How to Win the Tug-of-War Between Global and Regional Needs 🤼

This week’s newsletter, guest-written by Bianca Galan, features mission-critical insight on how to win the tug-of-war between global and regional needs.

Navigating between global marketing strategies and regional tactics is like trying to order coffee in a foreign country.

What's a simple request at home becomes a disorientating experience abroad - do you ask for a 'coffee' and get an espresso, or do you try to ask for a 'latte' in the local dialect and get a glass of milk? (cringes in Italian). 

Product marketers in global companies face a similar challenge. Balancing a unified global strategy with regional needs can feel like your coffee order gone wrong. 

In an era where global reach is a click away, the debate over a unified global marketing strategy versus a decentralised, regional approach has never been more relevant. 

Like many, I've experienced the challenges of aligning local market nuances to the overarching drumbeat of the mothership.

In this article, we’ll talk to three distinguished product marketing experts, and, along with my career journey, we'll delve into the omnipresent challenges of collaborating across diverse offices.

Want to learn how to navigate the global-regional divide? Let's go! 🚀

TLDR:  

1. The most common frustration that regional marketers face is a centralised, top-down strategy that neglects local market needs

2. Flexibility and cultural attunement are essential for global brands to navigate regional markets successfully

3. Valuing and integrating local markets prevent sales loss whilst maximising returns

4. C-suite and upper management have a responsibility to foster an environment where regional leaders feel valued and empowered to voice their recommendations early in go-to-market conversations 

Jamón Isn't Just Ham 

If I assumed that Jamón was synonymous with just Ham, I’d be insulting half of the population of Spain (and doing a great disservice to Jamón Iberico). Depending on where you live in Spain, Jamón could be:

• Jamón Serrano - a cured ham accessible throughout all of Spain

OR

• Jamón Ibérico - a cured ham made from a very rare (and very expensive) black-footed pig

Much like understanding the intricacies of Spanish Jamón, adapting a global brand for a local market requires sensitivity and an appreciation for local tastes. 

During my stint at Fever, my team was tasked with what at the time seemed like the impossible. 

Fever, a Spanish entertainment platform known for its Candlelight concerts, hosts numerous events worldwide.

The combination of Millennials' desire for new experiences and lockdown boredom fueled Fever's rapid expansion.

Fever faced difficulties replicating its European success in the US. Our initial attempts felt akin to offering Jamón Serrano to someone expecting Ibérico—close, but not quite right.

Higher US ad costs presented another hurdle. 

Being quick to pivot, we analysed consumer data, collaborated with local teams, and tailored our campaigns, resulting in a strategy that not only met but exceeded our initial projections.

This wasn’t a unique case; 84% of businesses see revenue growth from market-specific content (Unbable, 2022).

Fever's adaptability and cultural sensitivity were key to our success, demonstrating the importance of customisation in global brand strategies. 

One Size Never Fits All 

Many marketing professionals struggle with the gap between global ambitions and local realities.

Top Voice on LinkedIn Harvey Lee, with a career spanning decades, casts a broader net on this issue. He highlights a frustration that is more common for regional marketers.

The painstaking challenge of educating a US-centric head office on the intricacies of international markets.

Harvey points out that regional markets like Europe can be undervalued in strategic planning despite their substantial revenue contributions, especially with American headquarters. This narrow view misses revenue opportunities.

Amit Alagh, a seasoned product marketing manager, critiques the prevalent "mother knows best" mentality, undermining regional teams. 

Regional leaders have a closer pulse on their consumers' preferences and needs than high-level executives might. Yet, when it comes to strategic decision-making, a top-down approach prevails. 

Purvaj Mehta, who has worked at TikTok and global brands like Uber, emphasises the importance of cultural sensitivity in marketing. 

He identifies a common source of friction: a lack of willingness to understand cultural nuances. 

In his compelling Ted Talk, Pankaj Ghemawat argues that “even incremental openness could make things dramatically better”, highlighting the value of embracing global differences.

Pankaj continues, “Communication can only help you deliver a message, but the interpretation of your message can also vary greatly depending on the region.”

Having addressed the most common discrepancies between global and regional offices, we now face the question, "What next?"

Mind the Gap: Think Globally, Act Locally

Harvey and Amit suggest a decentralised approach to strategy development as a solution. This means moving from a top-down model to one that values and integrates local market insights from the start.

One solution is getting C-suite leaders to champion this collaborative approach.

Simply put, involve your local, and regional leads from the start and integrate local insights into your go-to-market strategy.

This will set the tone for the rest of the organisation and emphasise the immense value that local ambassadors bring, leading to messaging that resonates on a more personal, culturally relevant level.

Take, for example, Coca-Cola and Nestlé. Both are international companies, but they handle their global marketing efforts in very different ways. 

As illustrated in the charts below: 

1. Centralised. Coca-Cola centralises its marketing strategy operations from its Atlanta headquarters, standardising its product across the globe. 

2. Decentralised. Nestlé adopts a decentralised approach, granting significant autonomy to regional managers. This has helped the company facilitate rapid global expansion and be attentive to local market needs (HBR). 

Upper management can also encourage inclusivity.

Purvaj suggests that managers push for increased travel budgets to create opportunities for face-to-face interactions. Where markets span several continents, consider assigning one person from each market as a local sponsor to activate tactics. 

🔥 Pro tip: The power of a good happy hour.

Weekly meetups fostered a sense of community within our global team, where we relaxed and bonded beyond work topics.

Understanding and appreciating the diverse team in our main office, with colleagues from over 10 nationalities across all continents, was key to discovering new opportunities.

Beyond The Global Cookie-Cutter

Global success requires more than strategic adherence - it demands adaptability and a sincere effort to understand local markets.

When we embrace each region’s uniqueness, we create marketing strategies that resonate, breaking free from the cookie-cutter mould.

Master The Mothership in Four Steps

1. Actively learn about and adapt to the preferences of each market. Invite your teammates to a virtual coffee chat and learn their culture. Use online resources like YouGov.com or BBC Culture to research the nuances of different markets. 

2. Challenge the “mother knows best” mindset. Use your research to educate stakeholders and involve regional leads early in discussions.

3. Create opportunities that build trust between global and regional teams. This can include budgeting for in-person meetings, international travel, and organising informal events such as book clubs or happy hours to help strengthen bonds. 

4. Assign a local sponsor or champion for each market: Designate a local advocate in each market to ensure regional perspectives are accurately communicated and incorporated into global strategies. 

Hungry for more? Grab the additional resources cheat sheet here.

I’m always open to virtual coffee chats. If you're interested in diving deeper into global and regional marketing discussions, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn. 

A presto! 🫡

Bianca.