You will agree that global brand management is a very broad and complex discussion due to its multicultural dimensions. In this piece, we take a look at 7 different important steps to global brand management which will help position you and your brand for the competitiveness that comes with managing your brand on the international level.

These 7 steps have been identified for you to take full advantage of to help your brand equity soar to the highest levels possible.

1. Distinguishing Between Culture-Specific Context And Universal Truths

Irrespective of who the customer is, when products are used, the usage is most often in the same manner. Certain products are used similarly throughout the world, irrespective of cultural settings.

It is then only safe and advisable to build your specific worldwide marketing activities around these kinds of globally accepted products. You can do this by ensuring easy passage of information on the features of your technical products and also constantly informing your audience about the benefits of these products.

Meanwhile, the context from the culture-specific outlook simply indicates how the product is used and viewed in different cultural settings. This context is often reflected in the emotional brand, tone of voice, and product image attributes. Fashion, for example, plays a very vital role in the tone of the voice of products and brands. It has a strong influence on its communication. 

2. Quantification of The Culture-Specific Aspect of Your Brand

To have a full grasp of the culture-specific aspect of your brand, then the place of proper quantification cannot be displaced. Quantifying the culture-specific involves determining the difference of market manners from place to place but more importantly the extent of their similarities. 

Similar features aid in the navigation of the trade-offs involving a specific and more efficient marketing model and a more local approach.

It is important to know the differences and similarities as you will be rapidly aided in establishing a more effective branding organization to properly manage your business and teams across markets.

You should also have team members that will be exposed to the management of possible marketing conflicts that come up between your local marketing organizations and your central international marketing organization.
Also, having a good understanding of the country’s culture will help you build a communal relationship with potential customers in those areas, automatically boosting your sales and profits. 

In addition, there is the need to have a sound comprehension of the sensitivities of different cultures. For example, in the Middle East, when someone belches, it only means they enjoyed the meal. This act is largely different in other cultures of the world. Take into cognizance the significance of religion, festivals, and holidays in any region you intend to market your product. 

3. Building Target Audiences in Various Markets

After the quantification of the culture-specific and universal aspects of your marketing processes, the next step is to begin building target audiences that cut across various markets.

It has been established that there are cultural and social differences that exist between countries. However, while it has been observed that there are differences in cultural, social, and lifestyle experiences within a country, these differences cannot be compared to those that exist between consumer groups in local markets. Knowing this will only help you build target audiences within the right market spaces.

These are examples of ‘creatives’ which possess identical values and attitudes in all three markets:

• Creatives: liberal idealists who strictly keep to culture and self-development
• Socializers: fun seekers who love family values, entertainment, and freedom
  
• Challengers: competitive career individuals who are fascinated by money, adventure, and taking risks
  
• Conservatives: family-oriented individuals who value etiquette, traditions, and an organized life

4. Evaluating Local and International Rivalry

Always know that there is a difference between your market position and your competition when it comes to building your brand at the international level.

All markets aren’t meant for you. While you could be the biggest player in one or more markets, you will only play second fiddle in some others. This is why you need to develop different tactics and marketing strategies that suit the best global practices. Be flexible and not rigid. Constantly build your brand on the latest happenings and progressive technological trends.

A strong brand at the global level guarantees nothing but success. It doesn’t matter if you have to build your brand on local heritage as you can even turn it in your favor when going international with your products. 

Build your brand in such a way that it appeals to all and sundry irrespective of their cultural background. This will go a long way in saving you from a lot of stress and help move your brand in the right direction only. Consider marketing your product globally even from your local region just as the American West does with the popular American blue jeans fashion outfit which is all over the world today.

5. Building Your Market Entry Model

The way and manner you begin in marketing your product go a long way in determining whether you will excel at your local market or not. Think about the options of either building your local market organization or working alongside a distributor as this will shape your brand in the long run.

Business owners choose the wrong type of distributors in most cases due to their large and unsophisticated marketing capabilities to build their brand or their inability to get their products in the right market. Do not let this be your case. Research well enough to have a proper understanding of various markets before delving into business.

6. Activate Local Target Groups

After you might have done your local market research through the head office or local marketing team, you can go ahead with the creation of a marketing strategy targeted at the market you surveyed. 

Even though the local marketing engagements are not rated and taken seriously as they should, there needs to be an in-depth approach towards the local market. As a brand owner, make sure the capabilities of your local team can handle the marketing task of that particular region.
To grasp the full situation of happenings at the local front, you need to be heavily involved not from your head office but by being physically active even on the local front.

Generally, while venturing into worldwide marketing, you are required to be very knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the Internet. You need to be savvy in your internet usage and be able to maneuver challenges experienced online to place yourself strategically in the global space. 

Also, ensure your contents are relatable in each of the countries you wish to expand your brand to. Sometimes, you may not have mapped out a particular area or region while strategizing but could have your product or service boom beyond your expectations and anticipation. So be proactive and prepare for the unexpected. 

Understand cultural differences while developing content by extensive research on your target market.
Focus on themes, presentations, soundtracks, and color palettes to help your organization adapt to the expectations of a wide range of audiences.

7. Overseeing Teams and Brands over Various Markets

When you know the importance of why you want to expand your marketing efforts, then you have a better understanding of what is important to you, which assists you in prioritizing different areas of your marketing strategy.

This 7th and final step has some problems which are often ignored. A considerable cause of deep mistrust and misunderstandings in international marketing organization’s spaces are majorly cross-cultural differences.

 This comes to the fore when these cultural differences are between local marketing departments and the central marketing organization. Others involved could be the distributors, agencies, or the local sales teams. Your brand could suffer a huge setback due to this factor which can even be demonstrated in undisclosed market information.

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