Glocalization: dominate different markets through translation

Have you ever heard the phrase “think globally, act locally”? What does this concept refer to?

Today, markets are becoming globalized. As we explained in our previous article “Everything you need to know about website translation”, digital platforms and the internet have broadened possibilities and enable companies to internationalize and reach new customers in markets other than their local market, thus breaking down territorial barriers.

However, just because physical barriers are out of the equation does not mean that we will not encounter other obstacles during business expansion. 

Poor communication with customers in target markets is often one of the main problems faced by a company expanding internationally, but this goes far beyond mere linguistic differences due to speaking different languages. 

What about cultural differences? 

“Being everywhere” is not enough. The key to successful business expansion into new territories is knowing how to connect with the specific audience in that market; this is what we mean by “think globally, act locally”. 

Reaching all places, but with a distinct strategy for each target market, is what is known as glocalization.

When approaching an internationalization process, there are several ways of formulating a market penetration strategy.

In this sense, glocalization lets us stay focused on expansion in order to position ourselves in the international arena  while, at the same time, tending to each local market.

Would you like to know more about glocalization and how you can set up a Glocal Marketing strategy for your company? 

Well, read on, you can’t miss it!

What is glocalization and why is it important today?

Due to the rapid changes and developments in world markets, the term globalization is no longer sufficient when it comes to a global marketing strategy. Therefore, a new concept was born with the intention of capturing the reality of the situation more accurately: glocalization. 

This term merges the words globalization and localization, but for a better understanding, we will first outline both concepts in order to point out their differences.

Differences between a glocal, global and local marketing strategy

In order to expand into different markets, companies can choose between three types of strategy:

• Global strategy: this strategy sacrifices tailoring to the target or local market. It offers products or services in a standardized manner across all the markets in which it operates, and decision-making is completely centralized. This implies committing to a global mindset in which all countries are treated as equals, without language or cultural differences, with equal brand positioning for all markets, which can lead to missed opportunities.
• Local strategy: contrary to the previous strategy, it requires the extreme adaptation of the product or service to the local market, which means focusing efforts in a very dispersed manner, with the risk of losing the overall perspective.
• Glocal strategy: this is the fusion between global and local, i.e. it combines the best of both strategies to optimize results. 

In the successful development of a glocal strategy, translation is one of the key tools that most influences its success.

Especially when it comes to expansion through the use of digital platforms, such as company websites. 

The translation of content into the language of the target market is vital to achieve the good communication we were talking about before. And not just translation, in a Glocal Marketing strategy, we are really talking about the website’s “localization”. This includes the adaptation of local nuances and features and involves taking into account the cultural aspects of the country in which the products are to be marketed.

In this way, distinct and more appropriate strategies can be established for each market.

Benefits of glocalization for your company

As we can see, glocalization is the perfect hybrid to successfully internationalize a brand.

These are some of the benefits of applying a Glocal Marketing strategy to your company:

• Distinct brand positioning in each market to boost global brand recognition.
• Greater engagement from the target: a seamless linguistic connection with your target audience in the different markets will allow you to provide them with a stand-alone offer with which they feel more identified, generating a greater commitment to your brand.
• Better alignment of the marketing and sales strategy to achieve better business results.
  
  

Glocalization: how does a translation agency help you move around different markets?

As we have already mentioned, to successfully carry out a glocal marketing strategy, we must first focus on overcoming the language barriers that hinder communication with the target market. 

Your website is your company’s digital cover letter and will be the only one that many customers will have to discover your brand.

Therefore, you must give your website translation the importance it deserves.

A good website translation will not only help boost your company’s web positioning in the new market, but will also help to appropriately transmit your information and adapt it to the target culture.

Having your website in the language of each customer will break down barriers to reach your target and build more engagement from potential buyers.

And, to achieve this, it is essential to have a team of professionals who have the ability to adapt to the unique features of your project. Website localization requires linguists to be specialists not only in technical translation, but also in creative translation.

At this point, the most important question is how to find the translation partner that best meets the needs of your project and with whom you can adequately deliver your glocalization strategy.

Here at iDISC, we have over 30 years of experience as a translation agency, during which time we have helped our customers enter new markets using the most innovative technology and alongside expert professionals.

We are experts in technical translations and marketing translations, and we specialize in translating multilingual content on platforms such as HubSpot and WordPress.

Contact us and let us take care of the translation to help you master the different markets and consolidate your glocalization strategy.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this article. You can find more interesting content on our blog.