Editorial Articles

The successful execution of a cross-border online creative campaign is by no means an easy task and for many brands considering this kind of activity, the process can be daunting. For a brand to develop creative that has a great usability function and a highly relevant design no matter what country a user logs in from there are huge variables to consider. 

Before a Creative Director can even begin work on a brand’s campaign strategy, the scope of the international basis of the work must be known. Understandably, there is a massive difference between the considerations for online campaigns designed on a Pan European basis and those that extend to a global scale.

When preparing the production of a campaign which will extend across both the East and West, a successful strategy will look at the varying types of relationships consumers from diverse cultures have with different products and services. In some countries a brand may be a dominator and innovator, whereas in another it could be the challenger and in some cases a follower, situations which obviously provide different challenges.

Furthermore, when looking at digital channels, like websites, it is necessary to consider the differences in user interfaces that exist for users across the world. We must understand the visual priorities users place on different parts of a web page as they read, considerations as straightforward yet fundamental as the direction people read and write from based on their alphabet. In addition to this, the different technologies they are accustomed to using and how they interact with other users. Only by understanding the user’s online experience can we know how to effectively tap into this for the benefit of a brand. Finally, one must also be take into account how privacy standards can vary significantly from culture to culture.

An absolute essential is to avoid producing any content that could cause offence or be misinterpreted in any country. A prime example of a brand that failed to do its research into language barriers was Mitsubishi. When the brand came to name its new car model, ‘Pajero’ in the UK, it was a perfectly reasonable idea and went unquestioned. However, as the brand took its launch campaign to an international level, across both on and offline platforms it soon became apparent that there was a problem as when the launch appeared in Spain there was uproar. Unbeknown to the brand, ‘Pajero’ in fact means ‘wanker’ in Spanish, so unsurprisingly the campaign fell like a lead balloon across the nation and caused huge embarrassment to Mitsubishi.

A crude example this may be, but it is a campaign’s ability to deliver a consistent message across all of the different geographies which is a crucial measure of success. This extends to the use of imagery that is opted for, as well as cultural nuances and taboos that may exist whilst retaining the essence of the brand in question. With cross-border activity, language barriers can have a major impact on creative and therefore the tone of voice, colloquialisms, choice of words, direction in which users read text and naming must be taken into consideration.

For most brands, catering to every detail can be difficult and in some cases impossible. Let’s face it, if it was easy, every brand would be embarking on multiple online localised campaigns everyday. But if the online creative produced stays true to its brand’s core values, shares one common tone and the brand understands how it will be perceived across borders, it is in good stead. In planning international campaigns, it is these considerations that play a huge role in building the valuable insight behind a brand’s strategy and ultimately its online creative success. 

Martin Blinder 
Creative Head, Essence