Trying to market your brand in a different country is like (literally) speaking another language - or is it? In a post-Brexit world, here are some communications tactics that translate across borders, plus tips on when you need to rethink your approach completely.

 “That kind of thing doesn’t really work here…” – a sentence that, as a communications consultant, makes my heart sink a little bit. And then the pragmatic, sensible me comes to the fore and I realise that they could be right, I’m the one that’s new to this market and perhaps I need to adjust my thinking. Or maybe we can meet in the middle.

After years of working across different geographies, I have learnt that there is a delicate balance to hitting the right note in any campaign.

Granted, the world is getting ever smaller and more accessible thanks to technology advances, digitalisation and globalisation, but countries continue to vary hugely in culture, community and business landscape.

And with Brexit now finally complete, there is going to be a widening metaphorical gap even with our closest neighbours.

So what are the rules of engagement for those of us navigating our way across borders?

Know your audience inside out

This is, of course, universally true in any marketing or communications strategy. But when entering an unknown market there is a new dimension. Not only do you not know your audience inside out, you might not even know who they are.

The important thing here is to do your research, but above all, you must listen, learn and never assume. Understand the demographic and adjust your message accordingly.

Nothing offends a client more than incorrectly assuming that what works in, say, London, will strike a chord with a local audience. For the biggest brands a global approach might work, but for most of us we need think harder to win over the locals.

Inward investment agencies are always very good at understanding different international audiences. Scotland, for example, in their efforts to sell Scottish salmon all over the world, know that in Southeast Asia the audience is affluent, aspirational, looking for luxury and quality. Whereas in Europe the messaging needs to focus on sustainability, the environment, health benefits and cost.

Completely different messaging for different audiences but, get it right, and the rest should flow.

Audience, check; messaging, check… now what?

Next challenge, how do you engage your audience in an unknown market? How do tactics and tools differ from country to country and where can you apply the same blueprint?

This is perhaps the area where there are most synergies across borders, mainly thanks to mass global digitalisation and the dominance of the major social media channels.

But picking the right tool to get your campaign heard isn’t always obvious. You have to really do your homework; is advertising still relevant? Do locals pay heed to the national broadsheets? Is it all about YouTube channels?

Take Indonesia – the 7th most tweeting country in the world - (anecdotally, if you want to get hold of someone in Indonesia, you tweet them before anything else) and yet internet penetration is staggeringly low.

The country lags behind in its digital transformation, ranking 57th in EIU’s Inclusive Internet Index.

India faces a similar paradox. The third most tweeting country in the world and yet swathes of the population don’t have internet access.

If you can get to the bottom of how your audience will engage in this challenging scenario, especially if you have limited resources, then you’re onto a winner.

Define the country’s standing in the digital ranks

Very much an extension of understanding your audience, it really helps to have an overview of where a country stands in its marketing evolution.

I learnt this the hard way moving from London, where it’s hard to keep up with the rate of innovation, to Singapore. It could hardly be said that Singapore is a backward-looking nation, but it certainly takes a little more coaxing to convince clients and customers to adopt new ideas than it does in other markets.

In terms of digital platforms all the tools are there and ready to go, but when it comes to messaging and execution of campaigns, the approach is very much risk-averse.

The size of a market can also be a good indicator of its evolution.

Take the small Channel Island of Jersey for example, which has a thriving economy, a booming financial and tourism sector… there are ambitious ideas aplenty amongst marketing professionals, but execution tends to fall a bit flat.

This is largely down to the fact that in more “local” environments, companies that are doing well don’t see the need to up their game. They’re making money, they are comfortable, why change things?

The key here is to read the room, and don’t overwhelm your client with an innovation overload. This is not to say forget your ambition. It will impress if nothing else. But don’t be surprised when your client comes back to you asking for the local newspaper’s ad rates.

Remove the risk of cultural faux-pas

This is where we all really need to listen and take advice. It might be that your communications strategy is going to go down a storm, go viral, get you a promotion… but present it in the wrong way or somehow cause offence and its difficult to claw your way back in favour.

Dubai for example – it’s still preferable to provide hard copies of marketing materials, press releases… the lot.

But in almost every country in Asia, you have to present your business cards across the table with both hands at the beginning of any meeting. It’s just polite.

Having cultural awareness will definitely help as you enter a new market, but it can also work the other way. Years ago, I had a meeting with a CEO of a NYSE-listed company trying to raise its profile in the UK. Five minutes into the presentation he announced that he was bored and could we just get on with it.

In my naivety I was shocked by his rudeness. But it was a good lesson. It shone a light on the huge chasm between how Americans and Brits do business, and our mistake was to not think about this before going into the meeting.

Win over new markets with clever content

Above everything, the key to a successful marketing strategy across borders is the right content.

Whether that be engaging web copy, relatable images, witty mailers, insightful blogs… the same rule applies in any market: make it relevant and make it memorable.

In the world of global digitalisation, video content and powerful imagery can have the greatest impact, as it transcends language barriers and can resonate with audiences in a lasting way.

Think Heineken’s employer brand strategy - videos of real employees across the world, or Intel's Meet the Makers series from 2018 (above). Both of which use real human stories to speak to their audience.

When it comes to translating marketing campaigns across borders, clever content like this will make the difference between success and failure. Get in touch if you’d like us to help.