition.

{{00:05:05}}
So it's really important that you
do your homework,  and that you

{{00:05:09}}
know what it is you need to change
for different parts of the world.

{{00:05:19}}
One of the things that's really
important in other channels,  so

{{00:05:23}}
besides retail, for example,  that you
really need to consider whether you

{{00:05:28}}
are online, you're bricks and mortar,
your professional services firm.

{{00:05:33}}
One of the things that varies hugely
from place to place is responsiveness.

{{00:05:39}}
So there are expectations in
different parts of the world about

{{00:05:42}}
being able to phone,  and speak
to a human,  when, for example,

{{00:05:47}}
you're buying something online that
matters in several markets, where

{{00:05:51}}
as it doesn't matter in some others,
certainly,  in the United States and

{{00:05:55}}
Western Europe, it really matters.

{{00:05:57}}
You need to have a phone number.

{{00:05:59}}
You need to be able to
have,  perhaps a chat feature.

{{00:06:02}}
And that matters in, in this part
of the world, whereas in some other

{{00:06:06}}
markets, Southeast Asia Middle East,
it's not necessarily that important.

{{00:06:11}}
What's more important is promises
about delivery dates being honored.

{{00:06:15}}
So,  you know, adaptations of
that nature are quite important.

{{00:06:21}}
But, you know, there's some studies
about what matters,  in marketing.

{{00:06:25}}
What are the key
criteria,  that matter.

{{00:06:28}}
And one of those is responsiveness.

{{00:06:30}}
Another one is assurance.

{{00:06:32}}
It's the guarantees behind your online
product or service behind your physical

{{00:06:38}}
good if it's maybe an electronic item.

{{00:06:41}}
And there's a number of other things
that really count when you are

{{00:06:45}}
wanting to be successful around the
globe, not just in your home market.

Now there's some studies about
what matters,  in marketing,

what are the key criteria, and
one of those is responsiveness.

It's the guarantees behind
your online product or service.

And there's a number of other things
that really count when you are

wanting to be successful around the
globe, not just in your home market.

I'm CEO at International Marketing
Partners, and I set this business

up in 1991 really to help
companies grow internationally.

So besides authoring a bestselling book
called Working With Americans,  I've

helped over 260 businesses across 27
countries,  who are really keen to

make sure that they are profitably
expanding across geographies,  and

avoiding some of the many pitfalls,
that could get in their way.

You know, manybrands  are looking at
ways to internationalize,  and really

what we're talking about is making
sure that they  are globally relevant

And one of the challenges for leaders
and businesses is the fact that

they often think they have to do
one over the other when actually.

So you have to have the core part
of your value proposition that

can play everywhere,  whether
it's a product or service.

And then you have an element that you
can localize, whether it's language

But you need to make sure that
you do both at the same time.

Because if you only do one over the
other,  you're gonna either be relevant

in a very small market or you're gonna
be irrelevant everywhere so that's

You know, even though,  we have a
kind of global culture, you could

argue,  in certain parts of the world,
not everywhere,  you may wonder is it

even,  relevant to be talking about
internationalization and getting this

But it's incredibly
important that you do both.

So even though there might be a
monoculture around the world, you

know, Levi's for example, McDonald's
brands that are everywhere,  you

might think that of course,
they haven't had to localize,

So, for example, with
McDonald's,  their menus

They have Mexican items in Southern
California where I'm from,  they have

So while you might have some
stuff that's core and might appeal

everywhere, you still have to
make sure that you, you know,

adapt,  to different cultures
in different parts of the world.

You know, when people think about,  how
do you, what do you need to localize?

So there's a very famous
product,  that is a plant

And the colors on their pack are
green, white, yellow, and black.

But in Southeast Asia where,  the
owners of Miracle Grow,  originally

tried to expand,  without making any
adaptations, they discovered that

And mainly this was a
function of the color green.

And the color green on the packaging
means rot like jungle rot, fungal rot.

So miracle grow learned the hard way
that the color actually really matters.

It communicates quality, but it
communicates meaning as well.

Other things around localization that's
important if you think about Starbucks,

they have a very pro,  popular product
in the United States, which is called

It's a 30 ounce cup, which just
to put it, that into context, is

a full bottle of wine and a few
more,  ounces on top of that.

However, when it showed up on
counters in Europe, roughly a

decade ago, consumers didn't really
understand why anyone would be

And all it did was communicated
to european markets and consumers,

We think you're gonna like
what works well in America.

And by the way, the Supersize Me
debate was raging at the time.

And it just demonstrated a
lack of listening,  and perhaps

So it's really important that you
do your homework,  and that you

know what it is you need to change
for different parts of the world.

One of the things that's really
important in other channels,  so

besides retail, for example,  that you
really need to consider whether you

are online, you're bricks and mortar,
your professional services firm.

One of the things that varies hugely
from place to place is responsiveness.

So there are expectations in
different parts of the world about

being able to phone,  and speak
to a human,  when, for example,

you're buying something online that
matters in several markets, where

as it doesn't matter in some others,
certainly,  in the United States and

You need to be able to
have,  perhaps a chat feature.

And that matters in, in this part
of the world, whereas in some other

markets, Southeast Asia Middle East,
it's not necessarily that important.

What's more important is promises
about delivery dates being honored.

So,  you know, adaptations of
that nature are quite important.

But, you know, there's some studies
about what matters,  in marketing.

It's the guarantees behind your online
product or service behind your physical

Expert Insight

When it comes to taking your brand global, it's not enough just to translate your marketing strategy into a new language. Companies need to find ways to adapt their strategy to the cultural nuances in different parts of the world.
Allyson Stewart-Allen, award-winning educator, advisor and author, explains some of the key things to work through if you want to grow internationally.

Marketing

Brand

Marketing insights

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Allyson Stewart-Allen

Author

According to Stewart-Allen, companies can be local and globally relevant at the same time - localising their brands for different markets.  

The benefits of brand internationalisation

Despite a globalised culture, Stewart-Allen explains that there is still tension between local and global markets.  

And the challenges...

Stewart-Allen shares some case studies of how brands choose to localise in specific regions. 

How marketing can succeed globally

Adapting to local culture can be about more that marketing. Stewart-Allen gives the example of customer service, where human interaction is crucial in some cultures, but less important in others.