When we think of global marketing strategies, we often think of large companies and enterprises with bottomless marketing budgets and resources. And there was a time when this was true.
However, with the availability and accessibility of advanced technology, global marketing is now possible for even the youngest startup.
The key is leveraging the right technology, thinking outside the box, and building a creative content strategy that best positions businesses to conquer global marketing and reach their business goals.
In fact, many businesses have leveraged marketing technology to make global marketing a reality. In this article, we will look at some of the most successful global marketing strategies and marketing technologies at work.
What is global marketing?
Before we jump too far ahead, let’s talk about what global marketing actually is and what it involves. For the readers who aren’t sure, global marketing involves promoting a product, service, or brand in a way that speaks to the needs of potential buyers in another country.
Although this doesn’t seem that difficult, global marketing must consider various geographic and cultural concepts and factors, such as language and dialect, politics, religious beliefs, and other local trends.
For example, translating a product ad word for word or number for number without considering whether or not the words, phrases, or measurements make sense in a particular context within another culture can be a giant mistake.
Of course, it’s always a great idea to work with market researchers who have experience creating global marketing strategies. This gives you valuable insight into the aspects of a particular culture you want to target. Bilingual team members are also very helpful; however, these resources aren’t always available or within budget constraints for every business.
However, we will share a secret: Most types of marketing — including global — come down to one important key aspect: audience. Having a solid understanding of who needs your product, how they use it, and the best way to deliver it to them is more than half the battle.
5 Examples of global marketing strategies with technology at work
1. Airbnb
Airbnb originally began as a small marketplace for local community members to list properties as accommodations for visitors and guests.
By leveraging the right hashtags on social media, which originally began as a social experiment, Airbnb expanded from its small community in California to over 4 million hosts in countless countries across the globe. Airbnb’s global marketing strategy includes everything from blog posts that teach hosts how to make guest-friendly improvements to TikTok videos with quick tours of exquisite travel locations and properties.
2. Dunkin’ Donuts
Strawberry frosted. Chocolate glaze. Boston creme. These are just some of the favorite donut flavors that satisfy the common sweet tooth in the States.
However, in an effort to recognize its international customers, Dunkin’ launched a line of flavors, ranging from dry pork and seaweed to mango and grapefruit. These cultural flavors can be found on Dunkin’ Donuts’ website, which is available in various languages, including Simplified Chinese.
3. Nike
Nike created a virtual world called NIKELAND on the popular game Roblox as a way to connect with younger customers across the world. Players can don Nike-branded apparel and shoes and play games together.
All in all, NIKELAND appeals to a range of audiences — both domestic and international — which not only provides value-added services to users but also means more product sales.
4. Spotify
The brands we have reviewed thus far in this article are American-born brands that have expanded their product lines, global marketing strategies, and have been successful at reaching international audiences. Now let’s look at a brand that began in Sweden but quickly expanded into America —and that brand is Spotify.
Spotify has successfully and creatively embraced the customer experience by allowing users to select music genres, songs, and artists based on their moods. While streaming music through Spotify’s website, users can select music that appeals to their habits and lifestyles. This also allows international artists to gain more exposure since their music is categorized differently, rather than the traditional “rock,” “pop,” or “country” labels.
5. World Wildlife Federation (WWF)
In an effort to spread awareness about the Earth Hour initiative — the World Wildlife Federation took global marketing to a whole new level.
Each year, WWF’s global blackout is held to put the focus on climate change. The WWF encourages people across the globe to turn their lights out for one hour on the same day at the same time (local time). From New York to Egypt, people come together to draw attention to this issue each year.
How to create a global marketing strategy with content
After reading the above examples, you are likely thinking of some ways to leverage content and technology to build a global marketing strategy for your business and brand.
Here are a few tips on how to do that:
1. Understand cultural differences.
Taking the time to research and understand global audiences, including understanding and recognizing the differences in languages, dialects, units of measure, holidays, politics, terminology, and so on can help you create content that appeals to various international audiences.
2. Know your audience.
As we mentioned briefly above, knowing your audience is key to any marketing strategy. Researching your target audience and customer base, including geographical region, culture, interests, age, and gender, and other demographics is the first step to nailing down a solid global marketing strategy.
Using a data analytics tool, such as Google Analytics, can help you capture and analyze audience demographics, including international audiences. Google Analytics will provide insights into where in the world your website is generating the most clicks and interactions.
3. Translate and localize content.
Appealing to a global audience doesn’t necessarily mean you have to create all new content from scratch. You can simply translate or localize your existing content so that it accurately appeals to cultural audiences. Working with a writer, translator, or localization specialist — preferably one who is familiar with global differences, cultures, and languages — can help ensure your content is ready to go global.
If you don’t have access to a linguist or localization specialist, consider enabling Google Translate for your website, which allows users to automatically translate and read the content on your website. You can also build a chatbot that is able to interpret a multitude of different languages.
Creating global marketing strategies is easier than ever with technology
Your global marketing strategy is only as effective as your ability to understand your target audience’s needs and embrace cultural differences.
Yes, like any marketing strategy, you will need to put in some time, resources, and research to brainstorm and build a creative global marketing strategy. However, by truly understanding your global audiences and leveraging the right martech tools, you can execute a global marketing strategy that actually works.
Want some help creating a global marketing strategy? Talk to a content specialist at ClearVoice and find out how we can develop a creative strategy that helps you connect with customers across the world.
