Monday, June 02, 2008

Why does Global Brand Harmonization make sense?

I can plead guilty to participating in global brand harmonization as long ago as 1972 with Crest toothpaste in the UK, and leading it with Uncle Ben's rice in 1980. Since then, I have carried it out many times for many companies, and it has always resulted in improved results. Brand Harmonization does not mean making brands and products identical in all countries, but it does mean developing a common "meta-meaning," which allows for greater efficiency and greater effectiveness.

I have been surprised at how some well-regarded marketing companies do a poor job of this. I suspect that it is because few have a real global world-view. They neither have the information, nor the mindset, since few, if any, CEOs and CMOs are truly world citizens. I suspect that this will not change as perhaps to be a world citizen you have to largely abandon the idea of nationality, and that is very difficult to do.

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