Going global: A daunting task but achievable

In the world of global communication so much contradiction exists. While we live in an era where messages can be shared instantly, and where we are more connected than ever before, we’re still not moving as an integrated universe. What stimulates and encourages you, and what moves your brand to succeed is immensely diverse — between countries, continents, traditions and cultures.

The goal of globalization is to discover the shared belief and shared quality in communication that can resonate with defined target publics notwithstanding who they are, where they are and what practices they observe. So as you start to plan for global takeoffs, you need to focus on the same elements as you prepare for local launches: your product, key messages, media mix, strategy and execution. What has changed is the swiftness and broad-mindedness of what the world is prepared to wait for. Thanks to technology. It has given you the competence to communicate straight- away with the click of a button.

The Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), the premier organization of PR professionals, took a serious look at how local brands can adopt a global perspective at the recently concluded 23rd PR Congress held at the Marriott’s Grand Ballroom. With the theme “Global Speak: Are You Ready to Take the Global Stage?” the two-day summit leveraged on the experiences of local and international brands that have made their mark on the international stage.

It highlighted how PR can most effectively connect organizational plans and interests with discriminating consumers and stakeholders outside the country. PRSP president Ronal Jabal said, “There is a resurgence in the need to bring Philippine brands to the international market and speak to a global audience because of the evolving market landscape.”

Harold Geronimo, chair of the 2016 PR Congress added, “In order to make the cut, Filipino companies need to be ready.  “Local brands that envision themselves to be global brands someday need to take the challenge of the evolving trends of public relations and communications.  The challenge is how to effectively maximize the use of traditional and new media to propagate the desired brand messaging and reach the appropriate audience.”

• A successful global market entry can’t be done distantly. Business is still about connecting and communicating.  It’s difficult to connect and communicate if you’re not in the area where you want to thrive. Local presence, local resources and local knowledge go a long way. You have to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more to jumpstart your launch, to build and accelerate your global penetration. These four brands are fine examples of success in conquering the global market

• Spreading joy to the world. Jollibee is a dominant market leader in the country’s fast-food industry. While it enjoys the lion’s share of the local market, the company has also embarked on an aggressive international expansion plan, and currently has about 80 stores outside the Philippines. The fast-food brand is spreading joy to Filipinos worldwide and the heartwarming narrative of Jollibee’s most recent opening in Skokie, Illinois — the very first store in the American Midwest — attests to this.

As Jose Minana Jr., group president for North America and Foreign Franchise Brands in the Philippines shared, the store opened to an overwhelming reception from the Filipino-American community, with customers camping out or driving for hours, just for a bite of their extremely missed Chickenjoy, Jolly Spaghetti and peach mango pies. Every day since the opening, long lines would form outside the shop, anticipating its daily operation, prompting its management and staff to put up tents to shield the customers from the rain and heat. Three PR lessons can be learned from Jollibee’s victorious global expansion: Stick to what you’re good at; be steadfast and smart; and be authentic.

• Bringing Philippine content to the world. Jon Gatbonton, advertising sales head of ABS-CBN Global Ltd., shared The Filipino Channel (TFC) story, which grew from a group of eight to a team of 400 servicing overseas Filipinos around the globe.  While it has come a long way, it still has so much to do considering that more and more Filipinos populate the world.  TFC is where it is today not just because of the collective brilliance of the people behind the organization but also because of its ability to listen to what market forces dictate.

“Building on valuing what the market wants, TFC takes into consideration that each market is different,” Gatbonton said. The global Filipino market got so big that TFC had to determine the market by geography.  But geography is not the only factor, bearing in mind that years after, there are generations of Filipinos living in one Filipino household.”

This market segmentation is key in terms of communicating with the audience, fully aware that the common mistake of speaking to a global audience is in how tools are created for the approving parties, not for the actual consumers.  He explained: “People aren’t seeking marketing copy.  They are looking for other people’s experiences so they can humanize it, apply it to their dreams and aspirations.”

• Uber’s disruptive business model. Remember when you had to haggle with a taxi driver to bring you to your destination on a rainy day or wait in line for an available cab? If you’re one of the millions of Uber users, these hassles are now things of the past. Today you can book your ride and pay for it with a credit card via an app on your smartphone. Uber is a San Francisco-based organization and one of the world’s fastest growing app-based taxi operators, serving almost 300 cities globally. Using Uber’s app, you can see where the nearest cars are to you on a map and when they’re going to arrive. You are likewise given an estimate of how much the ride will cost — although the exact fare will depend on factors such as traffic and weather.

As Uber went global it became clear to the company that the uniqueness of the individual cities where it operates is the distinctive element in all its launches. “Each city is distinctive in its transportation pain points, its density, its transportation alternatives, regulation, even its transportation culture,” observed Travis Kalanick, Uber cofounder. The brand’s worldwide acceptance, according to the presentation of iSentia’s Richard Spencer, is attributed to several factors: Quick and reliable ride-booking using GPS and mapping technology; transaction convenience and simplicity via mobile payments; driver feedback mechanism that results in improved customer experience; and the opportunity to make influential friends and become a local club in every territory it enters.

• Creating a world where people can belong anywhere. That’s Airbnb’s core business that aims to rid the world of strangers. Its “#onelessstranger” program provides one act of hospitality for strangers, which is documented and uploaded with that hashtag. It also distributes US$10 gifts to 100,000 Airbnb community members

Airbnb’s success is predicated on the “trust” coming from both the renter and the “rentee.” The company tied the exchange to the real identity of the customer via Facebook Connect, with reviews and minimal online interviews, which ask the question: Why are you visiting? Ease of use, largely generated from the user-friendly site that takes the pain out of discovering and booking accommodations; the brand itself, which does an excellent job of delivering curated listings on the homepage. As such, the site becomes more than “renting a spare room” and instead promotes the excitement of discovering cool, quirky and creative properties; and an attractive price, which makes financial sense for most users. As one Airbnb member enthused, “I continue to be in awe of Airbnb — harnessing technology not only to bring much-needed accommodation but also helping to flatten the world, one booking at a time.”

The road from local to global is a real challenge. You need to have a clear answer to this clear question: What are the keys to getting a local message to become a global message in today’s digitally driven world? Here are a few considerations if you desire to bring your local brand to a global platform:

Share best practices across countries using remote connectivity and physical conferences; Encourage common planning processes; develop a standard strategic planning framework;

Assign “glocal” accountabilities; and consistently have determined focus, since work is always marked “a work in progress.”

Integrate your global communication operation to generate a tighter level of efficiency and control. Put up a global communication network composed of people from various company departments.

Localize content while maintaining the integrity of your brand.

Maintain positive relations with local leaders in the territory where you are launching.

Enhance your global reputation through corporate social responsibility and philanthropic programs that address legitimate local needs that are vital investments to augment global standing.

Jollibee, Bench, SM, Emperador Brandy, ABS-CBN, Philippine Airlines, and even Filipino managerial talents are some of many Philippine brands and “exportables” that have gone truly global, earning reputable levels of success. They overcame the daunting challenges and embraced the rewarding opportunities that went with the process.

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Email bongosorio@gmail.com for comments, questions and suggestions. Thank you for communicating.