‘Being able to work in a global environment’, is a phrase that is now etched onto the job descriptions of most marketers and enshrined in today’s strategy documents. Whether that’s a reality or an aspiration - either way it’s something that requires constant work and evaluation. In this article I’m going to share some of my recent thoughts and experiences. Here are my seven suggested areas that you should evaluate: 1. Nation Branding and National Identity 2. Cultural Ethnicity and Religion 3. Innovation and Creativity 4. Education and Training 5. Balancing Standardization and Localization 6. Networks and Channel partners 7. Multi-layered messaging

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082 // AUG 2014 // THE-MARKETEERS.COM
GLOBALMARKETING
THEMANYFACESOF
‘Being able to
work in a global
environment’, is a
phrase that is now
etched onto the
job descriptions
of most marketers
and enshrined in
today’s strategy
documents. Whether
that’s a reality or an
aspiration - either
way it’s something
that requires constant
work and evaluation.
In this article I’m
going to share some
of my recent thoughts
and experiences.

2. JONATHAN(BILAL)A.J.WILSON
SENIORLECTURER&COURSELEADER,
UNIVERSITYOFGREENWICH,LONDONUK
EDITOR:JOURNALOFISLAMICMARKETING,
EMERALDGROUPPUBLISHING.
THE-MARKETEERS.COM // AUG 2014 // 083
I packed in some serious air miles in
June, travelling from London to the USA,
Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and
Japan.As you can imagine, I met academics
and practitioners from a wide range of
backgrounds at events ranging from: the
Kellogg Innovation Network 10th
KIN
Global at Northwestern University USA;
the P-World Global PR Trends Summit
in Qatar; the 2nd
International Food
Symposium on Halalness, at Tokyo Institute
of Technology, Japan; June’s Japanese
Global Marketing Committee, held at Meiji
University,Tokyo; and a guest lecture on
American popular culture by Harvard
anthropologist Grant McCracken at Royal
Holloway University of London.After all
of these rich experiences, I sat down and
attempted to find patterns in my list of
notes.
Overall, there seems to be a consensus
that whilst globalization is a reality,
and all of the predictions of consumer
convergence, and mass production at
lower costs hold true; they don’t reveal the
full picture.Technological advancements
spearheaded through social media, coupled
with a desire that prevails to remain
conspicuous and maintain distinct cultural
identities, means that the landscape in
many ways remains complicated and
nuanced. Evidence of this is that businesses
are still having to navigate through
geographies, which necessitate cultural
hybridizations, adjustments, adaptations, and
reinforcements to their products, services,
management practices, supply chains, and
messages.That is balancing the scales of
global and local, and doing so at scale.
Furthermore, we are seeing patterns
where markets, which have been previously
labelled as being niche, are operating in
the mainstream and behaving like mass
markets.A case in practice being the USD
$2.3 trillion Halal industry, which operates
in Muslim majority and minority nations,
across such wide-ranging sectors as: food,
finance, fashion, pharmaceuticals, tourism
and hospitality, and entertainment.
With all of these in mind, here are some
areas to watch and consider that I have
come up with, which I admit is all still very
much work in progress:
Nation Branding and National
Identity
I’m writing this article while the FIFA
football World Cup is in full-swing – and
I think that this presents a good analogy
for how things are in a wider marketing
context. Distinct national identities, or you
could even say brands are important; and
people and organizations attach themselves
or tap into them. However, membership is
not necessarily restricted to you having to
be from those nations, or in those nations
to enjoy the benefits.
For example, if you think about the
Superdry clothing label: it’s a British brand
which produces American style vintage
clothing, which looks like it’s from Japan,

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as it carries Japanese graphics and text.
Also, when I was in Dubai, I came across
a new high-end bespoke gentlemen’s
shoe brand called The Cobbler. This
company was set up by a French wife
and husband team, who have their shoes
manufactured in Northampton England
(the heartland of traditional shoemaking)
and they are branded as such, in order
to carry a premium. But interestingly,
they are then coloured, according to
French craftsmanship standards, to any
specification of your choice, in Dubai. Now
surprisingly, you can’t buy these English
shoes in England, unless you order them
from Dubai and have them shipped from
Dubai. Even more surprisingly, they can
make a pair of shoes and have them
ready in 7-10 days, and it’s no more
expensive than buying a pair from a
competitor like Jeffery-West, who don’t
offer customisation.
Here we’re seeing new approaches to
nation branding and globalization working
together. Furthermore, it’s showing, like
in the World Cup, that people support
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nations and are free to switch their
identities to national identities that are
still in the competition and able to deliver
better success.We still care about national
identities and brands, but we feel able to
pick and choose as we see fit, and there is
less of a stigma.
I’ve also been watching with interest the
market share of Apple’s iPhone in Japan.
When I was there last
September, they had
about 25% market
share and now it’s
up to 35%; which
for me is pretty
amazing, when
you consider
the dominance
of Japanese
technology
over the past
few decades,
how Sony in the
past has defined so
many iconic personal
music devices, and the
strong sense of national
pride and loyalty that the
Japanese have.

4. Cultural Ethnicity and Religion
I’ve mentioned this a few times in
previous articles; and this is one of the
areas that I have picked up the most
recognition for, leading to invites around
the world. But it’s still an area that in many
ways is both a taboo and the elephant in
the room. Relative to the ethnic, cultural,
and religious diversity in the world, also
in proportion to population figures; and
not to mention the significance in terms
of peoples’ expressed identities, linked to
behavioural and consumption patterns:
there still remains very little detailed
literature on these areas. I’d also say, there’s
even less in marketing literature and
reports that look at culture, ethnicity and
religion as being linked and interacting; in
the way that most of us are used to doing
informally and intuitively on a daily basis.
There are still so many companies and
educational establishments that just don’t
get it, don’t want to get it, just don’t see
the value in it yet, or don’t know how to
do it well enough yet. For me this is a big
mistake.To give you an idea of perhaps
how far behind we are, it would be like
suggesting that you can target all females
in the same way, or that there’s no point
in targeting females, or you don’t know
how to because it’s too difficult. Now let’s
think about current discussions that debate
whether there is such a thing as a Muslim
market (about a quarter of the world’s
population and growing), whether we
should even consider religion as a variable,
or whether you can target all Muslims in
the same way? If we substitute the word
‘Muslim’ in those questions for ‘female’,
then you can get a sense of how short-
sighted and shallow those questions seem.
Ethnicity, culture, religion and gender are
the building blocks of human existence and
they’ve all been around for long enough
for these not to cause such issues – unless
perhaps there are deeper political reasons.
Innovation and Creativity
Innovation and creativity in products,
services, management, and individuals are
a hot topic. But innovation and creativity
simply for the sake of it, or to signal market
differentiation aren’t enough.With so much
competition, noise, reduced production
costs, and speed to market; things can
easily be forgotten or swamped. Innovation
and creativity have to be built organically
and consensually, so that at every stage
there is a broad base of supporters and
evangelizers who can take things to the
next level.This means that innovation
and creativity have to demonstrate and
communicate a real value proposition,
which can be understood and consumed by
a diverse group of stakeholders.
Education and Training
Any organization that can offer
lifelong learning has an extra competitive
advantage, which employees and
consumers alike will value and take
notice of. But this mindset also extends
to product or service offerings too. Even
if that’s communicating with consumers
about the provenance of a product,
regional and corporate heritage, a
corporate social responsibility initiative, or
the benefits of product ingredients. People
want to engage on a much deeper level; to
find meaning in all of their activities and
consumption practices; and to feel that
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WILSONINJAPAN

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they are equipped to be able to cope with
any apprehensions of an uncertain future
that globalization sometimes creates.
Universal Standards
In a globalized paradigm, discussions
often consider how many management
practices, products and services can be
standardized; according to the organization,
industry, or nation. I don’t think that there
is one rule that can fit all; also I think more
so than ever, whatever policy is decided
needs to have a sell-by date on it, because
it will have to be constantly re-evaluated.
Therefore, organizations need to approach
this issue with an appreciation that
standards will have to change, and changing
them in no way undermines previous
activities, or renders them as being
obsolete or a failing.This is simply part of
a process of synergic constant learning and
improvement, which reflects the changing
landscape. However, having stated this a key
challenge is whether an organization has a
core unit of people and processes in place
flexible and agile enough to cope with such
change; and that this knowledge is retained
within an organization, with carefully
managed labour turnover.
Networks and Channel partners
The role of the consumer, shared
power and decision-making, strategic
alliances, and diversity of networks, are
critical and becoming much more fluid.
You don’t know which way the market is
going to shift in the future - and so too
much protectionism, or a desire to control
may well backfire.This is very much an
open-source mindset of giving, and giving
being defined in the widest sense; in the
hope that you will receive. In doing so the
horizon is extended towards a more long-
tail economics approach.
Multi-layered messaging
This is the challenge of appealing to
several target audiences and segments
at the same time.The key question is
whether this is achieved through one
clear consistent and compelling message
across all platforms, which end-users
interpret differently, according to their
own viewpoints and frames of reference;
or instead through integrated marketing
communications that uses different
creatives for each platform. For example
in some conservative societies what may
work on a smartphone shopping App.
for private viewing may not be well-
received on a billboard campaign. However
conversely, with social media connecting
us all, if there is a perceived disconnect
through too much localisation, then this
may undermine the universal values and
brand promises in the minds of consumers.
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