How U.S. Brands Market Internationally

Throughout today’s global marketplace, U.S. brands have a tendency to be viewed highly.  When making the jump into international markets, many brands find themselves stumbling upon ways to market to a new audience.  All brands should apply three simple marketing tools when breaking through, which comprise of –consistency across all markets, understanding the culture they are marketing in and establishing global corporate partnerships.

Consistency across Global Markets Remaining consistent across all global markets is a must for any brand to succeed outside of the U.S. Brands should be recognizable in every market they enter.  To keep this consistent flow across all markets, brands should keep their existing logo and slogans the same, as global recognition through the use of such marketing tools will help brands thrive in smaller, local communities. Right at Home*, a leading in-home care franchise, has situated itself at the forefront of the industry by strengthening its international presence, most recently in Australia and Japan. Right at Home’s reputation and the growing need for in-home senior care have been the driving forces behind the company’s expansion. In 2013, the company’s international revenue totaled $6.5 million (USD). The company also grew 150 percent, year-over-year, increasing from 20 international units to 50 across five continents by March 2014. “The growth we experienced is a significant indicator of the success we had predicted,” Right at Home Founder and Executive Chairman Allen Hager said. “The need for our services abroad, coupled with the exceptional experience and skill sets of our master franchisees in these countries, ensures that Right at Home soon will be able to serve more of the world’s aging population. The only place for us to go is up.” Understanding Local Cultures Every city, region and country has its own culture. The culture of a community is the living, breathing identity that makes it unique. Every brand should be able to understand the local culture of the community they are expanding into and develop unique marketing messages that reflect the language, arts and lifestyle of the local residents. Although, brands should stay consistent with logos and slogans, other marketing materials should reflect the culture of the local community to help establish a bond between the brand and the local residents. Establishing Global Corporate Partnerships 2014 has already brought many opportunities for brands to establish global corporate partnerships to reach international markets. With the Winter Olympics and the World Cup both occurring in 2014, brands have been able to market to multiple international markets with the use of one consistent platform or campaign. Take Budweiser, who teamed up with the FIFA World Cup to be the official beer sponsor of the games. This is Budweiser’s largest global campaign ever and it has already been able to reach over two-thirds of the Brazilian market where the World Cup is taking place this year. This global campaign is allowing Budweiser to use one continuous message throughout  international markets. With this campaign, the brand is planning a 3-4 percent increase of sales. Other brands like McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Adidas have also teamed up with the World Cup to increase their international footprint. Global corporate partnerships can also be with companies like FranNet. FranNet is North America’s most respected leader in matching individuals with franchise opportunities. Jania Bailey, President and COO, is hoping to establish a pipeline between U.S. brands and international markets by opening two offices in United Kingdom and Germany. “Our vision for the company includes a tremendous amount of international growth. We see FranNet playing an active role in helping improve the global economy and addressing employment issues around the world,” said Bailey. “With Germany, and now the U.K., FranNet is poised to achieve that vision in a thoughtful and meaningful way.”