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The Most Common Mistakes Companies make with Global Marketing

Q1: What is the marketing responsible for in a global expansion?

They are responsible for market research and creating a plan for getting customers.

Q2: Explain the 6 common mistakes using your own words.

Mistake 1: Not specifying countries

· Many businesses will say the continent (e.g., Asia or Europe) instead of the country

· Need to state the country because every country has different customers and cultures

Mistake 2: Not paying enough attention to internal data

· Many companies do a lot of external research.

· Companies should use their internal data to answer the questions

o How easy will it be for your company to do business in that market?

o How much success have you already had in that market?

Mistake 3: Not adapting their sales and marketing channels

· Different countries need different sales and marketing approaches

· In some countries, relationships have a higher value. In other countries, online sales are more popular. Facebook is very popular in Brazil, while Twitter is more popular in Latin American countries.

Mistake 4: Not adapting the product offering

· Many countries launch the same product in multiple countries, ignoring the fact that the customers are different.

· Companies also need to adjust their prices to the local norm.

· Different countries prefer different payment methods. Some use cash, some use credit cards, others use mobile payment.

Mistake 5: Not letting local teams lead the way

· Companies often limit decision making to people at HQ rather than asking for input from the local people who know the local market best.

· The marketing team needs a communication system to make sure they get feedback from the local employees.

Mistake 6: Not thinking through the global logistics

· Marketers need to consider details like local currency, time zones, and languages of customer support staff.

Lost in Translation: 10 International Marketing Fails

Q1: Which three of the 10 marketing failures do you think are the biggest?

The Dolce & Gabbana one was very serious because it aroused anger from the Chinese customers and even attracted the attention of the Chinese government.

The BMW one was also quite serious because it aroused anger from customers.

Most of the other ones just brough embarrassment to be company, which is not as serious as anger.

Q2: Why is it a bad idea for companies to translate their slogan using Google Translate when entering a new country? What should they do instead?

Languages are complex, and a simple translator can often result in weird translations that customers will dislike.

Instead, companies should

1. Localize the content instead of translating the language. Study the culture there and the way people communicate on a daily basis. Have a team that knows the culture inside out to make sure your message will be interpreted in a way that appeals to the customers.

2. Cross-reference your campaign with local experts before you promote it.

3. Look at successful marketing ads in that country for examples of what works

Q3: How can international businesses correct marketing failures in a new country?

They need to take responsibility and apologize in a way that resonates with the local customers.

Hire a local marketing agency to help create a new marketing campaign after the embarrassment goes away.