To think about cultural diversity means inclusivity, not exclusivity. It speaks to today’s Zeitgeist. You think globally, but you act locally – it’s how we live our lives today and it’s how we launch brands today, which leads me to your very own brand launch.

Your new brand will be exposed to a global audience from the get go even if you set out to create a very local or regional brand. Plan your brand launch around a very specific and narrow audience (you need that focus), but craft your brand name and design to have a unified global appeal in order to be embraced in other markets. Your positioning and core values should work globally, but a local strategy is where you touch communities.

Thinking global mitigates the risk of depending on one country or region’s economy for your success – you can easier move towards new markets if you think globally from the start.
 As a startup you don’t want to alienate future markets. Even if you intend to create a local-only brand, cultures within most regions are diverse, so by thinking global, you will ensure in a worst case not to offend, and in a best case to attract a larger, more diverse audience. Additional glocal incentive, if you needed it: Investors want to see global thinking and ambition and will likely make larger investments in your venture.

So how do you get there? Keep these 4 rules in mind as you develop your brand:

1. Craft and test

Carefully craft and test your brand name, brand identity design and brand voice to make sure it is globally accessible and acceptable

2. Position universally

Find universal values or truths that you can leverage with your brand positioning

3. Think 10 years

Think about how you want to have impacted mankind with your brand a decade from now. It will make you launch as a global brand, nearly guaranteed

4. Hire diversity

Employ staff with international experience and a global view, making you an authentic glocal venture from within

With these in mind, you should be in the right state to go completely glocal! You won’t regret it.

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Marissa Hui, a key influencer of FINIEN’s naming and design strategies for our clients over the past years, is a contributor to this post. As Marissa is moving up North (onwards and upwards as they say), I want to take this opportunity to thank her for all her hard work, also on behalf of those readers who had a chance of working with her. Farewell Marissa!

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