Bridging brands and borders: Trends and tactics to connect global brands with Asian consumers

Abstract

There is a challenge facing global brands as they move across borders seeking new customers in new markets — how much must a global brand change in order to connect with a local culture? Must a global brand re-invent itself in order to succeed across borders? How much is too much, and how much is not enough? While marketers would like to have a handy formula to quantify what degree of change is required for their brands to succeed abroad — to define empirically how much a brand should change to fit local customer needs — there is no precise formula. However, global brands that attempt to reinvent their brands, drastically changing their global brand properties, do so at great risk. For global brands, in many different categories, there is an inherent power and advantage in their ‘international-ness’ when travelling across borders. Yet, equally, global brands that enter new markets without seeking some degree of customisation to meet local market needs, also do so at great risk. Many global brands coming to Asia have leveraged their international brand natures, and allowed for some degree of customisation. Ultimately, global brands moving across borders should consider customisation, but not outright localisation, for success.