Launching a successful global campaign takes more than just consistent branding strategy. The best global brands approach marketing internationally with the same rigor and intensity as they bring to the home countries. Working with some of the top CMOs in the business, here are our three top tips for creating the best global brand strategies possible.
Build your campaign on universal concepts
A global idea is key when crafting your source campaign destined for global markets. Although every culture has different beliefs and values, universal motivations translate across borders. People want to be healthy, successful, safe, happy and loved; the best global brand strategies ground their campaigns in these ideas. Nike’s Find Greatness campaign during the 2012 Summer Olympics is the perfect example. This ad takes viewers all around the world, showing a wide variety of people doing a mix of athletics that make them great.
Choose transcreation over translation
Often a direct translation of a smart slogan simply won’t work. The word play or persuasive feel of the original gets lost in idioms and metaphors, which is why transcreation is essential to a successful global branding strategy. Here the essence of your source copy is retained as it moves into the target language, requiring the same kind of thought, time and creativity needed to create the slogan in the first place. Using native language copywriters, editors and translators, a team can create something with same tone and punch as the original.
For example, Acclaro recently worked with Beats by Dr. Dre to create a French version of their slogan for the urBeats™ HTC Version, “Made to take a beating.” A literal translation made no sense, but our marketing translators retained the same concepts of sturdiness to recreate a French slogan. The result was “Conçus pour résister à tous les tempos” (“Made to resist all tempos”), itself a play on the more common phrase, "Conçus pour résister à tous les temps” ("Made to resist all weather conditions"). Clever, non?
Pay attention to names
There are plenty of stories about marketing departments that launched a global campaign, only to find out their product name meant something completely different in the target language.
Consider not only what the name means in the target language, but also if it’s easy to pronounce. Give yourself plenty of time to market test in all your target languages before launching into your campaign schedule and you’re well on your way to success.
Want to learn more about these and other secrets CMOs use to build great global brands? Read our newsletter article on global brand strategy to find out more or contact us to learn more about our marketing translation services.
