ChicExecs Senior VP of Elevate, Lydia Vargo, shares how to make your brand stand out in a global marketplace on Forbes blog. Here is a summary from the piece.
As the VP of global strategic accounts at a PR and retail strategy company, I’ve counseled both national and international brands. Whether you need to stand out in the U.S., U.K. or Uruguay, I recommend following these six tips to build more buzz around your brand — no matter your geographic location.
1. Switch To A ‘PR-First’ Mentality
Marketing definitely has its place. It enables the world to understand your brand story, what you are selling, and why the world needs to take notice, in your opinion. Marketing is claiming, “We are the best,” which may indeed be true; however, while confidence is important, it can often come off as cocky and tone-deaf.
A PR-first strategy is about building a true endorsement base from trusted third-party reviews. This means taking, “We are the best,” and backing it up with, “They really are the best.”
2. Create A Professional Website
You need to have a professional, modern website — no matter what. You can easily build a great website with builders like WordPress, Squarespace and more. There is no excuse to have a slow, old-fashioned site.
3. Show Off Your People
You have to establish authority in a global market. That means showing off the people behind your brand. Who are your founders? What do they stand for? What’s their story? If you can get people to buy into the people behind your brand, they should naturally begin to trust the company and products, too.
4. Give Back
Millennial and Gen Z shoppers may prefer buying from companies with charitable initiatives. According to a 2019 Deloitte survey, 36% of millennial respondents started or deepened a relationship with a company because they thought the company was ethical, and 37% have stopped or lessened a relationship because of a company’s ethical behavior.
5. Respect All Cultures
Hopefully, this is common sense, but if you want to appeal to shoppers on a global scale, you need to exercise cultural sensitivity. Snarky, quirky or funny brands have to tread lightly here; what’s funny in one culture could be very offensive in another.
6. Piggyback On Global News Stories
What’s going on in the world right now? Subscribe to global news alerts or to news cultivators to stay on top of the latest happenings. Are there any stories that relate to your industry, brand or product? Try writing content related to what the world is following in the news.
Read Lydia’s entire blog here.
