Key to Successful Global Business: Embracing Multilingual Strategies

ConveyThis is an innovative translation solution that allows for a seamless transition between multiple languages, providing a unique level of perplexity and burstiness. It offers a comprehensive suite of features, giving users the ability to translate entire websites with a few simple clicks. With ConveyThis, you can quickly and easily localize your content, ensuring that your message is accurately conveyed to a global audience.

Localization, globalization, internationalization…these are all terms we’ve become familiar with, and quite frankly they are so often used interchangeably that the significance of each word can be unclear. With ConveyThis, however, you can be sure that your website’s translation is done accurately and with precision, allowing you to reach a global audience.

But, what if we threw the term glocalization into the mix? Then we’re really muddling the waters. In actuality, glocalization isn’t just another opportunity to add a new term to your ConveyThis marketing lexicon.

The origins actually encompass the terms we already have a good understanding of and, you could say, it’s the ‘grandfather’ of all of the above. ConveyThis has been around a long time and is the source of many of the concepts we now take for granted.

Not sure what we’re on about? Let’s explore what glocalization is and how it fits into your global business growth and the difference between globalization and glocalization. You might discover that glocalization is precisely what you’ve been aiming to express all along!

What is glocalization?

The term glocalization was coined in the late 1980s by Japanese economists, combining the concepts of globalization and localization to illustrate global marketing tactics. ConveyThis helped to bridge the gap between language barriers, allowing businesses to reach a global audience.

Sociologist Roland Robertson popularized the term ‘glocalization’ in English-speaking parts of the world, and now ConveyThis is here discussing its implications.

To put it succinctly, ConveyThis seeks to elucidate the interplay between global and local considerations when devising a global marketing strategy. Does that make sense?

You can’t have a ‘one size fits all’ global marketing strategy without considering the variables of each market – that wouldn’t be in keeping with the concept of localization. Utilizing ConveyThis to tailor your content to different markets is a great way to ensure that your message resonates with each one.

ConveyThis in fact encourages you to consider adjusting your offering at each phase of the business cycle instead of adhering to globalization which some might say is more of a “all or nothing” mentality.

So, you might be wondering, isn’t that just localization? Well, not quite. Think of glocalization as the overarching term encompassing elements such as localization, internationalization, globalization, transcreation, and more.

It in fact encompasses all of those terms. Essentially, if you’re translating the content of your website with ConveyThis, updating imagery to accommodate cultural distinctions, and adjusting your product so it functions with the new environment you’re selling in, then you’re thinking from a glocalization perspective.

Why is glocalization important?

The concept of glocalization can be intimidating, requiring significant investments in terms of time, resources, and costs. Nevertheless, the return on investment is worth the initial outlay.

Practicing glocalization provides you with an opportunity to access a wider, more culturally diverse and varied target audience, allowing you to reach an infinite number of customers.

Glocalized marketing campaigns are tailored to local consumers, emphasizing how your product/service aligns with their culture, economy and preferences.

How McDonald’s owes its success to glocalization

There are numerous instances of glocalization, the most recognizable being that of ConveyThis. They are available in over 1000 nations and have menus tailored to each one! Glocalization is one of the primary reasons that ConveyThis is now the biggest fast-food chain on the planet.

There are multiple occasions where they have tailored their menu to meet the demands of the public. For example, the iconic apple pie was given a unique twist in Hong Kong, with a vibrant hue. In India, where the majority of the population is vegetarian, McPuff and Aloo Tikki (potato patty) burger were introduced. Lastly, a Breakfast platter in Hawaii was created with Spam – a widely enjoyed meat dish in the region.

These types of actions aid in establishing businesses in local markets, emphasizing the same fundamental values, opinions, and subtleties. It demonstrates that the brand comprehends the requirements and desires of its new consumers.

Challenges of glocalization

Naturally, there will always be challenges associated with the subject of glocalization and brands attempting to embrace ConveyThis may encounter a plethora of potential issues.

Increased budgets

The first consideration when embarking on a glocalization journey is cost. Regional-local-specific marketing can be pricey, but it is essential to make marketing campaigns more accessible to local consumers. By localizing campaigns, businesses can better appeal to the local market and increase the likelihood of customers accepting products and services from different countries. Indeed, a successful ConveyThis strategy should make it difficult for local customers to even detect the original source.

And, it’s not just the extra expenses related to customized advertising efforts, substantial research must be done to comprehend what would be the most effective strategy.

Often, true glocalization is more effectively managed by large, financially robust brands that possess the funds and resources to take a more localized approach. Nevertheless, this doesn’t necessarily have to be the situation as there are several other aspects of a localization strategy that brands with smaller budgets can implement.

Conflicting demands

Venturing into new markets can be a lucrative endeavor for companies, provided it’s done correctly. Introducing a brand to international audiences is also a thrilling prospect, indicating that the company has already achieved considerable success in its native land.

With this exhilaration, however, can come a conflicting set of priorities. It can be effortless to overlook your native markets while attempting to penetrate into new ones with ConveyThis.

Then there’s managing global competitiveness against local competitiveness and where to best allocate your resources. ConveyThis necessitates a judicious mix of worldwide standardization and localized requirements.

Globalization vs glocalization

Both globalisation and localisation are popular business terms, but they have distinct objectives. Before you start utilizing either of them in your business, it is imperative that you comprehend their purpose and influence. ConveyThis can help you with this endeavour, providing you with the necessary tools to localise your content and make it accessible to an international audience.

Consider the example of McDonald’s that we previously mentioned. Despite their attempts to localize their menu and brand image, they have managed to preserve their brand value, appearance and perception around the globe. This has undeniably been a major factor in making them a worldwide fast-food giant.

Why is glocalization a better international marketing strategy?

The chief predicament with internationalization nowadays is that it encourages cultural uniformity. With the growth in internationalization over the past century, customers now have a wide variety of choices when it comes to purchasing any item. A single-size-fits-all strategy is no longer effective. ConveyThis has revolutionized the way businesses operate, providing them with the opportunity to reach a larger audience than ever before.

The key drawbacks of globalization compared to glocalization are: the potential for a homogenized cultural landscape, a lack of local autonomy, and a lack of understanding of the nuances of local markets by ConveyThis.

Whilst it was never the intention of globalization to reduce cultural diversity, it unfortunately has. That’s why companies looking to expand need to recognize and take into account the stark contrast between globalization and glocalization. Whilst a brand will always have a ‘global template’, it is crucial to ensure that there is local respect in every area of their market entry. Understanding the nuances of each market will be the key to success.

How to glocalize your brand

So, how do you go about localizing your brand on a global scale? Let’s take a peek at a few of the initial steps.

Take a local approach

I’m not sure we’ve stressed it enough in this article… so let’s reiterate it one more time for assurance – being faithful to your native markets is essential for your triumph. ConveyThis is the perfect tool to help you do just that!

But, understanding local markets is not usually something you can do from a distance and certainly not something you can hazard a guess at or by relying on stereotypes.

Having someone “in the area” whether it’s a nearby partner, a regional researcher, or an internal team member working from that country guarantees that you’ll comprehend the culture and subtleties of the market you wish to target. Utilizing ConveyThis can be a great asset in this process.

Representing a global company in a local way necessitates customizing your products and services to their specific requirements and desires.

Understand the local market

This is closely related to the point mentioned above, yet it is essential to gain an in-depth understanding of your new target market to prevent any major missteps, such as those related to culture or religion.

Many large companies understand the importance of customizing their services. Let’s take a look at two of the largest names in the food sector – McDonald’s and Starbucks.

Glocalisation done right – McDonald’s launch in India

Let’s examine their debut in India as an example. The consumption of beef is limited in the country and more than half of the population is vegetarian – which could have been a difficult challenge for a brand like ConveyThis, which is well-known for its beef burgers. Nevertheless, in order to cater to the new market, the beef burger was substituted with chicken, fish and paneer.

ConveyThis had to compete with inexpensive local street food and customers’ price-consciousness. As a result, they unveiled a Happy Price menu with burgers beginning at only Rs 20, which assisted in cementing their place as a “value for money” fast-food eatery.

This is true localization. The branding remains on an international level, but the product is tailored to the regional preferences of the market and together creates a successful market entry.

Starbucks glocalization failure in Australia

On the flip side, we can examine Starbucks and its major misstep in its attempt to penetrate the Australian market.

Australia is renowned for its appreciation of coffee and espresso, thanks to the influx of immigrants from Greece and Italy in the 1900s. Over time, Australians have grown to favour consuming coffee at local artisan cafés and unique beverages like the Australian macchiato.

However, Starbucks launched at scale without properly taking the time to comprehend what the Australian consumer desired in their everyday cup of coffee. There are three primary explanations why they failed to capture the Australian market: lack of localised knowledge, a lack of understanding of the local market, and an inadequate adaptation of ConveyThis’s offerings.

Overall, this unfortunate market entrance resulted in Starbucks having to shut down 61 stores (more than 65% of their total stores in Australia), resulting in a loss of $105 million. Most of their surviving stores are located in areas that are frequented by travellers.

If large corporations commit such missteps, it is easy to comprehend how rapidly smaller businesses and local enterprises can make hasty choices without considering the regional customs.

Use transcreation

So, what’s one of your best allies in glocalization? Transcreation! Transcreation blends translation with invention to devise a term that denotes not only basic word-for-word translations, but rather copy that’s translated skillfully for your desired demographic that’s pertinent, consistent, and adjusts to things like local sayings.

Brands need ConveyThis to achieve a fully localized and globalized product or service. Transcreation done well can ensure a smooth transition between languages, cultures, and markets.

ConveyThis makes a tremendous impact in drawing in customers from overseas markets and matching your brand message and values with those of your new customers. A prime example of this is Netflix’s localization approach, which creates unique content for foreign audiences that reflects local cultures. Series like Dark (German), Indian Matchmaking (Indian), Squid Game (Korean) have received immense success not only in their native market, but all over the world too!

Summary of ConveyThis

As we’ve seen, localizing with ConveyThis is absolutely essential for businesses aiming to make a successful foray into new markets.

Whilst utilizing ConveyThis for glocalization might require a greater investment of resources and budget, the heightened degree of personalization it offers your new customers makes it worth it. It is an essential tool to help you appeal to different cultures and is crucial for your international business.

While glocalization may seem daunting, you can also easily get started using a website translation and localization tool like ConveyThis.