An unexpected crisis has taken the world by storm, disrupting every aspect of life and business, as we have all experienced. This disruption has many brands wondering: Should I be advertising during this time? And if so, how should I do that? What should I say?
The hesitation for many brands is real and is validated by observing the criticisms and scrutiny that many vocal brands have been met with lately, in response to their advertising during this crisis. Some of the world’s most dominant brands have been called out for being out-of-touch with their advertising and communications that do not acknowledge our shared reality. Other brands have joined the conversation — only to offer shallow acknowledgment of the strife that we are all experiencing. These brands fall into a sea of sameness, offering the equivalent of generic ‘thoughts and prayers’ for the world during this time. Others have superficially adjusted their logo with the intention of showing solidarity only to come off as lackadaisical and tone-deaf in the context of a life-threatening global pandemic.
So, while the risk of joining the conversation may seem pervasive, brands must be consistent and present with their brand advertising. Being present in these times is as critical as any other time for growth and there is a straightforward approach that brands can take to stay active and relevant in today’s high-pressure market.
We’ve all heard by now that brands need to be authentic during this time — that they need to empathize with humanity. But what does that really mean?
Know why your brand exists
To be authentic, brands must find and uphold their purpose. A brand purpose is simply the reason why the brand exists. This reason is what makes your brand relevant to consumers, not just in a time of crisis — but consistently and reliably, throughout the duration of your brand’s existence. It’s important to note and differentiate that brand purpose is not Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Brand purpose is much broader than an initiative, it is ubiquitous and synonymous with how consumers perceive your brand.
Your brand purpose will serve as a brand’s north star to remain authentic and guide how your brand should be present in today’s crisis market. Upon re-grounding in brand purpose, how should brands put it to use?
Listen to your people
A brand’s purpose should come to life in the context of what consumers are feeling, fearing, and desiring. This context of commonly held needs and emotions, changes — and these days, those changes are rapid. The most successful brands in the world see their consumers not just as buyers, but dynamically — as critics, advocates, and as friends of the brand. These brands listen and respond to the complexity and changing nature of people and consumers and of humanity.
A brilliant example of a brand that has stayed true to its purpose, in the context of global sentiments, is Nike. The famous brand launched its “Play for the World” video content a few weeks into the social distancing measures. Nike’s brand purpose is to “unite the world through sport to create a healthy planet, active communities, and an equal playing field for all”. Through brand advertising, Nike was able to join the current conversation in a relevant way, while remaining true to their essence.
Join the conversation
Your brand advertising must keep step with what people are feeling and thinking throughout the changes that are yet to come in this current pandemic and beyond. While adapting to these changes, it is paramount to remain true to your brand purpose. A brand is ultimately what your consumers decide the brand is, so by leading with purpose, you allow consumers to understand and relate to your brand on their terms, in their own context.
At no other time is the opportunity so great for brands to advertise and advertise smartly than through difficult times. A study by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, following the 2008-2009 recession, found that brands that increased their share of voice through brand advertising during the recession experienced strong profitability growth in the recovery phase, and in a highly competitive market, this led to an average of 4.5 times their annual market share growth. For brands brave enough to join the market and focused enough to make their voice relevant, this is a time that could lead to exponential opportunity.
Whether in a crisis market, or on any ordinary day — brands must start with purpose, with their reason for being, and then listen in order to join the conversation and advertise.
Cover image source: Robert Metz
*By Hanna VanKuiken, originally featured on Brandingmag.com.
Branding agencies have incredible expertise in supporting clients to develop and grow their brands, even under the testing conditions of a global crisis. They can help companies achieve various positive outcomes, from resonating more effectively with customers to making more sales. However, growing a brand in a single country is not the same as positioning it for global success. As such, this article looks at localization, internationalization, and globalization as part of a roadmap to success, covering everything from what these terms mean to tips for carrying out each activity effectively.
What are localization and translation?
Localization and translation refer to the process of preparing something (from a single document to an entire brand) for a specific local market. The translation element of the process relates to the work involved in converting one language to another. The localization part involves shaping the content to fit the cultural expectations of the intended audience.
What are the benefits of localization? By reworking the original content to better suit the new audience, localization maximizes the impact of that content. Successful localization can, therefore, help a brand gain exposure, engage more positively with customers, and build its reputation quickly and sustainably.
What are internationalization and globalization?
Internationalization and globalization are, in some ways, the opposite of localization. However, their goal is often the same — to help a brand connect with new audiences in positive ways.
Internationalization is the process of removing as many localized connotations as possible from a brand. The purpose is to make the brand appeal to the international community as much as it possibly can.
Globalization, meanwhile, is a multi-layered term that’s all about brand integration. It encompasses everything from having offices and production chains to global activity and actions.
What are some of the advantages of globalization? Quite simply, globalization means that businesses now have the world at their feet when it comes to their potential customer base — provided, of course, that they get their branding right.
Roadmap to success
Branding agencies seeking to help their clients globalize their brands need to follow a number of steps.
First of all, they need to consider the brand itself. From its values and ethos to its logo, strapline, and corporate imagery, how will the brand feel to overseas audiences? True globalization means that brand owners can’t be too precious about such things during the process of internationalization. The brand will need to appeal to as broad a customer base as it possibly can.
From the agency’s perspective, this means knowing the brand inside out, including what their customers want and what makes them tick. That knowledge then has to be extrapolated around the globe, with the agency considering how audiences in different countries are likely to respond to the brand.
Branding agencies will need to rely on local expertise in order to achieve this. Cultural considerations — and, therefore, marketing techniques — vary enormously from country to country. It is those on the ground who understand this best, so internationalizing a brand should be undertaken in consultation with localization experts in each country of territory that the company plans to enter.
In terms of globalization itself, the task involves far more than just translation, though the translation has to be spot on, naturally. Everything from the product itself to its safety manual, marketing documents, and website need to be internationalized as part of an overarching globalization strategy. This means systematically removing local references wherever possible, in order to internationalize the product.
Of course, some elements will still require localization. A company that sells products, for example, needs to price them on its website in the local currency. Product descriptions also need to use the right format for any dimensions that they list. And, of course, payment and delivery systems and information need to serve local needs.
This means that branding agencies that are working to globalize their clients’ brands need to internationalize first and then localize.
The size and scope of such work should not be underestimated. An aggressive growth strategy requires careful and detailed internationalization. It also requires translation and localization professionals for each market that the brand plans to enter.
In some cases, translation and localization work will focus mainly on language and practical items such as payment systems. In others, however, it will require much more work, perhaps even to the point of transcreation, where the brand is given an almost complete overhaul in order to ensure that it appeals to a very different culture than that of its original audience.
Examples of successful brand globalization
There are plenty of examples of brands that have started off small and gone on to successfully conquer the world, with globalization playing a key part in their having done so.
The world’s most valuable brands have all made globalization a priority, internationalizing their core offering and then localizing the face of the brand and its products for each national audience.
Think of Amazon, Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung. These are the five most valuable brands in the world, with values that range from US$220,791 million (Amazon) to US$94,494 (Samsung). Each provides a fairly standard core product/service offering yet also presents this differently to audiences in different countries. The result? Global success. Who reading this hasn’t heard of every one of these five brands?
Branding agencies looking to imitate the success of such brands have plenty of work ahead of them. Working with professional translation and localization services is an absolute must, not just for their skills with language but for the valuable insights that they can provide. Their knowledge should incorporate everything from local marketing tactics to the particular cultural nuances of each target audience. It is this level of attention to detail that can, ultimately, make the difference between a successful globalization strategy and one that is doomed to failure even before it has begun.
Cover image source: Joshua Rawson-Harris
*By Ofer Tirosh, originally featured on Brandingmag.com.