Ms. Fields

Sales & Marketing

Global Marketing: Does One Size Fit All?

By Brenda Fields, Founder, Fields & Company

The advancement of technology has made the world a smaller place. Movies, television, and now the Internet have created a world which has fostered a better understanding of and access to different cultures. Teenagers in remote areas of the world dress and speak like teenagers in the most urban areas of the world based on their journeys thru the Internet. And a rural homemaker has access to shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City just by logging onto the Internet.

But, does this familiarity and exposure lessen cultural characteristics or nuances? Is it correct to assume that this familiarity creates instant purchases of your product? And does this also ensure that your product will be selected over your competition in these markets? This article will address key components to consider when planning and implementing global marketing campaigns or initiatives or in just reaching specific international markets. Understanding the key elements of marketing combined with a campaign that is tailored to an in-depth understanding of the targeted markets will guarantee the most effective return on investment. Whether you are McDonalds, The Gap, or a small bed and breakfast on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, there are basic tools to apply and areas to address to ensure that you capture the desired international business.

Web Site:

Without doubt, the Internet has changed the way we connect with people, conduct research, and buy products. The Internet has leveled the playing field, allowing a small, independent property to compete with its local global brand counterpart. Your web site, properly designed and optimized, is the most cost effective component in reaching international markets. After identifying your targeted international markets, have your web site translated into those languages. At the same time, consider paid search advertising and local language banner ads in those key markets. Look into the most popular local search engines. For example, in China, the otherwise prolific search engine, Google, ranks well below the most popular (and inexpensive) search engine, Baidu. So it will be worthwhile to research those targeted markets to determine the most cost effective way to reach them thru search engines, paid search, and local banner ads.

Language and Currency:

Language is powerful. In a remote African tribe, words for "sadness, worry, and disappointment" do not exist, and as a result, that culture has a group of happy and optimistic people. And in another culture, there is no feminine word for a business executive. As a result, there are very few women executives. Go figure! But continuing with the concept that language is powerful, if you had to choose between two similar products, one in your language and one in another language, which one would you choose? With the exception of choosing Carla Bruni's CD or a George Clooney movie in any language, it is probably safe to assume that one would choose the product in his own native language, as you know what you are getting. To add to that, the proper translation is key to ensure that your message reaches the target audience and compels them to buy your product. Have you seen English from America that has been translated from another language? A technically correct translation will not always reflect the local flavor and tone of the desired message. The reverse is certainly true when English is translated into other languages. So it will be very beneficial to have the translations represent the local style in order to truly appeal to those potential customers. Rather than hiring a basic translation service, it is important to ensure that those local nuances are communicated into the translated language.

In addition, how many of us will buy a product without knowing the price? So why would we expect a foreign customer to book our hotel when we ask then to figure out on their own, the currency conversion? You can increase your reservation conversation rate when the potential customer has immediate access to the cost of the room in his or her own currency. Once they leave your site to get information, it is unlikely that they will return.

Localization:

Localization is the key to global marketing, or reaching international audiences. As Americans, we are a diverse group with different experiences, interests, climates, and hot buttons. An effective marketing message for a New York City audience will be different than a message to an audience in San Diego, California. Certainly, the same is true for many other international locations, especially from the emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India, and China where there are numerous dialects and cultural differences within one country. Therefore, it will be effective to narrow the targeted markets to specific regions or cities and base communications in that language, incorporating that specific culture. A "one size fits all" marketing plan or web site optimization will not result in the best return on investment. Greater efficiency will come from specific messages tailored to a specific audience.

Reservations:

Having your web site translated into the desired languages, with specific translations, and placed on the local popular search engines, is the beginning to tap into those targeted international markets. The final step is to ensure that the customer can book your property easily and with confidence. Not all countries or regions have established on-line buying habits. So for those markets, you may want to have a toll-free local phone number to handle the bookings and placed on the web site. For those markets which are comfortable booking online, ensure that the credit card payments that you accept include those credit cards used by the international customers. An added plus is to have the reservations page translated into the other languages, with an automatic confirmation back to the customer in that language, as well.

"One size fits all" may work when buying some tee-shirts, but not necessarily when cost effectively penetrating key international markets. With a few basic, but critical, components in place, owners and managers are in a great position to compete, cost effectively, for international business and to lay the foundation for future growth.

Brenda Fields is a strategist and sales and marketing expert honed from a successful track record in the hospitality industry. Brenda is a member of the prestigious ISHC, recently served on the Americas Board of Directors for HSMAI, and is Immediate Past President of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International. Brenda was honored as one of "The Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing" by HSMAI as well as the "Leadership Development" award. She is an industry leader and spokesperson; a member of the Editorial Board of HotelExecutive.com; contributes regularly to international publications Hotel News Now; Hotels Online, Hotel Resource Weekly Network News, eHoteliers, and many others. For more information visit www.fieldsandcompany.net Ms. Fields can be contacted at 518-789-0117 or brenda@fieldsandcompany.net Extended Bio...

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