Forty-plus years ago only a handful of businesses could truly claim to have an international brand. Coca-Cola, Pepsico, IBM and Shell to name a few, enjoyed a brand reputation far beyond their actual sales footprint.
But this changed almost all at once.
The inexorable rise of globalism was accelerated by the growing pre-eminence of the internet. Suddenly, any company with enough ambition could gain access to emerging markets around the world. Crypto PR and Web3 have further ensured seamless interactions across the globe.
Branding involves what people think about your business and your products. Once you’re on the web, maintaining a localized brand becomes much harder and this is the hurdle many of the top international brands have overcome. But many others have used this to their advantage in reaching a global audience.
What do the top brands, who have seen success in such difficult markets as China and Japan, have in common?
In short, they have shown the ability to reliably deliver a product at a certain quality and price point. This is what all global brands need to do consistently: once you’ve established an appetite for your product, you need to demonstrate you are able to back it up.
That’s why Chinese and Japanese consumers will grab a KFC on their way home from work. It’s not better or healthier than local food outlets, but it does a damn fine job at delivering the same product time after time.
Aside from the obvious language barrier for an English-speaking firm (in 2017 only a quarter of internet users spoke English), to do business abroad it’s vital to learn how to talk to the audience. Marketing plans which work domestically do not necessarily translate when rolled out in different countries.
Cultural differences can determine how effective your campaign is, as can nuances as to how the product is received. Louis Vuitton has lost its sheen in China when it became a stereotypical brand for ambitious office administrators.
In the crypto PR game, it’s key not to talk down to your audience. If there’s a great opportunity for those in developing countries, such as the Philippines and Vietnam, let the product do the talking and don’t shill too hard. There are crypto heads all over these markets making serious money compared to what they’d make in a standard job. Often they tend to know a good thing when they see it.
In digital spaces, and more specifically with crypto PR efforts, you want to take considerable care over what happens when a potential customer Googles your company. This will often be the second point of contact after they initially hear about your project.
Building thought leadership is invaluable to brands who need to foster trust. In emerging markets, consumers typically don’t have enough money to ape into crypto without being sure of seeing a return.
Understanding the thought patterns of consumers around the world will go some way to assuaging any concerns they might have. If you can offer $5 ROI every day, and back it up with results, you’re already there. A fairly more nuanced investment opportunity requires trust which can be built by proving to consumers you are a public figure with reliable analysis of the industry.
There is power in recognition, when an executive with a media presence shows seriousness and thought leadership. Above all, it forms part of the company image, available for the entirety of the world wide web to view when they Google your brand.
