Global ads, local wins: The strategy behind international success

One of the most famous English idioms is “it’s raining cats and dogs.” If you think about it literally, it makes no sense at all, but if English is the language you’ve spoken and heard your whole life, you know that it means it’s raining really hard. 

Other languages have idioms, too. Here’s a French one: “To swallow grass snakes.” To a person who doesn’t speak French it just doesn’t make sense. The meaning is “being so insulted you can’t formulate a reply.” 

You may be wondering what idioms have to do with international advertising, but idioms get right to the heart of why designing an advertising campaign that appeals to people in different countries can be difficult. The nuances of language are different, humor is different, cultures, values, belief systems all vary dramatically. 

The International Advertising Association, a global association for marketing and communications professionals, was established in 1938, but companies had been reaching across borders long before that. The history of international advertising is long, and with each technological innovation that has made the world a little smaller — from the printing press to satellite internet connections — brands have taken advantage and sent their messages to people around the globe. 

Today, global brand value is around $13 trillion. Technology, retail and hospitality and transportation are the top three industries leading the pack of international brands. Market consolidation, careful brand management and efforts to reach new markets are all factors driving global brand values. 

Yet, international advertising presents challenges. Maintaining brand consistency while also communicating effectively with diverse audiences isn’t a simple task. In this post, we consider strategy, audience segmentation, objectives and offer a few examples of brands that have managed to create standout international ad campaigns.

International advertising is a way of communicating with people in multiple countries to educate, inform, entertain, and ultimately, to sell products or services. Today, many brands create international advertising campaigns. Some of the most well-known include Apple, Nike, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s—household names around the world. 

International advertising campaigns can be standardized or customized to better fit specific localities, and may be distributed through a variety of platforms or channels. The earliest international ad campaigns were through print, and today, a wide variety and growing number of distribution channels exist.  

Standardizing branding across platforms and around the world allows companies to take advantage of economies of scale and creates a cohesive, recognizable brand image. For instance, no matter where you are in the world, the Nike Swoosh is recognizable. 

Another advantage of standardization is that all customers are treated the same, regardless of where they live. A customer in a small village in a remote area feels as important to the brand as a customer living in a busy, metropolitan area. 

Customization offers significant advantages, too. For example, most people prefer to purchase products from websites in their own language. 

But the list of available distribution channels seems to get longer every year. Some of the  most common ways for brands to advertise internationally include: 

• Print

• Television

• Out-of-home (billboards, transit ads, etc)

• Social media

• Digital ads

• Influencers 

• Sponsorships 

As technologies and societies continue to evolve and change, the list of possible distribution channels will grow. Artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) will also likely present new opportunities for brands. 

Considering the difficulties involved in international advertising, asking why brands undertake such big, complex campaigns is valid. Why not advertise locally, and let people from the targeted area lead the campaigns? 

Consider the iconic Coca-Cola logo, and everything associated with it. If the company only launched small, localized advertising efforts, that potent brand association wouldn’t exist, and it’s fair to say Coca-Cola wouldn’t be the powerhouse brand that it is today.

Ultimately, international advertising builds global brand awareness and drives market penetration into new areas. Another good example of this is Spotify, a Swedish company that has managed to expand and become a globally known brand. 

Spotify was founded in Stockholm in 2006, and by the end of 2023 the platform had more than 600 million active users around the world. By advertising globally and gaining brand recognition while also offering regional experiences and locally significant content Spotify strikes a balance that allows it to expand into new markets rapidly. 

An international advertising campaign needs a global message, yet that message must be adjusted for a local-market fit. Flavor offers a great example of why local market fit matters: A spicy dish in Mexico City is likely quite different from a spicy dish in Sioux Falls. 

Another reason for brands to undertake international advertising campaigns balanced with localization is regulatory considerations. Each nation has a unique set of laws and regulations around advertising. From content to scheduling, brands must comply with these local laws. 

Regulations vary in areas such as: 

• Comparative advertising 

• Health and wellness claims 

• Advertising directed at children

• Restrictions on what kinds of media can be used for advertising 

• Endorsements and testimonials

• Environmental claims

Navigating these kinds of regulations requires local expertise. Failing to adhere to appropriate rules can lead to both legal complications and cause unnecessary public backlash or reputation damage, which no brand wants. 

Just as idioms tap into the complexities of language, culture, and history, many social behaviors in different countries involve multiple, interlaced and overlapping factors. Culture, language, values, humor and even purchasing power are important considerations for brands with international advertising campaigns. When it comes to consumer trust, missteps in any of those areas can make the difference between success and failure. 

Here’s a few reasons and ways to segment your international audiences: 

Customizing to earn trust

The balance between customization and localization can be achieved through different organizational paths. Brands may choose to create a centralized strategy with globalized content management, but leave local marketing teams the freedom to choose specific details related to language, culture and user experience. 

An example of a failed international advertising campaign is Nivea’s “White Is Purity” ad. The ad was shared on the German brand’s Middle East Facebook page, and was meant to promote a deodorant that associated the color black with strength and the color white purity. The backlash was immediate and fierce. It’s possible that having a local team, more familiar with the cultural norms of the area, review the ad prior to releasing it could have prevented the problems.

Customization also allows brands to develop ads that feel more relevant to customers, which in turn, increases credibility. To return to the idea that regional preferences for flavor matter, consider Nestlé. Nestlé offers KitKat bars in specific flavors designed for local markets, like Wasabi in Japan for example. In fact, more than 200 flavors are available in different parts of the world. 

Geographical and regional differences

Even within the same country, it’s advisable for brands to segment their audience to account for regional differences, particularly in especially large or diverse places. The US for example is a large, diverse country, and regional differences in language and culture are sometimes surprisingly vast. 

Brands don’t necessarily need to differentiate excessively on every cultural level, but being aware of the regional and geographical differences and aligning their messaging can be helpful. In some areas, for example, buying cycles are longer and more complex than others. Consumers may consider purchases for longer, or it may be common to own multiples of an item. 

Demographics: Age, culture and lifestyle matter

International advertising requires some level of localization in order to be effective, and sometimes brands need to go farther than adjusting for national differences. Age, culture and lifestyle matter too.  

Understanding that a person in their 70s is exercising differently than a person in their 20s may have an impact on how an athletic shoe is marketed. International advertising campaigns must acknowledge that demographics play a role in how consumers perceive brands, as well as their purchasing behavior. 

Market research tools to the rescue

Using the right tools can make balancing all of the different language, regional, cultural and demographic elements of an international advertising campaign easier. Zappi’s Advertising System offers a single connected insights system that allows you to test, learn and course correct as needed — based on direct consumer feedback.

At each stage of creative development, Zappi gives you the tools to analyze and optimize your concepts for the target audience. Keeping your customer at the center of your campaign, no matter where they are, helps you find the right levels of standardization and customization, and avoid missteps. 

💡 Learn more about Zappi’s Advertising System here

We’ve looked at several examples of brands’ successful and not-so-successful international ad campaigns. Here are a few more: 

1. Coca-Cola’s hyper-localized marketing success

The Share a Coke campaign is a great example of balancing standardization and localization in an international marketing campaign. Coca-Cola first introduced the Share a Coke campaign in Australia, but expanded it to more than 50 other countries. 

One crucial aspect of the campaign is the way the brand was using the most popular names in each country and region where the campaign was rolled out. That level of personalization combined with the standardization of the brand’s colors, typeface and logo created a worldwide hit. 

2. McDonald’s regional menu items

McDonald’s provides an excellent example of how a brand can adapt regionally, even within one country. They offer regional items along with their well-known and much-loved menu staples like the Big Mac and McFlurry. For example, in Texas, customers can order the Lone Star Stack, which is completely unique, yet more relevant, for their region. 

3. Airbnb’s “Floating World” fail

Airbnb made a timing error by releasing a campaign to advertise water-themed homes, such as houseboats, or those near water attractions with the message, “spend a day—or an entire trip—without touching dry land.” The problem was that this campaign was released just as Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston and caused extensive flooding. 

The brand apologized for the insensitive timing and added disaster relief to their core values. 

International advertising requires a careful appraisal of standardized elements and customization to create brand recognition and to earn credibility through cultural sensitivity. 

Logos, brand colors and treating all customers the same are critical elements to standardize — but recognizing the language, cultural and demographic differences around the world builds trust. Using tools that let you test your ideas with different audiences will help you avoid missteps while also developing ideas that become winning international advertising campaigns.