International Branding: When You Need To Reach A Global Audience
We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Gil Hanson of Hanson Design to discuss international branding, the topic of the next MarketShare Philly event: Branding Across Borders: Building Business In A Multicultural World. Of course, we’re not going to give away all the awesome thought nuggets from one of the world’s top international branding experts, you’ll have to come to the event for the full experience!
We asked Gil what type of companies or organizations need to be concerned with international branding? He responded with three questions:
-
Does your brand need to engage in multiple countries and cultures?
-
Do you implement an integrated marketing communications strategy for localization?
-
Do you want to expand your business abroad?
Ron: “What is the biggest challenge when developing an international branding strategy?”
Gil: “In today’s ever-changing digital world, a single Google search can transport consumers anywhere in the world. While Google automatically translates your search, does your brand ‘translate’ to other cultures, too?”
Ron: “What is the most important thing to consider when you are expanding a brand’s reach to a global audience?”
Gil: “The key to carrying brands to other countries is understanding local cultural relevance. There is no way we could have been successful in different countries without a local partner. And, there is no way they could be successful in the US without us.”
Ron: “As it tends to do nowadays, it sounds like collaboration is the key to success. Are there any other tips or advice you can share in regard to building business in a multicultural world?”
Gil: “It’s a win-win play if you let go and embrace expertise from different cultures and languages. The tricky part is taxes, liabilities, ownership and payment. You need to work this stuff out first. But it can be totally worth it and it is amazingly stimulating and fun to learn about how other people live, speak and engage with their regional and American brands. Other countries LOVE American culture and want to embrace it in every way. It is interesting to note that they are usually 1 to 2 years behind what is going on here…AND they all want to go to Vegas. Besides that, it’s all good.”
For more awesome insight into the world of international branding, be sure to join us in a live design discussion with Gil Hanson – as he shares his experiences with global branding – where he and his partners have enabled brands to expand and reach audiences around the globe. RSVP for the event here:
https://www.meetup.com/MarketSharePhilly/events/229152698/
About Gil Hanson
Over the past 10 years Gil has reached out and collaborated with a wide range of experts in the US, UK, Scandinavia, India, South Africa and most recently, Brazil, to create opportunities and service clients across the globe. Consulting to a host of Fortune 100 companies, Gil and his teams create sustainable and consistent high performing 360º brand experiences for clients all over the world. Gil directs strategic brand solutions and oversees creative positioning for clients such as: American Express, Aramark, AstraZeneca, CSS, JPMorgan, Kraft Foods, Finlandia, Colgate-Palmolive, Pernod Ricard, Sterling-Capital Financial and Sodexo.
