Achieving Consistent Brand Identity & Positioning

Coke, McDonald's, Nike. Around the world, anyone who sees the Golden Arches or the Swoosh knows what they mean. But how do other companies achieve such a consistent brand identity? Research conducted by the Business Excellence Board, a service of Best Practices, LLC, examines how marketing managers choose between a global or more regional approach for their products. Among the reasons cited by marketing and brand experts to be more global-centric: -- The need to drive down marketing costs by creating a single message instead of researching what would work best in each country. -- A global branding approach forces a company to find its most vital, impacting and universal themes to promote about a brand. -- The ability to achieve a rapid and unified product launch. Companies that choose to market regionally or locally cited the following reasons for this tact: -- The need to respond to local market needs and address cultural and language differences. -- Must comply with specific regulatory/legal standards. -- An intention to encourage local autonomy and innovation among its marketing and branding groups A white paper detailing "Global Branding: Achieving Consistent Brand Identity & Positioning" can be found