Liberalization and the dawn of Digital Marketing compelled conglomerates aspiring universal leadership to conceive radical strategic facets in their marketing practices and philosophies. The buzz “GO GLOBAL” was phenomenal, and thereby its impulse, that many marketers overlooked the eminence of the basic law that: “though the products are global, the markets are local.” The dynamic process of globalization forced the imprudent to recoil and scripted success for the innovators, the ones that made the best & most are the ones which became glocal.
Glocalization is a strategic route adopted by organizations determined to lead and conquer markets beyond their cultural and geographical boundaries. Organizations that have managed to efficiently align and synergize their core global vision vis-à-vis their cross border market specific visions and mission have achieved leadership not just locally but globally. The best example one could cite for Glocalization is that of Mc Donald, which had stood all the challenges, yet managed to stick to its globally standardized menu, but see how they did sell local? The Big Mac of America has become the Maharaja Burger in India, to keep in tune with the culture in India, Mc Donald doesn’t sell any Beef or Ham products.
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The loudest glocal communication of all was done by HSBC: “The World’s Local Bank”. They say that it defines the distinct personality of the brand. It took HSBC a worldwide research to understand that though people value international products and services, they question the global model, and buy products that relate to them as an individual in their “bound rationality”.
One would much admire and appreciate the global brands around, but when it comes to buying-in, one would always go in for a nearer brand. HSBC, through its campaign, not only did overcome this hindrance in the consumers mind, but also effectively created a difference between itself and even the other global brands.
Glocalization is practiced at multiple levels. In the category of Low involvement purchases & impulse purchases, Glocalization can be limited at the level of communication. Take for example Coke. Global brand, global taste, global communication differentiated with local language. The Classic Coca Cola Enjoy! Ask anyone to think of few global brands, and I bet Coke would be among the top five. Pepsi, though a global brand, it is surely not supported by its global communication strategy, but by its positioning worldwide. “A Brand that stands for nothing, can fall for anything” has been an effective mantra, for which brands have been aggressive enough to capture mind space of their respective targeted customers. But, the impact of Glocalization is so much that even positioning is also going the glocal way. Look into the recent past advertisements of Coca Cola, yes, it’s less of ‘Coca Cola Enjoy’, but Thanda Matlab Coca Cola, which has been shot with Aamir Khan, posing in different cultures, as a Hyderabadi, Punjabi, Lucknowi, Bombay-Bhai and as a Gorkha as well.
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