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We live in a globalized world where customers can access every product or service they want within minutes. Everything is only one click away. To capture their attention, you must go out of your way to create a personalized and unique user experience. A good first step in dominating the global market is a localization strategy. Read further and discover how leading brands fuel their potential with localization.
1 Airbnb: Personalized experiences in more than 26 languages
Airbnb is an online marketplace focused on short-term homestays and experiences. Founded in 2007, it now has 6 million listings globally that allow guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.
Airbnb stays true to its brand anywhere in the world. The user gets the same experience no matter the language and destination they are currently on. But staying consistent with branding is not the only reason for its success.
The company has a strong localization strategy, ensuring a personalized user experience in 26 languages. The platform also considers currencies, local credit cards, reviews, and listing descriptions in the local language.
Their localization team did a deep dive into understanding all of their audience. They work with local photographers and content providers to develop authentic content for all their markets. Every marketing campaign is thus created together with the locals.
2 Netflix: content tailored for a specific audience
Netflix is a subscription streaming service that revolutionized traditional broadcast television. With more than 220 million paying users, Netflix is today the world's largest video streaming service.
A big reason for Netflix's rapid growth and global success is its localization strategy. Netflix stays relevant to a global audience by offering its viewers tailored content based on geolocation. Viewers in the US will thus see different content than viewers in Spain.
Adapting content to a specific culture will help align yourself with the audience. Therefore Netflix went into localization all in. Based on cultural preferences, the platform will suggest everything from original series to movies. Netflix analyzes cultural influences, interests, and entertainment trends to improve the user experience in every market.
3 Coca-Cola: Present in more than 200 countries around the globe
Coca-Cola is a famous carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Introduced in 1886 as a temperance drink, it is now available in more than 200 countries around the globe.
Their website has been visited over 1.8 million times, and there is a good reason for it. Coca-Cola hosts its website on a country-specific domain in every country. With more than 200 domains, the global audience has no trouble finding the website. When you visit the Coca-Cola website from different regions, you won't only notice the content being in a local language. You will see that the whole website is adjusted to the local audience, including the design.
Let's take an example. When you visit the german site, you will see the company supporting the LGBTQ movement. On the Italian domain, you will see two girls eating pizza, and on the Japanese domain, you will see local people watching fireworks.
4 KFC: Leveraging local flavors worldwide
KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1932, it has served fried chicken for almost 100 years.
The brand is not only really good at deep frying chicken but also has an amazing localization strategy.
The first example is a marketing campaign in South Africa, where KFC introduced limited edition buckets. Buckets featured the artwork of local illustrator, Karabo Poppy. This encouraged customers to take photos and share them on social media. The brand does a similar marketing campaign in the US, where it offers limited-edition buckets with Christmas-inspired designs.
The following example is localized voiceover and custom messaging to engage with different cultures. KFC creates different multilingual versions of the same Ad and shares it with the target audience. A good strategy for countries that use multiple languages.
The last example is "localizing" the flavors. KFC is not the same in every country. KFCs in China have more than 50 items on the menu, while the ones in the US have only 30. The same goes for the taste. The chicken in China doesn't taste the same as the one in the USA. Seasoning the food to local preferences attracts more customers and helps consumers align with the brand.
5 Spotify: Why image localization matters
Launched in 2008, Spotify is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 433 monthly active users. The streaming service is available in 180+ countries across the whole world.
Spotify has a unique approach to entering new markets - image localization. In their words, the goal is to ensure that Spotify looks just right, no matter where it appears. They do this by asking themselves the following questions:
- Who are their listeners?
- Where are they?
- How do they see the world?
Localized images help users better relate to the content and feel connected to the app.
Next, they spend a lot of time adapting content for specific audiences to help them find the preferable music. Spotify is famous for its playlists. Those playlists may share a theme in many markets, yet the playlists are different. The playlist "Songs to sing in a car" in Norway may contain different songs than in other countries.
6 Nintendo: Creating unique gaming experiences
Nintendo is a Japanese video game company responsible for producing some of the most successful consoles in the video game industry. Founded in 1889, Nintendo develops video games and video game consoles.
Coming from Japan, the Western gaming audience was not happy with Nintendo's video game translation efforts for a long time. Adjusting the video game to the western culture completely distorted the gaming experience. Instead of tailoring and redesigning the game to the local audience, Nintendo is re-creating the same gaming experience for everyone.
Players see the appeal in playing the original, unaltered version. Nintendo thus developed a unique localization flow. The localization happens simultaneously with development to ensure consistency between the native and localized version of the game.
7 Asos: Growing with localization
Asos is a British online fashion retailer primarily aimed at young adults. Founded in 2000 in London, the website sells over 805 brands and ships to 196 countries globally.
Starting as a small online retailer, Asos is now getting ahead of many established retailers. Localization plays a crucial role in their rapid growth. 60% of all purchases come from international customers.
To achieve such a competitive advantage, Asos doubled down on its localization strategy. Their localization team translated the website into 7 languages and added 19 currencies to the web store. Based on your geolocation, the website also self-selects the language and the currency based on local standards. The retailer does not stop here but also offers unique promotions for specific markets. Lastly, Asos works with a large network of international carriers making shipping easy in all 196 countries.
8 Tinder: Find a partner in 56 languages
Tinder is an online dating mobile App founded in 2012. From registering one billion daily swipes in 2014, Tinder recorded more than 65 billion matches worldwide in 2021. Today Tinder is used in 90 countries in 56 languages.
As a leading online dating App, Tinder puts localization in the focus. Tinder successfully implements MT technology to localize the content and reach a wider audience. How does it work?
MT in the Tinder App serves as the instant message translator. This means that two people can chat in different languages. MT will automatically translate text and help build a conversation even if two persons don't speak each other language.
9 Revolut: Building trust with localization
Revolut is a British Fintech company founded in 2015 that offers banking services. Features for Revolut users are commission-free trading, currency exchange, debit cards, and Apple Pay.
Revolut started implementing its localization strategy early. They now offer their service in 30 languages but plan to add even more in the future.
In the banking sector, building trust is a key component to success. Revolut uses localization to access different age groups that are not proficient in English. This creates clarity which leads to trust and more users.
10 H&M: Customizing stores around the globe
H&M ( H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB) is a multinational clothing company founded in 1947 in Sweden. The fast fashion clothing retailer today operates in 75 markets with almost 5000 stores.
H&M’s strategy is about getting closer and more convenient for its customers. Their localization and marketing strategy is fully based on data. The company analyzes local trends to customize inventory at the individual store location. A big contributor to making this strategy possible is the loyalty card. By analyzing consumer behavior through a loyalty card they understand their audience better. Therefore the company has achieved better control over supply and demand.
Conclusion
As you can see from the 10 examples in this article, localization strategy can be a crucial component for successful business growth. Therefore the biggest and most established businesses are all heavily investing in it. Localizing your marketing efforts and products will help the global audience feel more connected and aligned with your brand. Knowing that 70% of global consumers browse websites only in their local language is another indicator of localization importance.
When it comes to attracting global customers, Linguana can help you localize your website with a few simple clicks. With the help of MT technology, it allows you to translate your page into multiple languages without the assistance of human translators. Every translation is SEO optimized and helps you get discovered in every new market you want to enter. Sign up for early access and experience the power of Linguana.
Frequently asked questions
Should I translate all elements of my brand?
You should not translate all elements of your brand to ensure a consistent brand in every market. Logo, color pallets, font types, and such elements should remain the same.
What are the benefits of marketing localization?
Marketing localization helps you ensure that you tailor your offerings to the local market culturally and linguistically.
What are the brands with outstanding localization strategies?
Brands with outstanding localization strategies are Coca-Cola, Spotify, Nivea, H&M, KFC, Apple, Airbnb, Netflix...
