Marketing Between the Lines: The Importance of Localisation in Achieving Success in Foreign Markets

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• Marketing Between the LinesThe Importance of
  Localisation in Achieving Success in Foreign
  Markets
• Gary Muddyman
• CEO and Founder, Conversis

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Localising Marketing Communications

• Why now?
• The case for and against.
• Language and culture.
• Common mistakes.
• Process.
• Localisation issues.
• The amusing bit!
• Open forum.

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Why Now?

• Reduced trade barriers.
• Rapid technological advances.
• New distribution channels.
• Globalisation of distribution channels.
• Rapid product innovation.
• Cross-border alliances.
• Improved economies of scale.
• Product homogenisation.
• There is no homogenous global culture.
• Globalisation versus homogenisation

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Global Internet Statistics
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Global Internet Statistics
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Will you localise?

• Product specific collateral
• Corporate messaging
• Press releases
• Advertising
• Direct mail
• Websites
• SEO
• Packaging
• Etc. etc.

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The Case Against Localising

• Centrally controlled brands.
• Consistency in messaging.
• Costs.
• Time to market.
• Simship demands.
• Make life easy!

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The Case For Localising

• Maximise export income.
• Competitive benefits.
• Market maximisation.
• Attractive local products.
• Brand loyalty.
• Brand protection.
• Customer relations.
• Its the law!
• Not everybody speaks English!

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ROI

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Business Structure

• Exporting from country of origin
• Joint venture
• Licensing patent rights
• Franchising
• Foreign subsidiaries
• Agents/Distributors

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Customer Sensing and Localisation

• By definition, more difficult the further we get
  from the centre
• Cooperation between local and the centre is
  critical.
• How to create behaviourally loyal customers
  overseas.
• Language and culture an added dimension.
• Transactional data vs emotional data
• Time zones, currency, language.
• Compliance privacy laws.

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Localisation Challenges Language

• 75 of internet users dont have English as a
  first language.
• Linguistic competence.
• Accepted trade terminology.
• How to retain the creativity of concepts.
• Some words are so significant they cant be word
  for word translated.
• Audi's "Vorsprung durch Technik", which wouldn't
  translate well into English ("progress through
  technology")
• BMW's English taglines "The Ultimate Driving
  Machine" and "Sheer Driving Pleasure". The
  original German slogan is "Freude am Fahren",
  which translates to "Joy in Driving" in English.

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Localisation Challenges Culture

• Perceptions vary in different parts of the world.
• Value
• Importance
• Money
• Risk
• Time
• Space
• Gender
• Power
• Sex
• We are products of our social norms and life
  experiences.

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Common Mistakes

• Chasing the success of the worlds superbrands.
• Confuse tradition with culture.
• Stereotyping.
• Missing the similarities.
• Insufficient research.
• Inflexibility in planning and implementation.
• Localisation as an afterthought in the
  development cycle.
• Over simplifying.
• Over complicating!
• Non participation of local managers
• Cheap words, expensive messages!

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The Localisation Process

• Creation of global business and product
  strategies.
• Market and competitive analysis.
• Evaluate PEST factors locally.
• Standardisation versus localisation.
• Management of content.
• Communications plan.
• Think Global act local.
• Brief partners.
• TIME!!!

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Localisation Issues

• Language subject and discipline expertise.
• Culture and customs.
• Social norms.
• Legal and regulatory framework.
• Local taxation and fiscal rules.
• Local infrastructures.
• Local market conditions.
• Competition.
• Local distribution.

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Infamous Localisation Faux Pas

• Gerber, the name of the famous baby food maker,
  is also the French word for vomiting. It becomes
  a bit limiting when you go global
• In the late '70s, the American computer company
  Wang was puzzled why its British branch refused
  to use its latest motto "Wang Cares
• Irish Mist didn't do well in Germany. It was
  marketed with the semi-Germanised Irischer Mist,
  which would translate back to English as Irish
  dung.
• Unnamed US cookie (Biscuit) producer distributed
  a leaflet Win a Milano Weekend! ...with an
  illustration of the Eiffel Tower

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Infamous Localisation Faux Pas (cont.)

• Copenhagen airline ticket office We take your
  bags and send them in all directions.
• In Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan
  "finger-lickin' good" came out as "eat your
  fingers off."
• Nike offended Muslims in June, 1997 when the
  "flaming air" logo for its Nike Air trainers
  looked too similar to the Arabic form of God's
  name, "Allah". Nike pulled more than 38,000 pairs
  of trainers from the market.

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Conclusion

• Develop a clear brand strategy.
• Be flexible and open.
• Understand your objectives
• Understand your market hard and soft issues.
• Do the research.
• Plan and leave sufficient time.
• Pay your market the compliment!
• Stay close to local representatives.
• Dont cut corners and costs.

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• gary.muddyman_at_conversisglobal.com