What is a Localisation Strategy for International Business (with Examples from Top Brands)

What is a Localisation Strategy?

A localisation strategy is a plan to adapt a product, its content and its customer experience for a particular market. This can include language, cultural references, interface design, imagery, pricing, payments, support and local requirements. It helps a business test how well its offer meets market expectations; it does not guarantee search rankings or conversions. For broader market-entry planning, see our international business expansion guide.

What a localisation strategy should cover

• Market research: Identify target audiences, local search terms, cultural expectations, competitors and any regulatory requirements before selecting a launch market.
• Language and content: Adapt website copy, product descriptions, support information and campaign messaging for local usage, rather than translating word for word.
• Customer experience: Review imagery, navigation, dates, measurements, currency, payment methods and customer support channels for the market.
• Quality assurance: Test translated interfaces, terminology, forms, checkout and content with appropriate native-language reviewers.
• Measurement: Track relevant market-level outcomes, such as qualified enquiries, conversion rate, checkout completion and customer feedback, then refine the launch.

Localisation strategy compared with translation: Translation makes a message understandable in another language; localisation strategy also decides which products, user journeys, cultural references and support arrangements need adapting, and how those decisions will be checked against the goals of a particular market. A wider international-expansion plan also addresses market demand, operations, distribution and regulations. These activities are related, but they answer different questions.

This is a planning framework, not a guaranteed performance outcome. For production services covering websites, apps and games, see our localisation services.

Why Localisation is Important in Business Strategy? 

Any business seeking to expand into overseas markets needs to win the trust of its target audience that has a totally different culture and language than its own. A localisation strategy is important because it allows an international business to localize its brand and successfully connect with and win the loyalty of the local customer.

Preserve, Promote, and Nurture Local Identities Through Localisation

Not to mention, people are protective of their local cultures and languages and view globalisation with suspicion. International businesses can, however, preserve and nurture local identities through localisation and win over a loyal customer base, which can be a stepping stone to your successful expansion to overseas markets.

Localised Customer Experience

A mere presence isn’t enough to drive sales locally in a foreign market. Customers need to feel like they’re dealing with a brand that though global has truly immersed itself in the local culture, language, sentiments, imagery, preferences and consumer behaviour. That can be accomplished only if your customers encounter a localised experience while on your website. The same holds for marketing message which has to feature local symbols and imagery in order for the message to resonate with your local audience. 

That’s why localized strategies have become so crucial for businesses that want to increase their foothold in international markets. However, the challenging part is offering buyers a localised experience so that customers feel comfortable buying from you and making your brand look familiar. 

Key Ideas on which an Efficient Localisation Strategy is Based

Content Translation (for Native Markets)

Since the language spoken in each market differs, it’s vital for a business to translate the website content into the native language of the target market. Through content translation, you can make your website more consumable. By translating your website content, you can take your local SEO to the next level by targeting keywords in the local language. Additionally, content translation can streamline customer engagement and bridge the gap between businesses and customers to help your brand grow.  

Cultural Preferences 

Take into account various facets of the target culture to meet the expectation of the local audience when localizing your message, website, app, products or services. It’s to be done to make the branding align with local customs, preferences, and norms. 

Localised Purchasing Experience

Localise the purchasing experience of customers by offering them the option to buy in their local currency. Also, look into what are the payment options available in each country and what customers are most comfortable with to provide a more comfortable shopping experience.

How Does Localisation Benefit a Business?

Businesses are able to connect more efficiently with their target audience by implementing a robust localisation strategy. Customer expectations are met.  Through localisation, the shopping and customer experience becomes more localised and users are able to relate to your brand as one of their own.

Not just does it increase the size of your customer base but also wins you the trust and loyalty of local consumers across the linguistic and cultural divide. You’re also better able to rank your website for local SEO by localising your search engine optimization and PPC campaigns and boosting customer engagement.

Localisation Strategy Examples (from Top Brands)

Globalisation was a major force that drove hundreds of businesses to try their luck abroad. That process of international expansion was expedited with the rise of digital technologies like internet communication systems.

Without a doubt, most of the businesses that took pains to set up their units in overseas markets reaped handsome dividends. But the road to success wasn’t a straight one. It was zigzag with each curve presenting a new learning experience for the business.

The biggest learning for businesses which had experienced international expansion firsthand was that globalization is just a channel, the real success came through localisation, which is a process of localizing global brands.

Without it, foreign brands wouldn’t have achieved even the fraction of success they currently enjoy; because they’d have been seen as predators or aliens, threatening local cultures and languages and as said people are very protective of these things.

However, you may want some examples that demonstrate how localisation works and what ideas go into making an efficient localisation strategy.

We will do that by looking into the examples of top brands to see how they have done it and what lessons you can take home from studying the examples as to how global brands maintain their local relevance, how they cater to distinct cultural values and dialects to forge their dominance in far off regions.

And beyond that, what role does translation plays in the localisation projects where texts and phrases are concerned?

Coca-Cola Localisation Strategy

Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign is a useful example of adapting a recognisable global marketing idea to different local audiences. The campaign changed the wording on packaging and accompanying promotions by market, rather than relying on one identical message everywhere.

Coca-Cola Marketing and Content Localisation Explained

It’s one of the top companies that use localisation strategy so effectively that the brand Coca-Cola has acquired a truly global audience. 

The “Share a Coke” campaign began in Australia in 2011, initially replacing the usual brand name on packaging with familiar first names. Local teams later adapted the idea for other countries and audiences.

Each label would bear a different common English name like Sarah, Mary, and Jack. 

The same names and phrases were not appropriate for every market. Local versions of the campaign used different names, nicknames and expressions to make its personalisation relevant to the intended audience.

Coca-Cola’s Localisation Strategy for China

China offers a more specific example of adapting a global idea. In its 2013 campaign, Coca-Cola used informal nicknames rather than simply reproducing the first-name labels from other countries. The chosen expressions reflected language and social-media conventions familiar to the intended audience. See the company’s campaign history and contemporary reporting on the Chinese launch.

Localisation lesson: Research how a particular audience actually refers to friends and peers, then adapt campaign language and packaging accordingly. Avoid assuming that one naming convention or cultural preference applies to everyone within a country.

A Deep Dive into Netflix Localisation Strategy

Netflix made entertainment accessible, which is one of the reasons why it had such tremendous growth in every part of the world. But that’s not the only reason for its success in overseas markets. 

Language Localisation

Netflix’s localisation strategy is to produce locally consumable content. The company wants to produce films and documentaries that cater to the taste and preferences of local consumers. To achieve that, it is a must to publish content in local languages so that it’s understood.  

That’s why there are two fronts to the localisation strategy of Netflix. One is to promote locally produced content and the second is media localisation, which primarily includes language translation through voiceover, subtitling and captioning. 

When it comes to India, Netflix while promoting Bollywood, India’s leading film industry, also makes sure Hindi voiceovers and subtitles are added to Hollywood films so that the audience can choose from a wide catalogue of films, documentaries, etc, from local to international. As is evident from the global success of Money Heist, originally in Spanish and Squid Game, a South Korean drama.

Netflix’s Homepage and Recommendation Page Localisation

Then there are certain parameters of target demographics like their likes and dislikes or preferences, which Netflix takes into account by customizing the homepage and movie recommendation pages based on the user’s location and language preferences.

Netflix App Localisation

Netflix’s investment in app localisation has been its top priority. The company wants to engage the audience through content localisation on its app. That doesn’t only include app customization but also publishing locally relevant content including original Netflix films, series, and documentaries.

Nintendo Localisation Strategy

The gaming giant Nintendo invests heavily in translation and localisation to grow the business.

However, Nintendo’s approach is more upfront and gamers find it hard to identify whether they’re using an altered or localised version of the game or the original.

This is made possible because Nintendo kickstarts the localisation process during the development stage itself. Nintendo uses localisation services right the day one and the results it gets are enviable.

The important lesson for games is to plan localisation alongside development, then review terminology, dialogue, interfaces, cultural references and gameplay context with appropriate language and market specialists. For related production work, explore game localisation services.

Locate Translate for Localisation Services

There are plenty of benefits to reap by localising games, websites, apps, and marketing copies and creatives. But how do you do it efficiently to boost your ROI?

Localisation work can be managed in-house, outsourced or delivered through a combination of internal product teams and specialist linguists. The appropriate approach depends on the number of markets, content formats, available reviewers, launch schedule and quality-assurance requirements. Locate Translate provides professional localisation support for websites, apps, games and marketing material; project scope and pricing should be agreed before work starts.

If you’re looking for localized marketing campaigns, apps, and websites for your business then look no further than Locate Translate.

Localisation can support clearer customer communication across social media, search and offline advertising. Its impact on enquiries and sales should be evaluated against your market-specific goals rather than assumed in advance.

Get in touch with our experts at hello@locatetranslate.co.uk or call directly at 0208 609 4852.

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