Marketing Tools, Moves, and Methods for Companies Aiming for Global Marketing Impact: A Conversation Around a Strong Localization Strategy
The expanding global business sphere, facilitated by interconnectivity, open access, and business-friendly policies, has made it easier for businesses to explore their entrepreneurial spirit on the global platform and, subsequently, has increased the appetite of even small businesses to aggressively pursue brand growth.
The global business framework has evolved such that even the smallest teams can now passionately pursue clients overseas, land deals with them, and proudly provide services that until now were relegated to their domestic markets.
While this spells good news for every business and brand looking to expand their business reach, these opportunities also line up the challenge of preparing for launch, stability, sustainability, and growth in a market where every challenge may be new.
We asked business leaders and industry experts from across the globe about the best marketing tools, moves, and methods to help companies aiming for global marketing impact tackle these challenges, and the responses we received were insightful, pragmatic, and overwhelmingly generous.
So, we added two expert roundups to make this a series!
While we heartily recommend that you check out these expert roundup posts when you get the chance, stick around to explore this conversation first!
Here, we explore how a strong localization strategy (strongly recommended by most leaders and experts) helps your business connect with new audiences and lays out a roadmap that drives your brand into new territories uninhibitedly.
Why is it Imperative to Drive Local Influence for Global Impact?
Local influence and global impact seem quite contradictory at first glance, don’t they? And yet, it is this paradox that drives a brand to global success.
As Allan McNabb, VP at Image Building Media puts it, “When companies take the time to localize, they resonate better with international audiences and gain trust more quickly.” We couldn’t have said it better!
“When companies take the time to localize, they resonate better with international audiences and gain trust more quickly.”
It is crucial to understand that even though you’re eyeing a global outreach for your brand, the cultural nuances, values, customs, and styles of every market are unique and set in their own ways. If you do not localize, your message will seem alien and out of place, and even if your product or service is just what they need, the clients and customers may be inclined to reject it because they do not connect with your brand or do not trust your intent.
As Mohit Thakur, Marketer at Bhullar Digital Marketing Inc., puts it. “When a company starts to sell in other countries, adjusting its marketing approach is a good strategy. It starts with matching the language, culture, and preferences of the market. It’s not just about translating words, It’s about truly understanding what appeals to the people in that region. By taking the time to adapt your marketing in this way, you can build trust and show respect for the local culture.”
Kerstin Kramer, thanks to her role as CEO of Premier Focus Translations, understands the power of translation, both literally and figuratively. After all, entering a new market and translating all that your business stands for to fit into the narrative of a local market is what a business is essentially out to accomplish.
“Localization taps into the unique cultural nuances, preferences, and trends of each market. By tailoring a company’s marketing materials—like websites and social media posts—to reflect local values, they build trust and create a genuine connection with potential customers. This personal touch can really enhance how their brand is perceived,” says Kerstin.
While understanding cultural relevance helps understand nuances and sensibilities, avoid the confusion of direct translations and interpretations, and avoid unintended yet damaging misinterpretations that cause offense, other benefits like improved user experience, increased reach and engagement, and the competitive advantage that investing in local influence give you is unmatched. There’s also the compliance and regulatory factor that varies in different markets and is as essential as the marketing aspect.
“Tailoring your product, marketing materials, and even website to fit the culture, language, and preferences of each target market is critical. Global marketing isn’t a one-size-fits-all scenario,” proclaims Allan, and we agree.
Alright, We Get It. A Localization Strategy is Crucial. Now, How Do We Go About It?
Allow us to now reveal a brilliant idea (we are even left wondering why this isn’t the modus operandi yet!) shared by Laimonas Naradaukas, Director of Smarter Digital Marketing
“Skip traditional market research. Instead, invest in cultural immersion for your team. Ship them off to live like locals for a month in your target market. Let them experience the frustrations, the joys, and the daily rhythms of life there.”
“Forget surveys and focus groups; those are outdated. Real market insight comes from understanding the unspoken nuances of a culture—how people shop, what they value, and what they despise.“
Laimonas lays down reasons to validate this out-of-the-box solution. “Because algorithms and analytics can only get you so far. Numbers don’t speak the local dialect; they don’t know the emotional triggers embedded in a culture’s history. Immersive experience, however, builds a deeper, almost intuitive understanding of the market, which is far more valuable than any data set.”
Andrew Johnson, Digital Strategist at Giveaways hands us one way to do it by sharing an experience.
“When entering the Latin American market, my company had translations of the website and marketing material into Spanish. We also had slight product packaging modifications with the inclusion of cultural images. This helped us connect with the locals on an emotional level and tended to increase our sales to a great extent,” says Andrew.
But before we do all this, Elyn-Aisin Lim, Brand Director at ELEHEAR, reiterates the importance of research and data.
“I would recommend a tool like Nielsen Global Connect, which provides detailed consumer behavior insights, helping businesses tailor their marketing accordingly,” says Elyn-Aisin. “Once you’ve gathered this data, a method I’d highly recommend is localization, which is making your product/service feel local to international audiences. This includes language translation, adapting the visuals, and tweaking your messaging to resonate with local sentiments.
Dan Ben-Nun, CEO & Founder of Adspace, suggests the local influencer route.
“Working with local influencers is a powerful method, especially when entering new markets, because it taps into the trust and influence that local influencers have already established with their audience. This makes it easier for your brand to gain credibility in the new market.”
“Local influencers deeply understand the local culture, language, and consumer behavior. They can develop content that resonates deeply with your target audience, ensuring your brand’s messaging is truly localized. They can also provide invaluable insights into their followers’ unique preferences and expectations, allowing you to refine your offer or marketing strategies to fit the local market better,” says Dan.
Fractional CMO Juliana Walckoff lays out the influencer plan too, saying”By partnering with local influencers and content creators, you can tap into their established trust and credibility within the target market. These influencers have already built a loyal following, and their endorsement of your brand can significantly boost awareness and credibility.”
“The beauty of this strategy lies in its ability to create authentic connections with the local audience, allowing your brand to resonate more deeply.” Juliana concludes.
And the Results of Driving Local to Go Global? Here are a Few!
The outcome of these efforts, in this case shared by Laimonas, is clear, too.
“A marketing campaign that actually resonates. Expect higher engagement, brand loyalty, and the holy grail of marketing: word of mouth that spreads organically. When your team truly gets the market, they create campaigns that aren’t just effective—they’re unforgettable.”
“So, go ahead, break the mold, and let your team become the market before they try to conquer it,” says this leader who helps businesses enhance their online presence and achieve measurable growth,” proclaims Laimonas.
Allan points out, “The result of a strong localization strategy is increased engagement and brand loyalty.” This VP’s observation reiterates that “customers are more likely to connect with brands that speak their language—both literally and figuratively.”
“These strategies not only enhance customer engagement but also foster trust, enabling a brand to effectively penetrate new markets and achieve a substantial global marketing impact. Engaging locally while thinking globally has been instrumental in my experience while building brand strategies in multicultural contexts,” says Elyn-Aisin.
David Wilfong, Founder & CEO of DavidWilfong.com discusses how “localized content ensures that marketing campaigns are relevant and impactful, avoiding the pitfalls of a one-size-fits-all strategy.”
“By using localization, businesses can bridge cultural gaps, making their brand feel more familiar and trustworthy to international audiences. This approach not only boosts engagement but also enhances brand loyalty across diverse markets, observes David.
The TecHighQ Team Chimes In!
At TecHighQ, we’ve leveraged the advantages of localization firsthand, and have witnessed its benefits when clients have adapted to a marketing strategy that resonates with diverse audiences and unlock the complete business potential of promising global markets.
While brand awareness, increased conversations, and a high-impact entry are obvious benefits, the trust this approach fosters and how it makes it easier for a local market to embrace a brand they haven’t heard about before are the real advantages that help a brand firmly entrench itself and grow.
So, find the right team to help you navigate the complexities of localization, and your business can achieve maximum global marketing impact too!
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