branding

Multicultural branding for global brands

Whenever you enter a fast-food chain restaurant anywhere in the world, the first impression you get is a strong presence of the host country’s culture. These global brands have marketing and promotions departments working around the clock to cater to multicultural markets’ needs. They always focus on multicultural branding. These strategies can take the form of local menu items or more authentic interior design. This type of branding is all about creating a shared value system with the nations where multinational companies operate. This article looks into the different techniques of Multicultural branding and its impacts.

Local Festivals

The best way to go about is to keep bringing up the local festivals. McDonald’s example will remain persistent throughout this article. McDonald’s UK has exclusive deals and offers when Christmas is around, or when the football season is in the air. The happy meal toys, local menus, and even the uniform of staff change according to festivals.

Local Culture

Similarly, all multinational companies adapt to connect with the local culture. Why would they go through all the trouble? It is because they could not afford to be alienated from the competition. The customer base needs to connect with a company to increase its sales. Global brands are always trying to invade new markets, which is made possible thanks to the multicultural branding. McDonald’s in Pakistan would change the uniform to the traditional dress of Shalwar Qameez in the Eid season. The effort to connect with the local culture pays off well for the global brands to retain the customers.

General Acceptability

The multinational brands must be accepted by the native people of a country where they operate. The multicultural branding raises the acceptability level among the masses. McDonald’s fast-food restaurant in India does not promote beef products, as it does not fit the Indian culture. Alternatively, when operating in Egypt, all doors, display areas, and packaging will be highlighted with the word Halal. It is an acceptable form of meat in the country. Global brands need to make themselves generally acceptable by the population to enhance their market share.

Care for the Community

Global brands are always working towards empowering the youth, local community, or even minorities. They usually run charities within the selected country. They also include words of the local language in their marketing campaigns. These are all efforts to show that the brand is supportive to the residents of the territory. When the global corporates engage with the community, it does not make them a foreigner anymore but a compassionate entity. McDonald’s Corporation sponsors local sports events and leagues to stand alongside the city. They also run educational charities, empowering the disabled, or endowing youth. The care for the community builds customer loyalty, which is excellent for business.

To conclude, Multinational branding is a doorway used by global companies to penetrate new markets and open new business horizons.

The importance of branding for sales

There are many ways to sell a product. The most effective way is to connect with customers’ emotions. Branding helps you build that connection. A customer is always attracted to the brands that share the same values with him or her. Those similar values, which are mutually shared by a brand and its end consumer, make a brand stand out. The emotional connection of shared interest is highlighted by branding.

Beat the Competition

Successful branding is all about creating recognition, sharing a story, forming an identity, and building loyalty. A repeat customer is a satisfied customer. You could have the best product quality, the finest articulation, or the most precise attention to details, but what makes your product stands out is branding. If a product has a better-perceived value than competitors, it sells well. When a company starts focusing on branding for sales, they try to be friends with their customers, better than the competitors are. Think of yourself as a buyer. When you are shopping for perfume, would you just pick any name out of the shelf? Would you choose the brand which is familiar to you and which has an association with you? The same goes for the major portion of end consumers, they prefer products with good branding.

Increase the Market Share

Branding is not about the logo, TV commercials, radio ads, Social Media campaigns, the tag line, or the corporate culture of the company. It is about ALL. Branding has to do with everything mentioned above to help you form a bonding with the consumer. Customer loyalty can be guided. When you start selling your products with clear branding, it provides credibility. A happy customer is a referral. The whole concept is about a vibe that a customer gets from your product. If your branding is focused on customers and not your products, you will increase the market share even in a saturated market. When out shopping, customers will remember your product in the vast aisles of supermarkets.

Softer for new products

Once the road works are completed through solid branding, you can launch new products with a lot of ease. Branding helps you in all the future endeavors of your company. Increasing product lines is crucial for the enhancement of sales. Once the branding process is effectively put in place, the newly introduced products will have to just follow the same pattern. The strategy for the move forward is laid down crystal clear. Thus, branding is vital for sales in one way or another.

Indulgent for Investors

Organizations are always in need of fresh investments to grow sales. Branding is all about creating a rapport for your enterprise. It provides you with a unique identity that is recognized by both customers, investors, and employees. The strong media presence and press appearances establish the position of a thought leader. By investing in its brand strategy, the company’s odds of securing funding go up significantly. Finally, it is not only about selecting catchy colors for your product; branding is the face of your company. It guides what people should feel about your organization and consequently increasing sales.

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