Top Tips On International Marketing

12/10/09

By James Hollan, Executive Director, Globalisation and Localisation Association (GALA)

For British businesses to successfully take advantage of future growth opportunities in foreign markets, they must ensure that all communication materials are culturally customised. While language tends to be the main focus of companies, the fact is that lack of knowledge about cultural differences can render any marketing campaign unsuccessful. The non-profit Globalisation and Localisation Association (GALA) offers some top tips on international marketing.

o Communicating locally is critical when trying to expand marketing programmes internationally.

o It's not just about translating a few pieces of marketing collateral. It's about...

...understanding the differences in culture, currency, religion, packaging for example. Language is just one part of the challenge though. It is critical to accept that there is no such thing as marketing "to Europe" or "to Asia." Each country has a very unique culture that will manifest itself in varying degrees of demand for your different products and in many cases will require different messaging to truly be compelling.

o Localisation needs to be part of the international marketing mix right from the beginning

o Put the consumer first, do your research and design your campaign to address their needs and sensitivities. When going global, that means understanding the reality of the multilingual, multicultural marketplace and not just extrapolating domestic market behavior to achieve international success

o Translating your website into several languages will enable international consumers to research and evaluate your offerings. It will also improve your results in local language versions of popular search engines. Other low-cost avenues include paid search advertising, local language banner ads in key market media outlets, and native language e-mail or hardcopy direct mail campaigns. It's important to note, however, that privacy regulations differ by country.

o Reaching these... continued on page two >

 

 

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