Hola, Salut, Hello, Ciao,
Hallo, Ní hǎo, Hej, Kon’
nichiwa, Shalom…
Marketing globally can be a challenge in a dynamic world,
especially with some of the large culture gaps we have. However, the internet
has made it much easier to change marketing techniques to specifically fit each
individual country you are trying to reach. Being able to market on a global
scale can also mean the difference between a company that has a 10 year plan
and a company struggling to make it through the next financial term. In this post,
I will give examples of how global e-marketing can not only make a company
stand out as a competitor, but can also help a company grow its business.
Starbucks coffee has stood the test of time since opening
its first store in Seattle, Washington back in 1971. The company continues to
grow and change so that it is constantly keeping up with the demand of its
customers all around the world. From China, to India, to the United States,
Starbucks makes sure to have a large global presence when it comes to marketing
its brand online. Their stores are open around the world with one of their
newest stores opening in Brazil just this past week. Their website also allows
customers to select a website from 49 different regions. Some regions have even
been separated into the various languages that are used in a particular
country.
But the company doesn’t just stop at translating its pages
into different languages. Instead, it specifically tailors each website to fit
that particular region’s culture and customs, making sure the company knows its
target market and is creating a marketing experience especially for them. As I
navigated between various Starbucks websites, the content of each homepage
changed to fit that particular country/region. Here are some examples.
You’ll notice that it’s not just the language that changes
between each site, but also the word usage, marketing strategies, and overall
look and feel of the homepage. Even the type of coffee that is being advertised
changes from country to country, showing how each country or region views
coffee. One thing that particularly stands out is their use of technology
globally throughout the company. In America, Mexico, France, and China, the
Starbucks app is heavily marketed to customers as a great way to keep up with
recent Starbucks news as well as to join and keep track of their rewards
program, a feature that has made their online presence very interactive.
However, in countries such as India and Australia, the app is an afterthought
(it’s not even on the page for India) because smartphones either aren’t as prevalent,
or people simply find other ways to connect online in the case of Australia. In
fact, Australia’s page instead puts their social media references at the top of
the page unlike the other regions, and focuses on blogs related to the company.
The social media presence of the company also changes to match each country.
Where America features an app, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, and a
Pinterest, countries such as India and Mexico only feature a Facebook and a
Twitter, which are going to be the most popular forms of social media in those
countries.
Another way that Starbucks increases their global presence
is through their “Responsibility” which is just their volunteer work and their
producers around the world. In the U.S., this page is dedicated partially to
how the company is doing financially, displaying the annual report at the top
of the page. It then goes on to feature pages on the global community Starbucks
tries to create as well as its environmental impact and ways it is trying to
help the communities it is impacting.
On the other end of the spectrum however is China’s page
which features their global impact and global community on their homepage.
In this way, Starbucks changes the entire ethical, social,
and economic view of the page for each company, which is all another way to
increase its marketing reach globally. Now lets look at an example of a company
that could use some help increasing its global reach.
On a different end of the global e-marketing continuum is
Saxbys coffee. Although a significantly newer company than Starbucks (founded
in 2005), Saxbys has already begun to make a name for itself, primarily on the
East Coast (U.S.) and slowly moving into the Midwest. Known for its small,
local coffee shop feel, Saxbys tends to be a favorite among the
non-Starbucks/large coffee chain crowd. However, the company still has a lot of
growth if they want to continue to have a successful business model. Right off
the bat, Saxbys homepage is minimalistic and has very few features for
interaction.
While they do have an app and a fairly good social media
presence (bonus points for the hashtag prominently displayed at the top of
their homepage), they have zero global presence as well as a small e-marketing
presence in general. They do use four different forms of social media, but the
site still lacks that community feel that the coffee community often enjoys
being a part of. There is a lack of interaction between customer and coffee
shop on their website, which shows through things such as their blog which has
no section for comments, but rather just buttons at the bottom to share as well
as an abundance of hashtags.
When it comes to marketing online, there are a few basic
principles to remember, especially with a company website. Where Starbucks has
an interactive website that encourages visitors to their page, Saxbys has a
much more understated website that is not very interactive and really does not
require much attention from the user. There is no indication of whether or not
the site is updated frequently and because the company is fairly small, there
is no indication of security behind the site. The one thing the Saxbys website
does have going for it is that it downloads quickly.
While Starbucks has been a favorite among coffee drinkers
for several decades now, their global marketing presence has helped them grow
into the company they are today. Although Saxbys is still in their growth
phase, a global marketing presence could bring their company into a whole new
light and help them not only become more financially stable, but more stable as
a company in the dynamic world we live in. Simple things like a website can
make a big difference in marketing presence and can also be the difference
between continuous growth and a stagnant presence. Being a coffee lover myself,
I always enjoy seeing what new things Starbucks will bring to the table as far
as marketing and their global and technological presence and I am excited to
see how Saxbys furthers their company and hopefully grows into a powerful
coffee house all over the world.
*For more ways to say hello in other languages, click here
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