Global brands must localize their offerings to succeed in local markets like India. While brands can influence local culture, they cannot change it. Early mistakes by brands like Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, and Electrolux in direct translations show that understanding local nuances is critical. Successful brands like McDonald's, MTV, and Domino's Pizza have adapted to local tastes in India by adding vegetarian options, incorporating local languages and music, and developing regional flavors. Localizing products without alienating customers from their culture is an important lesson for global brands.

1. Not only are brands becoming global but
consumers are too, in their preferences

2. Geography is history
A smaller, shared world has empowered the consumer like never before…
he/she is picking the best of everything
• Fashion = Milan - Paris (Amchi Mumbai…nah!)
• Technology = Germany, Japan…the list goes on
• Education = US, UK, Australia…the list again goes on
• Employment = America, Europe, Asia…
• Entertainment = Hollywood, Iran, Russia
• Wines = France to start with
• Tobacco = Cuban is not a far flung dream (Guntur?)
• Coffee = Brazil (Mangalore?)

3. but…
You cannot ignore their roots
You can influence & enhance their way of life…
but cannot alter it
You cannot ignore the nuances of their preferences, wants & needs

4. A few brands that suffered even for the
simplest of errors
(Brand bloopers)
Source: "Literal Translations Can Sabotage Marketing Campaigns Selling in a 2nd
Language." Business Mexico. June 1993.

5. Coca Cola in China: Coca cola’s initial transliteration of
their name into Chinese produced a rendering whose
meaning was “bite the wax tadpole”
Wax tadpole

6. Chevrolet Nova in Spain: Chevrolet Nova in Spain: Chevrolet
Nova sold poorly in Spanish speaking countries because
its name translates as “doesn’t go” in Spanish
No Va = No go
No go

7. Electrolux in USA: When Electrolux washing machines
were launched in USA, they had the tagline “nothing
sucks like electrolux”
Nothing sucks like Electrolux was a hit in UK, where the ‘sucks’ does not
have a slang connotation..but in US…it obviously does
Nothings sucks like…

8. Brand bloopers
some which work for the brand
Source: "Literal Translations Can Sabotage Marketing Campaigns Selling in a 2nd
Language." Business Mexico. June 1993.

9. Haier in India & elsewhere: Almost everybody who buys
Haier products perceive the company to be German,
instead of Chinese
Chinese = German?

10. How global brands are understanding local
nuances to make dents into world markets
2 brands which got it right

11. McDonalds
ChinaChina
UAEUAE
UKUK
South AfricaSouth Africa
USAUSA

12. MTV is all about selling the notion of youth, anti-
establishment, irreverent – it’s the different
drummer.
Music, but not just music
Wacky & weird – bordering on bizarre
The youths – destination cool.
The guiding core – the world over

13. Destination India
Reasons for entry
• An enormous middle class segment
• A country lapping up brands which provide lifestyle experiences
• ‘Out of the house’ experience gaining momentum
• A huge mass of fast food consumption
• Fast-food & snacking – an integral part
• No branded & experiential fast food offering

14. Barriers to Entry
The ground work
Big mac did in-depth ground work & realized that proposition of a fun
place for kids & a family experience held good…but had to be
communicated with local flavor
The traditional fast food & snacking could not be directly challenged
Home made snacks were also part of competitive set
A concept of plush-eat out & take-away was new, hence footfalls would
result only on elimination of ‘alien’ & ‘elitist’ feeling
Purely western ‘eats’ were not welcome
Consumers were highly price conscious

15. So…

16. • Communicated in ‘Indian’ & to the heartland
• Understood the vegetarian Vs non-vegetarian split
• Recognized that vegetarianism was not a matter of choice, but assumed
cultural & religious significance (All veg macs, no beef for hindus & no
pork for muslims)
• Introduced Indian ‘eats’
• Understood Indian family systems & communicated to both the progressive
neuclear families & the traditional joint families Featured Indian artists
• Recognized price as a detrimental issue – infact used it as a footfall
generator
Big mac – went glocal

17. IndiaIndia

19. Happy holi
Mc Aloo tikki

20. The result
• A stronghold for the 15 to 34 yr olds –touching the 15 to 18 yr
olds most intimately
• The current play list has 70% Hindi music, & 30 % international
tracks.
• Has managed to continually adjust itself, so that it remains
what young people want to watch.
• Yet retained it’s essence – around the world & in India

21. America
China
Russia
Mexico
South Africa
MTV

22. MTV is all about selling the notion of youth, anti-
establishment, irreverent – it’s the different
drummer.
Music, but not just music
Wacky & weird – bordering on bizarre
The youths – destination cool.
The guiding core – the world over

23. Destination India
Reasons for entry
• A teeming population of teenagers
• Music – an essential part of Indian lives
• Fast growing economy – following evolution path of
Far east Asian countries (where MTV was a success)

24. Infancy in India
Round: 1
MTV entered India with the right proposition for youth
But…
• Played only western music
• Veejays were alien – (Caucasians & Orientals – Luke Kenny etc;)
• Only international content
Result
Alienation
Viewership limited to a niche segment – specific pockets in the urban
Low ratings
High percentage of lapsers & aware non-trialists

25. So…

27. • MTV went glocal
• MTV went Hinglish
• MTV mixed it’s music – Rock, Pop, Rap, Blues, Soul & Bhangra
• Got Indian Veejays
• Built ‘edible for India’, non-music programming
• Featured Indian artists & amchi bollywood based content
• Generated ‘India – wacky’
MTV – went glocal
International style – desi heart

28. Bakra
Gaseous clay
Chitochat
FEATURED ARTIST:
Bombay Vikings

29. The result
• A stronghold for the 15 to 34 yr olds –touching the 15 to 18 yr
olds most intimately
• The current play list has 70% Hindi music, & 30 % international
tracks.
• Has managed to continually adjust itself, so that it remains
what young people want to watch.
• Yet retained it’s essence – around the world & in India
MTV understood, respected & catered to the local tastes
– found the right glocal mix

30. Global brands which ignore & do not
recognize local nuances suffer
A brand which got it all wrong

32. Destination India
Reasons for entry
•Eexisting healthy breakfast culture at mass level
•Ddecision makers “Mothers” wanted to give the best & healthy food to the
kids
•Ggrowing economy meant consumers willing to spend that extra buck on
quality food
•Rrecognized cereal consumption already existed-Mohun Meakins
cornflakes

33. Will mail across pack images –
could not obtain them off the net

34. Battle India
Round 1:
•Kellogg's entered India with a totally westernized breakfast concept
•The cornflakes were to be had with cold milk
But:
• Indians had a distinct idea of breakfast-ing, that was freshly cooked
• Indians loved a choice of breakfast – a different theme everyday
• Indians preferred warm/ hot milk, but the cornflakes became soggy - – failed to
understand ‘kachha doodh’
• Indians experimented with sweet breakfast occasionally (sheera) – but not everyday
•Overestimated market demand
Result:
Failed miserably
• Amongst common masses – failed to convert them from Idlis, dosas, paranthas, poha,
upma etc..
• Amongst cereal eaters – failed to provide a cereal compatible with warm milk & still
crunchy
• A sweet breakfast everyday was a no no!!
•Mumbai traders were selling stock to suburban traders. Non-movement of stock at the
suburban end resulted in overstocking & stagnation & over-production

35. Battle India
Round 2:
• Kellogg's introduces breakfast biscuits, increased the flavors in
cereals & tried to pitch communication on health platform – Iron Shakti
Result:
Initial response, not encouraging …awaiting results

36. "There is a bigger opportunity in localizing your offerings and the
smarter companies are realizing this.''
Glocal trends…

37. • Aamir Khan (in North India), Vijay (in Tamil Nadu), Jyothika (in
Andhra Pradesh) and Aishwarya Rai (rest of India) endorse Coca cola.

38. Cafe Coffee Day plans to offer localised food across different cities in
the country. And the company soon plans to serve locally favourite
coffee flavours too.

39. MTV and Channel V: After the initial infatuation with rock and hard metal thinned
out, even teenagers started demanding Indipop, a kind of fusion music. So, even
generations that have been brought up on Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys need
the bhangra to warm up their hearts.

40. Cartoon Network has plans of localising its programmes to entertain the Indian child.
For instance, just before Holi, cartoon characters playing with colours are shown on
the Network and contests with pichkaris as prizes are announced. And cartoon
characters wishing Aamir Khan just before the Oscars made into huge hoardings.

41. Domino's Pizza has experimented with their taste options, especially in smaller
towns, focussed on more regional flavours. Some of their localised toppings
have consolidated and become key sales contributors. At Domino's, `Peppy
Paneer,' and `Chicken Chettinad' have done exceedingly well and are the
top seller.

42. Maggi too went the same way. Noodles was alright for dinner once in a while,
but to really mass market it as a snack, Maggi had to have the chatpatta
Indian taste. And so the curry flavour, the tomato flavour, etc

43. Swarovski
India - designer Tarun Tahiliani worked out a collection of saris, blouses,
odhnis, and salwar kameezes studded with crystals.
China - launched crystal Chinese zodiac symbols which are very popular

44. Swarovski idols Swarovski sarees

45. Fedex introduced 10 kg and 25-kg boxes, as there existed a user need for such
packaging for goods/documents being shipped out of India

46. "The rules are very clear:
You can alienate the consumer a bit from his culture, but you
cannot make him a stranger to it.
The society is much stronger than any company or product.
MNCs who want to succeed in India or in any local market need to
remember this