Building Stronger Brands: Embracing Local Flavour In A Global World

Ever pondered how some global giants manage to resonate deeply in local markets while some completely miss the mark? Stay global or adapt to the local market; this question is one many marketers have mulled over decades. As brands increasingly adopt a global outlook, the answer of local adaptation versus global consistency remains essential. In this article, we'll seek to explore diverse perspectives and uncover the strategies behind the success of these global powerhouses. Let's dive in

The Big Question: Go Global or Stay Local?

Here's the big question for any global brand: Do you come in with your global identity and try to make it fit everywhere, or do you adapt your brand to each local market?

On one hand, a brand needs to stand for the same values and purpose everywhere. On the other, it must respect the local quirks—the different habits and expectations of people in each market​​.

The Power of a Strong Brand

Let’s start with a simple truth: The stronger the brand, the more profitable it is.

There’s a direct link between building a strong brand and making money​​. Look at the top eight brands—they grow fast because they offer exceptional experiences and have strong values.

These brands don’t just have customers; they have loyal fans who trust them and spend more on their products​​.

The Challenge for Global Brands

For global brands, the challenge is deciding how much to adapt to local markets. Should they keep a strong global image or make local adjustments?

Brands that look global can often seem more prestigious to consumers. Being perceived as being global can have greater stature with consumers. But if they don’t connect with local culture, they might seem out of touch​​ and appear to lack responsiveness.

Think of Procter & Gamble’s mistake when they launched Pampers in Japan. They used packaging with a stork delivering a baby, which is a common story in the West. But in Japan, babies are said to come from giant peaches. The packaging didn’t resonate with Japanese parents because it didn’t respect their local folklore​​.

A similar example is when the global giant KFC got into the Chinese market. While their classic tagline “Finger Lickin Good” is a phrase that makes us all crave their tasty kitchen, when it hit China, it turned into something more like "Eat Your Fingers Off". This is what happens when the intricacies of the local dialect is ignored.

The Balance: Mixing Global and Local

Is the solution to focus only on local adaptation? A local approach can help brands grow faster and get better returns on investment but it can also lead to inconsistencies​​ that grow over time causing a level of dissonance particularly now that we live in a global digital village.

It’s easy to see opportunities in local differences and nuances; but this can sometimes come at the cost of eagerly creating a cornucopia of local initiatives that aren’t being held together by a common thread and as a result dilute the equity of global brands.

Like in everything in life, the truth always lies somewhere in the middle. Managing global brands done right exists at the intersection of global coherence and consistency and local relevance and meaningfulness - Antonis Kocheilas, Global CEO, Ogilvy Advertising

Afro-Fusion: A Perfect Example of the middle ground

Let’s talk about Afro-Fusion, a great example of mixing global and local elements. Nigerian artists have blended their local Afro beats with popular global music styles like reggae, hip-hop, and soul. This mix has been a welcome bit of air within the international landscape for the past couple of years pushing our artists into the stratosphere of fame​​.

Consider Joy Meribe, a Nigerian designer who opened Milan Fashion Week a couple of years ago with his Afro-Fusion collection. Or Hollywood, which is more and more using African cultures and stories to create movies and shows that appeal to global audiences. These examples show how brands can stay true to local culture while maintaining high international standards​​.

So like most things, the best approach is to find a balance—keeping a consistent global message while also being relevant and meaningful locally​​.

The Glo-cal Approach: A Winning Strategy

The Glo-cal approach is simply where brands keep their core values and main campaigns consistent globally, but they adapt to local cultures and preferences. Think of it as a global brand with a local touch​​. This way, a brand can have a central identity but also connect deeply with people in different markets.

How to Make the Glo-cal Model Work

To make the Glo-cal approach work, start with great local insights. You need to be present in the local market to understand what people really want​​.

It starts with great insights. Everyone remembers the banter better campaign by Coca Cola. A campaign that spoke to the local nuances as much as it catered to their global platform of happiness and connections. These kinds of locally relevant insights can only be mined with physical presence in the local market. You can’t gems like these looking in from the outside

Collaboration is also key. Working with top talent from around the world helps blend local flavor with international quality. For example, Hollywood has done this with African stories, creating content that is locally meaningful and globally appealing​​.

Originality is just as important. As we’ve also seen from the Hollywood African stories renaissance, we can also take charge of telling relevant local stories in line with international executional standards

Final Thoughts

We’ve all heard this: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” It’s been said so much that we’ve lost track of what it means. It’s simple really. If your strategy isn’t rooted in local culture, it won’t succeed. To build strong brands that resonate everywhere, you need to find the right balance between global consistency and local relevance.

Here’s to building stronger, more connected brands that thrive locally and globally!

Author

Ifeoluwa Tabi

Deputy Group Head, Strategy and Planning

Noah’s Ark Communications