Global Intelligence: Integration - Igor Poza
A conversation about global intelligence lacks sensibility and understanding without touching on the integration of local ideas into the global picture. Perhaps a culmination of our previously covered topics, integrating these issues as a global brand demonstrates cultural curiosity and empathy as well as awareness of global and minute issues.
When we discuss integration, we’re talking about scaling one’s view — being able to look at the big picture is an obvious responsibility of any global leader, but scaling that view down into a narrower picture of local environments and communities is a necessary skill required to excel. Incorporating local issues into corporate strategy is a challenging task, requiring a deep understanding of localized markets in order to view how one’s organization can serve those markets.
You may wonder if this integration is worth the cost investment — when you’re already serving the global market, why dive further into a smaller market that you already regionally (or nationally) serve? Developing a strategy that positions your company at a variety of tiers — global, regional, and local — creates an optimal competitive advantage, as it builds the groundwork for sustainable presence in the market for years to come.
Integrating local markets into a greater strategy weaves your brand into the structure of those markets, serving populations that you may have been overlooking. A deep understanding of the needs of local markets allows for you to leverage the unique strengths of your brand in order to deliver the solutions consumers are searching for.
Just as your brand would like to become an integral part of the local market, the local market must become an integral part of your brand. An awareness of local issues integrated into all facets of your organization allows for all areas of your business to serve the clientele you desire. We’ll dive into two corporate areas as examples that showcase the strengths of integrating local markets: product development and marketing & communication.
By diving into local markets across the world, your brand can develop an intersectional understanding of the consumer need your organization is positioned to service. This knowledge will deeply enrich your product development to cater to a diverse array of people. For example, a brand producing wearable product can learn which materials connect with consumers in certain geographical areas — or, better yet, which materials customers actively avoid in those areas. This can lead to a shift in the global product to be more inclusive, or a localized version of a product to cement the brand’s positioning in the market.
Understanding a local market allows leaders to understand how to market to that population. Communication is always cultural, and having a holistic understanding of a local area’s preferences in communication and how they are best addressed by brands will embolden your greater communication strategy in that region for years to come.
Integration at its core implements what we’ve discussed before — integrating local markets into a greater strategy demonstrates your brand’s awareness of consumer markets and enhances your intersectional, cultural understanding and empathy.
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About Igor Poza: Igor is a Global Brand and Team builder in Luxury Leather Goods and Cosmetics with 25+ years of comprehensive experience, both in headquarters and subsidiaries of Multi-billion Fortune 500, Family-owned businesses and private equity-owned startups. He has expertise in multi-channel retail and multicultural management. His cultural intelligence allows him to bring people together and transform businesses. He currently serves as the Chief Commercial Officer at Mansur Gavriel.
