In the latest issue of Marketing News, the flagship publication of the American Marketing Association, Porter Novelli CEO Karen van Bergen presents her insights on the critical balance brands must strike between global reach and local authenticity. As information increasingly spreads around the world instantly via ever-expanding networks of friends, fans, advocates and detractors, brands must understand and accept the new reality that–no matter how established, iconic or powerful they may be–branding is less one-size-fits-all than ever before.
“It is now easier than ever before for a brand to be truly global, which means that it is, in fact, harder than ever to be a truly global brand,” van Bergen cautions. “In order to establish and sustain an aligned global presence, organizations must maintain consistent brand standards while authentically engaging consumers in hundreds, even thousands, of local markets. It’s like playing chess with a worldwide audience of stakeholders on a multidimensional board, in real time, with different rules in each market.”
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