Increase efficiency across your global-to-local model by avoiding unexpected reworks, expensive reshoots and unmet local regulations. Here’s how a localisation strategy can streamline your production processes and save you money.
An efficient production model should move through the following stages: campaign planning that’s in line with the global strategy, followed by market research and insight analysis to validate and define the local strategy. Concepts are tested in-market to check the messaging before creative assets are developed and images and taglines undergo cultural checks before launch.
However, we know things rarely run this smoothly and below we explore some of the areas you need to address to avoid hidden production costs.
- Lacking a clear plan upfront
Communicating a clear plan to global, regional and local teams ensures brand consistency. It’s also essential when it comes to media planning and buying. It’s never too early to ensure your content is culturally appropriate and to plan for its efficient delivery, so define what markets you’ll target from the outset and consider how your creative can meet the needs of consumers and local teams in every region. Remember: effective global advertising means messages don’t lose their meaning when crossing borders.
This point also relates to uptake by local teams. By involving everyone in the planning stages, you can identify what creative is needed and which channels to use, thereby avoiding asset wastage and the risk of local teams coming up with collateral that dilutes the brand or confuses the campaign message.
- Disconnected global and local teams
Smart implementation is essential to rolling out creative that resonates wherever it lands, so spend time coming up with a localisation strategy that outlines:
- How to adopt your brand’s tone of voice to fit audience preferences in the new market
- How your target audience’s age, education and income might influence the phrases you use in the new market
- What motivates your target audience, so that you can demonstrate you understand the challenges and opportunities they are facing
This strategy must be communicated to everyone – from in-market teams to partner agencies – otherwise, you could introduce brand inconsistencies. A master toolkit or house style guide can ensure creative is always on-brand while keeping in line with consumer, cultural and regulatory considerations. You might even consider recruiting a brand guardian to oversee and lead everyone involved in a campaign. Their sole focus is to ensure that every piece of work stays within the parameters of the brand.
- Following a complicated approvals process
Siloed teams are isolated from one another and don’t have visibility on actions and usage. This can slow down the approval process, which means extended timelines and missed deadlines – all of which have a knock-on effect on budgets.
Mapping out processes from the outset will enable you to identify approval slots and line up time for internal teams to review and feedback on assets at different stages of production – all while keeping the insights gathered during the market research stage front of mind. This way, you can ensure your local creative fulfils your original visions.
- Not complying with local regulations
Failing to familiarise yourself with regulatory compliance, legal considerations, image rights and talent rights in each local market can cause delays to the production process and – in worse-case scenarios – damage a brand’s image and result in costly penalties. Include creative and cultural checks within your production model so that in-market experts check and approve words and imagery. Similarly, ensure assets are adapted to suit the specifications of the channels and platforms where they will appear.
- Having to revise, rework and reshoot
You’ve engaged a film crew, video editors, a photographer, graphic designers and copywriters. The last thing you want is to realise your assets won’t work in a particular market. Having to retrofit creative to suit your local market campaign or having to revise, rework or reshoot certain elements results in unnecessary duplication of effort and spend.
Instead, arm yourself with local understanding so that the process of creating, testing, approving and validating campaign assets is streamlined – ensuring the right message is received around the world.
- Failing to stick to timelines and meet deadlines
Remember, timings play a vital role in campaign plans and budgets. Failing to stick to deadlines is just one of the ways an inefficient production model can fail to keep costs under control. Allow plenty of time for each stage, with sufficient buffers allocated to: receiving feedback; making amends to the copy or imagery; and answering any local clearance and regulation questions.
Consider localisation every step of the way and develop a global-to-local approach to ensure your marketing campaigns are effective everywhere they appear. Contact us today to find out how our production model balances efficiency and effectiveness – ensuring the best possible results for your brand’s campaign.