How brands win or fail by getting local right.
When Localisation goes wrong, brand value can take a real hit. But what is Localisation? Well, it’s something we’re passionate about and believe can play a key role in all marketing, irrespective of scale.
It’s obvious that global brands should prioritise research before launching to foreign markets. What works for one country and culture, doesn’t always work in others. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of examples of localisation fails – Dominos trying to sell US-style pizzas in Italy, or HSBC promoting themselves with the tagline “Do Nothing” (poor language translation accounts for most failures: KFC’s “Eat Your Fingers” in China, Jolly Green Giant’s “Intimidating Green Ogre” when translated into Arabic, and Clairol’s Mist Stick becomes “Manure Stick” in German).
As you would expect, most savvy brands tailor their products and services to suit their markets.
Did you know there’s been over 300 limited-edition flavours of KitKat in Japan? Yep, York’s famous export gained such popularity thanks in part to its name resembling the Japanese phrase “Kitty Katsu” which means “Definitely Win”. Gifting a KitKat to loved ones gradually became a symbol of good luck. Since the special edition green tea flavour launched in 2004, there’s been purple sweet potato, wasabi, Yubari melon, mascarpone, rice wine, Miso, Cherry Blossom, and Japanese Plum flavoured KitKats to name a few.
Similarly, Lego employ localisation by developing sets with cultural relevancy, Spotify, Netflix and other global streaming platforms adjust cover images and content to appeal to specific audiences – it makes sense.
So why wouldn’t such a tailored approach work at national, regional and hyperlocal levels? It does. In the UK, local pride (and rivalry) can be found at regional, county, district, town, village, and even street level, just look at sports team allegiances as an example. Retail stock management is dictated by local differences, so why would advertising and marketing be any different?
A local promotion with the headline “See The Garibaldis in UHD” may have boosted sales at Richer Sounds in Nottingham last month.
Maybe a social campaign “So what if it rains on your parade?” from the Next store in Brighton could increase rainbow umbrella sales this August.
These might sound cryptic, but they’ll be compelling for those who know.
The opportunity for brand localisation can be found in most sectors, being agile enough to take advantage and activate such promotions with authenticity and speed is the key. We’ve got the key. We’ve got the secret. (As Urban Cookie Collective once said)
We Are Acuity have over 25 years experience in driving local retail for independent and multi-location brands , you can learn more about the services we offer by clicking here.
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