International media planning and buying can be a complex business, with variations in media profiles, rate card formats and lead times, not to mention significant cost differentials and regulatory implications. So while digital media is a great way to reach the 7.6 billion people the world has to offer, there are a number of considerations to factor in.
1. Cross-cultural competency
Having your site translated into other languages is a huge advantage when marketing to an international audience, but having a deep understanding of your own and others’ cultures is more important.
Think about how your country’s cultural norms differ among age groups, genders, geographies and so on, and then considerthese differences among consumers in other cultures. Learning about and comprehending others will help you localise your brand’s message and keep it on point for that particular market.
When possible, talk with, learn from and spend time with people who represent and understand the audience you’re hoping to reach.
Coca-Cola’s 2014 Super Bowl ad, entitled “It’s Beautiful” (YouTube it), is a rare example of a truly cross-culturally effective message, spanning seven languages and multiple ethnicities in a single 60-second TV commercial. In fact, so positive was the response from all audiences, Coke re-aired the same ad during the 2017 Super Bowl, albeit for a meagre $8.6m per spot.
Conversely, Chevrolet’s Nova ad campaign didn’t run well and was eventually pulled from Spanish- speaking markets because, literally translated, Nova means ‘doesn’t go’. Oops.
2. Regional laws
If using comparative messaging in markets like China, Japan, Germany or Russia, among others, be prepared to provide full, attested and verified documentation to back up claims of being the ‘best’, ‘better than’, ‘greatest’, ‘leading’, or guaranteeing a percentage return on investment. Your ad won’t run without this.
Some Asian markets don’t take well to comparative messaging as they see it as a sign of disrespect to competitors and to consumers, who believe they are capable of making up their own minds.
Your brand could find itself in hot water if you’re not adhering to local advertising laws and regulations, and fines for violations are neither taken lightly nor waived simply because you didn’t know.
3. Customise search-engine marketing
Often, local markets are best served via local search engines, because the English-language search engines don’t always suffice for niche, local content. For most of the 1.4 billion people in China, a country that has a ban on international media companies including Google and Yahoo, Baidu is the only search engine option, and its parameters and dynamics differ significantly from Google’s.
In Russia, despite Google being readily available and accessible, Yandex rules the roost as the search engine of choice due its convenience, user experience and, ultimately, its earlier adoption of relevance to Russian customers.
It isn’t enough to simply translate your website into target languages if quality is your goal. When possible, localise your product, services and messaging for each market you serve, and understand how your message is going to be received by each market’s audience.
With international SEM, the classic schoolboy error we see is clients translating keywords into foreign languages. Instead, work with native speakers trained in search marketing to figure out native keywords that would be best associated with your website and its content. Keywords are often influenced by culture and behaviour, which is best navigated by experts and those in the know.
4. Optimise site design
In many cases, the first touchpoint for your communication with potential customers will be your website. Optimise your site design to allow for ultimate flexibility for global visitors.
When developing a global-friendly website, think about colours and symbols, and how these are deeply ingrained in culture. Research perceptions of colours, shades and tones among your target audience and make sure your brand guidelines aren’t offending foreign users with shapes and symbols that seem harmless to you. In most of Europe and the Americas, for example, white is associated with purity and marriage. In Japan, China and parts of Africa, though, white is traditionally the colour of mourning.
5. Loading speed
Broadband speeds and accessibility of 4G/5G, and therefore website loading speeds, in various regions play a remarkable role in deciding the success of a global digital campaign. There is massive disparity between countries like South Korea, which ranks the highest, and Libya, which ranks the lowest in terms of internet speed, for which the smart marketer or media planner will suggest different creatives and frequency caps be used by market. These factors considerably affect the search engine rankings of your website and also contribute to the rise and fall of your conversion rate.
It’s particularly important to take a note of this when it comes to reaching a global audience. The use of a content delivery network (CDN), a collection of web servers around the world, can improve the load time issue by offering it from the server nearest to your site visitor instead of serving your site from one location, which might cause delays, and ultimately unrest, to your target groups.
There’s also key opinion leader and influencer relationships to foster and build, as well as (perceived) ‘minor’ details to take care of. Take, for example, the currency in which you’re advertising; clients in the Middle East will default to US dollars for international creatives, but what about when communicating in some African countries where the currency isn’t recognised or traded? Or perhaps in markets where seeing a product advertised in Donald Trump’s US Dollar, can seriously backfire and cause offence to the target market. Often, complaints of low CTRs or underperforming campaigns can be attributed to simple mistakes like this.
Taking the step to go global with your digital campaign should be applauded, but the way in which you do it needs to be championed.