{"id":28719,"date":"2023-09-27T12:43:23","date_gmt":"2023-09-27T11:43:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ga.agency\/?p=28719"},"modified":"2026-05-25T18:59:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T16:59:07","slug":"localised-paid-media","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/ga.agency\/en\/blog\/localised-paid-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Strategy, Local Approach: How to Create a Localised Paid Media Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A global expansion strategy will enable your business to reach new markets, enhancing your brand\u2019s reputation and creating new revenue. However, as with all marketing strategies, it must be based on a lot of thinking and analysis to ensure the most effective plan is in place. One of the most important parts of your global strategy should be localisation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>What is Localisation and Why is it Important for your Business?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For a successful global market strategy, you need to \u2018think global, act local\u2019. This means finding the right balance between centralising and localising your digital marketing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Localisation is the process of adapting your content and brand messaging in new countries, addressing the differences in culture, social norms, and language that will allow you to make a meaningful connection with your local audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating a localised approach will ultimately help your business target your audience more efficiently, engage with them better, and ultimately increase return on investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Localisation Does Not Equal Translation<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is tempting to use the same strategy across all markets and take the ads content in its original form and translate it word-for-word. However, not considering idioms, slangs, and other cultural nuances in your expansion strategy can lead to ad copy sounding unnatural and incomprehensible to the intended audiences. In addition to this, companies that rely solely on machine translation open themselves up to potential failure every time they do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One example of this was Parker Pen. As they expanded to Mexico, they translated their slogan into Spanish without giving it too much thought. \u2018Embarrass\u2019 and \u2018Embarazada\u2019 do sound and look similar so it was probably assumed that these words had the same meaning. However, \u2018embarazada\u2019 means \u2018impregnate\u2019 in Spanish. \u2018It won\u2019t leak in your pocket and embarrass you\u2019 was embarrassingly translated to \u2018It won\u2019t leak in your pocket and impregnate you\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/span>Building a Winning Localisation Strategy<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To ensure you do not make the same mistakes as those above, here are a few recommendations on how to create a successful localised approach to ensure you are set up for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Understand Your Target Audience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first step is to understand your target audience. This includes understanding preferences, behaviour, and cultural norms. For example, in some countries, consumers may prefer to shop in physical stores, therefore focusing on driving traffic to stores with ad-hoc campaigns will bring you more footfall. In others cases, online shopping is more prevalent, so the focus should be on the implementation of campaigns with sales objectives. By understanding these differences, you can tailor your messaging and targeting to each market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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H&M has a great example of a localised marketing campaign that truly understands the regional audience they were targeting. They created a campaign that focused on the interests and lifestyle habits of their local audience in Amsterdam, allowing them to tap into a new market by offering solutions to their environmental concerns. They also replicated this success in Peru by using a localised version of the same ad with the native language used within the copy and video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Use Local Keywords<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using local keywords is crucial when creating a localised paid media strategy. By using the right keywords, you can ensure that your ads appear in search results for relevant searches. For example, if you’re targeting consumers in Japan, you may want to use keywords in Japanese rather than English to ensure that your ads are visible to your target audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even within markets that speak the same language such as the US & UK, local keywords are still extremely important. Take footwear brands for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Search Term<\/strong><\/td>Search Volume – US<\/strong><\/td>Search Volume – UK<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Sneaker<\/td>368,000<\/td>60,500<\/td><\/tr>
Trainer<\/td>110,000<\/td>165,000<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
*Google Keyword Planner, May 2022-April 2023 average<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By not localising your campaigns to each market, even within the same language, you are potentially missing out on a high level of both visibility and conversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Tailor Your Messaging<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    When creating ads for different markets, it’s important to tailor the messaging to each audience. This means using the appropriate language, tone, and cultural references that resonate with the target audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Sportswear brand Nike created a campaign that used New York as the backdrop, appealing to New Yorkers with their \u201cOwn the Floor\u201d campaign that epitomised the essence of what it means to live in a city that\u2019s one big stage. They combined classic locations such as the subway, laundromats, and pizzerias with local talent to connect with their target audience, demonstrating an understanding of their lifestyles and deepening the feeling of connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Use Local Platforms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Different markets may have their own preferred social media and advertising platforms. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n