Success in International Business by Going Global & Staying Local

Global branding is not a cheap activity or an unassuming task. Building brands without thoughtful boundaries like Apple, Coca-Cola, LG, Sony, Samsung or Dell is no longer the game of the future.

The dominant effect of making a robust brand image lies in that everyone takes a shot at transmuting their start-up into a multinational corporation that one loves and advocates for.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into the nitty and gritty of global branding, and learn to leverage and inspect some distinct examples of global branding.

As globalization is becoming more and more evident with every passing day as geographical boundaries disappear, more and more companies are starting to consider global branding as the next step towards expansion.

Companies with global branding and positioning use a similar approach in offering and ratifying their products and services. On the contrary, others adapt their brand distinctiveness, including packaging and even the product itself (for example, flavours), to the local market due to macro-environmental factors, e.g., socio-cultural differences.

Branding in International Marketing requires attention in the areas like:

1. The message. Organizations involved in International Business must follow social trends, customs and culture of a given region, adjust their marketing communication to help it better resonate with the people and evoke the needed plethora of sentiments.

2. The pricing policy. This is another primary aspect of the global branding strategy that changes to fit the target market’s purchasing capacity.

3. The product mix. Products require some aspects to be modified to better fit the customers’ preferences and expectations of the targeted region.

4. The business model. Differences in local regulations, tax structures, culture, and trends, may force companies to change their business model to find a better positioning in the regional market.

Case Study:

McDonald fizzled in Vietnam, but that does not mean it is not one of the brightest representatives of global branding. It possesses a leading position in internalization, with yearly revenue of $21.076 billion, and serves over 70 million customers daily through more than 38,000 restaurants in over 120 countries. 

The company is famous for its standardization marketing strategy. However, they smartly combine standardization with localization by introducing flavours and tastes that are native to the country to adapt to the local market.

Since many nuances need to be taken into account, big brands like McDonald’s teach us that earning your slice of the global pie is a true challenge in a global market.

Parting thoughts

For companies having international business operations, localization is a crucial part of global branding adaptation. It is the act of acclimating elements of your brand identity to the selected region.

It is a full-scale adaptation that triggers global marketing initiatives and helps the company dovetail into the new environment, considering social values, economy, technology, legislation, culture, customs, and even current trends within the particular region. Success is around the corner when we realise the need to upskill and pursue an MBA in International Business in the age of globalisation.