Getting global brands to speak to local audiences

Adapting international brands to suite a local market can be a complex process that involves careful consideration of cultural nuances, consumer preferences and regulatory requirements.

While global brands may have a strong reputation in their home country, they may need to make adjustments to their products, marketing strategies and messaging to appeal to consumers in a new market.

Having worked with international brands for most of my career, media and creative agencies are almost always constrained by a set of global standards and have little room for innovation.

However, in the era of relevance, it is the agency and local brand team's responsibility to collaborate, push the envelope, and make sure the brand and placements remain pertinent to the target audience.

Reach and cost-effective buying are two crucial media principles that international brands are hell-bent on applying — and in the majority of cases where impact is produced, cost-effectiveness occasionally goes out the window. 

Clients are reluctant to spend money where they can't track the returns, which makes it harder for local teams using unconventional placements to justify with central teams that have little local expertise and understanding.

To guarantee that all countries adhere to the same rules and make progress on all key performance indicators, global companies end up checking the boxes and filling out tracking reports — instead of coming up with innovative ways to make an impact. This necessitates bravery from the brand and media teams. 

To stand out from the usual and attract customers, the Netflix team at Wavemaker localised the debut of hit series, Stranger Things' latest season by appearing in unusual spaces and in unusual ways. 

The team collaborated with well-known Afrikaans publication, Die Son, and wrapped the issue in artwork that resembled a newspaper but had the wrap placed upside down — in keeping with the well-known Stranger Things concept.

The landscapes in the ad were chosen to depict Joburg and Cape Town so they would speak to the local market. The ad successfully raised public awareness about the new season. 

Kudos to Netflix for entrusting the local media team with their brand. 

This article was sponsored by Wavemaker.