By Angelo Ponzi, Fractional CMO, The Ponzi Group

Creating a global brand and messaging strategy makes good business sense. When executed correctly, it can dramatically expand your consumer base and boost your bottom line. Even if your brand is currently limited to a local or regional market, it’s never too soon to start thinking globally. A brand’s image or reputation can quickly become known worldwide with just one post, share, tweet, or pin.

However, many brands launch global campaigns each year, only to watch them fail. Why? The primary reason is often a lack of understanding about the markets and audiences the brand is trying to reach.

To develop a winning global brand messaging strategy, keep these 5 points in mind:

• Translation
• Humor
• Know where you stand and find common ground
• Be sensitive to cultural differences
• Do your homework
• Conclusion

 

1. Translation

When Pepsi entered the Chinese market, their slogan “Pepsi Brings You Back to Life” was translated as “Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back from the Grave.” Not quite the message the company intended to convey. Similarly, when Schweppes Tonic Water launched its campaign in Italy, the translated name became "Schweppes Toilet Water."

Yikes.

A literal translation of your message or brand name might land you in hot water (or toilet water). Skillful translation considers more than just the literal meaning of words and phrases; it also accounts for idiomatic expressions, metaphors, slang, and cultural references. In other words, your brand messaging needs to be translated by knowledgeable humans, not bots

 

2. Humor

What’s hilarious in one country or culture might be cringey somewhere else. Jokes and wordplay rarely survive the journey from one language to another. Even within the same language, humor can struggle to cross borders. Consider a slapstick British TV spot that makes UK viewers laugh out loud but leaves U.S. consumers scratching their heads.

Humor is influenced by cultural values, etiquette, language, dialects, and the socio-economic context of the audience. These elements are crucial to research when developing campaign strategies and creative executions

 

3. Know where you stand and find common ground

Are you a challenger in one international market and a leader in another? Your communication with your target audience will depend on your market position, making it even more challenging to identify a distinctive message that is globally relevant.

To address this, identify a common motivation or need across cultures that speaks to your audience’s aspirations, not just your brand’s product benefits. This approach ensures that the overall culture of the brand remains constant and familiar to audiences worldwide

 

4. Be sensitive to cultural differences

Global campaigns often fail by not considering cultural differences between markets. As mentioned, cultural distinctions can influence how humor is received, but they extend beyond that. Culture also impacts how target audiences approach a product category.

For example, if you’re selling cleaning products for mopping floors, in one culture, mopping floors with cleaning products might be totally acceptable. In another, the concept of mopping a floor could be foreign, requiring a more subtle or educational approach.

 

5. Do your homework

To lay the foundation for global success, research your brand in both current and planned markets. Investigate your competitors as well to understand how they have succeeded or failed. Knowing where you stand and where you intend to go in relation to your competitors is crucial for creating a solid global brand strategy.

Invest the time and money to understand your target audience for both short-term and long-term global growth. You might only conquer the world a few countries at a time, but familiarizing yourself with the global landscape is essential. Eventually, you’ll be ready to expand into new markets, and the research you did upfront will serve you well.

 

Conclusion

Creating a global brand messaging strategy is delicate and painstaking work. However, when you follow all the proper steps with the right team and marketing hires, the results can be incredibly rewarding.

 

About the Author

Angelo Ponzi is a marketing and branding strategist that works with small to middle market companies as their fractional Chief Marketing Officer. He helps companies to define market opportunities, and develop competitive profiles, audience personas, brand realignment and strategies. He also creates strategic, integrated marketing plans that help businesses compete in an ever-changing marketplace. Through his company The Ponzi Group, Angelo focuses on three strategic pillars for success: Insights, Brand and Plan to develop effective and efficient programs for building enduring brands and sustainable business growth. Angelo is a Charter Member of GigX.

 

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