tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288950850564395895.post6155558186006026518..comments2021-08-06T17:36:53.143-05:00Comments on Ad Majorem: Why Global Brands matterSteve Schildwachterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05267248485736601931noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288950850564395895.post-50201561121880612272010-05-10T20:41:02.373-05:002010-05-10T20:41:02.373-05:00Having worked with the Likes of P&G, Unilever ...Having worked with the Likes of P&G, Unilever and KC, the power of global brands is pretty clear. These guys spend enormous sums of money marketing their brands around the planet but this represents a fraction of what they invest from a supply chain, packaging and trade terms perspectives. The cost of packaging alone is a significant cost, especially if you have differing brand names around the globe.<br /><br />So from a cost perspective, homogenous branding makes absolute sense. I also agree that the internet and social media in particular are increasingly driving forces behind brand conversations. But just because they can doesn't mean people are constantly talking about global brands online.<br /><br />Unilever still has global brands which are marketed under different names but communicated in exactly the same fashion worldwide (I.e. Lynx/Axe, Sure/Rexona). There has been migration to consistency, take Lipton and Walls as 2 examples happened/happening currently.<br /><br />However, much care needs to be taken in considering and then doing global brand migration. Continental (in Australia) remains a very strong national brand, but is Knorr in Europe and increasingly across Asia. Bushell's tea is another local Australian example that after years of consideration decided not to migrate to the global Lipton brand as simply too strong and embedded.<br /><br />Doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't, just need to be very careful that the migration will be more valuable than the local to consumers, shoppers and customers. I don't believe that social media is the key nor only driver, but it is important.Dick Laurienoreply@blogger.com