The key challenge for global brand positioning and communication is to motivate consumers around the world, evoking the same mental picture or image of the brand.  - Hamsini Shivkumar

This challenge may seem fairly obvious, but the realities of making it happen are far from simple. A successful brand position should be able to produce a similar understanding across all markets, within cultural context. The complexities begin as B2B marketers review the distinctions in each market and implement strategies that are specially adapted for a region, while preserving the essence of the brand. In addition, there is a wide range of local issues to be considered, ranging from government regulations to religious restrictions, to the different languages that will need to be translated.

Another challenge is that many global B2B companies may not have the budget to customize the message and method of delivery for each market. The challenge then becomes, how can you prioritize your outreach to reach key demographics? How do you determine the relevance of your message to potentially dozens of different cultures and markets, while still maintaining a consistent brand position? 

According to global marketing services leader Ricardo de la Blanca, after brand position is established, the next step is to address your strategy at a local level with these considerations:

1. What is your proposition specific to this market? And how do the brand attributes need to be aligned to meet the cultural needs of the market?
2. Choose the best local channels to communicate your message in the most efficient way.
3. Align content delivery across your chosen channels and consider how this content should be used to achieve your goals.
4. What are the messaging platforms within your chosen market? What is your audience using them for and how can they be used in combination to meet your global strategy requirements?
5. Set up local deployment within your chosen technology solution. Adapt your solution to fit market requirements.

Your global marketing strategy requires prioritization, coordination and focus. Marketing communications need to work together with other initiatives while also supporting the company infrastructure, including sales and distribution to global markets. As you plan your strategy for 2012, consider this about your global communications: every message about your company is a brand message and every experience with your company is a brand-building experience. In an ever-changing media landscape, this will set the foundation for a consistent customer experience.