The fact that so many companies now operate on a global basis doesn’t mean that the local touch has disappeared from the business world. In fact, the need for international businesses to appeal to local customers has led to customization strategies becoming hugely popular among the following industries.
Streaming Services
Services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video reach out to viewers across the planet, but how can they reflect the tastes and interests in each region where they operate? The streaming services make language translation a key part of their business model, with subtitles and dubbing typically available in numerous languages.
They’ve also made the creation of local content a massive priority. Because of this, Netflix was able to announce back in 2019 that their most popular shows and movies in several distinct parts of the world were locally produced. Of course, shows like Squid Game show that these shows can sometimes also take off on a worldwide basis.
Perhaps less noticeable but no less important, the on-screen design of the platform also has to allow them to adapt to all the regions where they operate. As well as allowing them to fit in names and descriptions in the local language, it should also show images that the public will find attractive and culturally appropriate. Naturally, each country also has different customer segments, made up of different age groups, genders etc.
Online Casinos
Since going online, casino games have reached many parts of the world, including those where these games weren’t particularly popular or well-known in the past. This has meant educating people about casino games and making it easy for them to get started with something that looks familiar.
In terms of local games, we can look at the example of India where local favorites such as Teen Patti and Andar Bahar are usually included. Some slots are also made for local markets. So, in the case of India, we can see some based-on Bollywood that aren’t widely available elsewhere. American casinos also tend to have some localized slots featuring the country’s most popular sports and music stars, among other themes.
Other games like roulette and blackjack are played everywhere. This means that casinos educate players on areas such as the pros and cons of Martingale strategy use. This is a strategy where the bet is doubled after a loss and goes back to the original level after a win. By explaining how it works, online casinos let customers see why it might be worth trying but also what the risks are, so they feel more comfortable placing wagers.
Fast Food and Coffee
Travel anywhere in the world and you’re likely to see some of the world’s most popular fast food chains such as McDonald's, yet, while the restaurants often look very similar, the menus on offer are varied to meet local tastes.
Some of their classic food like McNuggets and Happy Meals are available across the globe, but other options only appear on the menu in certain countries. For example, India has the world’s biggest population of vegetarians and McDonald's has catered to that by adding a larger number of vegetable-based dishes than in any other country. Their enormous success in Japan has also been largely based on understanding local tastes.
Turning to Starbucks, its success is even more impressive when you consider how they operate in several countries where tea has traditionally been far more popular than coffee. Before entering a new market, they study the country’s culture and history extensively. This allows Starbucks to build stores that the locals enjoy using and that have their menus adapted to offer local favorites as well as their international classics.
Fashion
Since the fashion industry is a global business, you might think that no localization is needed. Yet, some of the major players in this market have increasingly turned to local markets when planning their marketing strategies.
We can see a good example with H&M’s campaign in Amsterdam, which spoke directly to the people in the city about their needs and the possible solutions that they offer. Nike did something similar with the New York audience, showing that they have their finger on the city’s pulse and know what locals want to wear.
Any fashion firm looking to operate in the global market needs to consider how to go about this, with the accessibility of their website in different languages being one of the first points to consider. After this, they can then focus on the styles and fabrics that make the most sense for each market where they have a presence.
These examples show us how diverse the subject of localization has become in many different industries. The key takeaway is that each company needs to take the time to understand the markets where they plan to enter and then tailor their product or service to meet the local demands. Sometimes, the answers are obvious but on other occasions the changes they need to make require more careful thought and a lot of time.
