A great global marketing strategy gives brands an instantly recognisable identity. This thinking was epitomised by Harvard Business School professor Theodore Levitt, who argued in his 1983 HBR article, “The Globalization of Markets,” that corporations should exploit the “economics of simplicity” by selling standardised products all over the world. We all recognise the values of global brands and, from a cost and communication standpoint, can appreciate the desire for standardised activity across all countries.

However, as people seek to assert their own individual identities, this trend has been countered by an increased desire for localisation and personalisation. As the world economy continues to integrate, these issues are becoming ever more prevalent. It’s therefore important for marketeers not to forget the importance of thinking local.

The majority of our marketing content is created and translated centrally by our EMEA Headquarters, and is then reviewed by in-country staff, such as product managers or marketing teams, to ensure it translates and resonates well with local markets. We also encourage other content such as press releases and campaigns to be created at a local level – it’s here that the insight and understanding of the market’s unique local needs are invaluable.

The four key steps for every brand localisation strategy

There are, of course, financial and timing challenges that brands will face when taking this approach. With this in mind, here are four key steps to creating a localisation strategy:

1. Pick your partners 

Formalise your supplier strategy. For example, will you use one or multiple central suppliers, or perhaps a network of local preferred suppliers, selected by subject matter expertise? There isn’t a right or wrong answer - brands need to choose what works best for their business.

2. Take a case-by-case approach: consider what type of localisation to apply.

There are a number of ways to approach different assets, for example:

  • Copy-writing - writing copy directly into the local language where intent, style, tone and context are pre-agreed. 
  • Transcreation – creative translating using the master only as a reference point i.e. avoiding literal translation. 
  • Marketing translation – translating using a qualified human translator, adding a marketing “polish” to the copy. A sample local review would typically be carried out. 
  • Machine translation - translating using statistical methods and translation memory for a direct translation by a trained machine. Depending on the target audience, the copy can then be reviewed by a human translator or left in its “raw” state.
3. Challenge it
 
Each asset or piece of content will have a different need to be localised, some will be more appropriate to certain markets than others. In some countries, leaving the content in English may be sufficient, or even preferable. There may also be different criteria involved in this decision such as legal requirements.
 
4. Consider tools and technology 
 
What systems could help with the process? The use of Translation Memory (TM) tools which aid human translation can speed up the process. For a seamless process we provide training on our Translation Management workflow tool, which is used to translate and approve content across EMEA.
 
Simply translating a campaign or piece of content that was successful in one market won’t guarantee success in another. To be a great global brand, companies need to be a great local brand. Marketeers need to consider the unique demands of local audiences - the cultural nuances and colloquialisms – whilst simultaneously ensuring the brand’s values and voice are consistent. Combining sophisticated data analysis and other technologies with an organisational model that blends the efficiencies of centralised management with the responsiveness of local autonomy will ultimately lead to success.
 
Today, the most successful brands understand that their global messaging has to be combined with an understanding of local markets’ culture and tastes. By formalising a localisation strategy, brands can ensure their marketing approach is based on a strong understanding of these markets’ unique characteristics and needs, which combined with a universal voice, engages all target audiences.

 

By Massimo Macarti, senior vice president of corporate communications and marketing services, at Canon Europe

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