Dynamically developing companies are increasingly expanding their operations to foreign markets.
Dynamically developing companies are increasingly choosing to expand their operations into foreign markets. Various types of marketing campaigns serve as excellent tools for building sales abroad as well.
Our agency specializes in preparing such campaigns, and our accumulated experience allows us to effectively meet the challenges that come with working in foreign markets. In this article, we will share our practices and explain how we approach creating international campaigns.
What should you remember when preparing an international campaign?
Thoroughly research the market
Preparing a campaign requires a significant amount of work even before it starts, especially in the case of international campaigns. Thoroughly analyze the market to which you are directing your campaign and specify its characteristics. It is crucial to understand the features of the given environment that can impact the overall campaign. Identifying local target groups, their demographics, and specific needs allows for precise campaign adjustment. It is also worth investigating local consumer insights in the category where your product is present. Understanding the competition and their strategies through the analysis of their previous actions in the given market is an essential element.
Analyze trends and consumer behaviors
The success of a foreign marketing campaign requires agencies to be familiar with the current trends prevailing in the given market, as well as the behaviors of local consumers. Consumer preferences vary significantly in different countries, requiring deep analysis. International campaigns must consider local customs, such as preferred payment methods or promotional occasions specific to the given market.
Ensure proper communication and content personalization
When preparing a marketing campaign abroad, it is essential that the messages are not only correctly translated into the appropriate local language but also adapted to the culture. Avoiding cultural and language mistakes is crucial for the campaign to be well-received among the local community and not provoke unwanted controversies, which could lead to a negative brand image. It is worth adding that the campaign should be tailored to the unique features, preferences, values, and needs of the market where it is to take place. The advertising agency, while creating content, considers these factors, crafting a message tailored to the needs of the given environment. To avoid mishaps, it is worth collaborating with local freelancers (e.g., copywriters).
Choose the appropriate communication channels
Effectively operating in a foreign market requires the agency to have excellent knowledge of the communication channels currently popular in that market. One should consider which media presence strategies to adopt to be as effective as possible in their actions. It is worth considering the frequency with which the local community uses the media. Traditional media are often as important as digital media. Despite the growing popularity of social media, traditional media still play a significant role. The unique features of such channels as television, radio, or print ads allow reaching a wide audience.
Invest in influencer marketing
Influencer marketing plays an increasingly important role in the advertising world and is becoming an essential tool for achieving success in various markets. By collaborating with local influencers, we gain access to their unique reach and trust within the foreign community. Choosing the right internet creator, who fits the brand’s values and interests, can be crucial for the success of the campaign.
Challenges in international campaigns
Entering new, foreign markets, brands must also face challenges that can significantly impact the success of the campaign. One of the challenges agencies will encounter is certainly cultural and language barriers. These differences can lead to communication errors and misunderstandings that weaken the campaign’s message effectiveness. Understanding the local culture and customs is crucial to avoiding potential faux-pas.
Another challenge that the advertising agency must pay attention to when creating a campaign concept is legal regulations. Failure to meet legal requirements or exceeding them can result in consequences for both the company and the marketing campaign. Agencies must be aware of local regulations and comply with them, which requires additional work and resources.
Do you need to conduct marketing activities in a foreign market?
Examples of our international campaigns
At Neon Shake, we deal with international campaigns daily. Many of our clients operate outside the borders of Poland.
One of them is Western Union – a leader in money transfers and financial services worldwide. As one of its digital partners, we helped create a campaign promoting new services in European markets.
In the campaign, we focused on emotions. Creating a campaign on financial topics, our task was to convey the client’s offer, containing many technical details, in an engaging way. In collaboration with the Customer Relationship Management department in Vilnius, we prepared mailings aimed at engaging recipients. Using storytelling, we communicated with Western Union customers in an accessible manner.
Operating on a larger scale, we also prepared larger activations for this client. The “Dual belonging” campaign directly referred to immigrants and the emotions associated with belonging to two nationalities simultaneously – the country of origin and the one where they live daily. As part of the campaign, we created a landing page and a lottery, where the prize was t-shirts designed by us. The campaign took place simultaneously on three continents, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Spain. A person who perfectly fit the idea of the campaign is former French footballer Patrick Vieira, who became the campaign ambassador.
Summary
When preparing campaigns for foreign markets, it is crucial to conduct a thorough market analysis, understand local trends and consumer behaviors. It is important to properly adjust communication and personalize content. We emphasize that the choice of appropriate communication channels, which are popular and effective in the given market, is significant. It is necessary to remember cultural and language barriers, as well as legal regulations that can impact the campaign’s success.
FAQ
Why is market analysis crucial for international marketing campaigns?
Answer: Market analysis allows for understanding the characteristics of the target environment, identifying target groups, their demographics, and specific needs. This enables the campaign to be precisely adjusted to local conditions, increasing its effectiveness.
What are the most important aspects to consider when analyzing trends and consumer behaviors?
Answer: It is important to pay attention to consumer preferences, which can vary in different countries. It is also essential to consider local customs, preferred payment methods, and market-specific promotional occasions.
Why are proper communication and content personalization so important?
Answer: Messages must not only be correctly translated into the local language but also adapted to the culture. Avoiding cultural and language mistakes is crucial for the campaign to be well-received and not provoke unwanted controversies.
What communication channels are most effective in foreign markets?
Answer: The choice of channels depends on their popularity and usage frequency in the given country. Traditional media, such as television and radio, often play an important role alongside digital media. It is necessary to adjust the media presence strategy to local consumer habits.
What are the benefits of investing in influencer marketing in foreign markets?
Answer: Collaborating with local influencers allows utilizing their reach and trust within the foreign community. A well-chosen influencer, fitting the brand’s values and interests, can significantly impact the campaign’s success.
What are the main challenges in running international campaigns?
Answer: The main challenges include cultural and language barriers, which can lead to communication errors and misunderstandings. It is also important to adhere to local legal regulations to avoid legal consequences and negative impacts on the campaign.
