.LEEGORMAN
BRAND STRATEGIST • CREATIVE DIRECTOR
The adage ‘to go global, you have to think local’ is still true, but it's the digital revolution that's truly transforming the game. With the digital revolution charging ahead, borders have blurred, and the need for a more unified ‘global’ brand that’s relevant everywhere becomes greater.
The speed with which a brand message circulates the web is staggering. While the words and points of reference may need to be tweaked for each country and culture, the brand must adhere to a single philosophy – a global brand regardless of location.
Should Start-up Companies think of “Global Branding”
‘Global’ should be more than a buzzword; it should be a key phrase ingrained in your company’s culture from the beginning. The philosophy of your culture should also remain consistent, regardless of where you’re targeting. The strongest global brands are ones that have the same name in each country: Nike, Coke, Apple, etc.
Ideally, the brand name you choose should be one that doesn’t require translation. So, a made-up word or a compound word can be a good idea—Comcast, Icon, etc. However, suppose your brand name reflects a key benefit of your service. In that case, you may want to consider translating it for other markets, though multiple brand names will require more effort to manage ahead. Borders have become blurred. The need for a more unified ‘global’ brand that’s relevant everywhere becomes greater.
The speed with which a brand message circulates the web is staggering. While the words and points of reference may need to be tweaked for each country and culture, the brand must adhere to a single philosophy – a global brand regardless of location.
Should Start-up Companies think “Global Branding”
‘Global’ should be a key phrase ingrained in your company’s culture from the beginning. The philosophy of your culture should also remain consistent, regardless of where you’re targeting. The strongest global brands are ones that have the same name in each country: Nike, Coke, Apple, etc.
Building your brand, consider a world view rather than differences. Values such as happiness, peace, love, and friendship are universal, and by building such values into a brand, it becomes much more relevant globally.
Marketing across oceans – Start-ups may be apprehensive about the term ‘global’, especially when you are still building domestically. However, the journey to building a global brand is not just about overcoming challenges, it's about embracing the potential for success. The time will come when you need to take a leap of faith, whether it’s one sales representative or a co-partner distribution chain worldwide.
Building a successful global brand involves the separate entities of a company working together as a unit. So, while your marketing campaigns may be managed and launched locally, your offices around the world will work together for the proper synergy across the brand.
Global/Local working together – Local brand building is not just important, it's the cornerstone of your company. It's the foundation from which all the branches reach out globally. While your brand foundation will be evident in all your markets, the actual words you use need to be different and it’s a simple fact that some concepts don’t translate between cultures. Your local teams are the ones who understand these nuances, making their role in the global brand's success invaluable.
You may need to consider the right translator with the right tone, which is essentially copywriting in a foreign language because you always need to understand and appreciate the original message and how it reflects a company’s brand.
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