Rachel Exton, vice president of Marketing for Pearson, explores how balancing brand identity with regional nuances can help deliver strong results for businesses.
In today’s increasingly connected world, brands must strike a delicate balance between global consistency and local relevance—a balance I call “Glocal.” As someone who has worked in both global and local roles throughout my career, I’ve seen both sides of the coin. The common tension is familiar to many marketers; the global team feel local markets aren’t following brand guidelines, while local teams feel that their region isn’t fully understood by the global team.
Each side has valid points, but my experience has shown that the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle. Global brand consistency is essential for building a strong, recognisable brand that consumers trust. However, I also recognise the importance of local magic: the unique cultural nuances and insights that only local teams can bring.
The concept of Glocal is about finding the right balance, following the famed 80/20 rule; 80% global consistency, with 20% local magic sprinkled on top. When executed well, the results can be transformative—both externally, through brand performance, and internally, through stronger collaboration and respect between teams.
Why Global Consistency Matters: Building Trust Through Familiarity
When we talk about global brands, consistency is non-negotiable. A brand is a promise to consumers, and if that promise changes from one market to another, trust erodes.
Think of your favourite brands—whether it’s Nike, Apple, or Coca-Cola. What makes them iconic isn’t just their products, but their consistent presence across the world. Consumers don’t want to guess what version of a brand they’re getting in each country.
Personally, I’m a loyal Diet Coke drinker. I love it just the way it is. Imagine my disappointment if the taste or packaging changed every time I travelled to a new country. The brand I trust would suddenly feel unfamiliar—and that would impact my loyalty.
Today’s consumers aren’t just local—they’re global. We travel for work, study abroad, and explore new cultures on holiday. We interact with brands across borders, and we expect them to deliver a consistent experience.
But here’s the catch: consistency alone isn’t enough. While global guidelines ensure familiarity, they often miss the cultural nuances that make a brand truly resonate with local audiences. That’s where local teams come in.
Why Local Magic Matters: Tapping into Cultural Relevance
No one understands a market better than the local teams living and working in it. They’ve grown up in the culture, they know the local slang, and they understand the unique pain points of their consumers.
A team sitting in London can run focus groups or analyse data, but they’ll never truly grasp the depth of a local market’s culture. Local teams bring insights that simply can’t be replicated at a global level.
This is where ‘local magic’ comes into play—those culturally relevant, emotionally resonant touches that make a brand feel personal and relatable. When local teams are empowered to adapt global campaigns to fit their markets, the results can be extraordinary.
Glocal: A Case Study in 80% Global Consistency, 20% Local Magic
At Pearson, we’ve embraced a Glocal approach in our marketing strategy, with incredible success. One of our most compelling examples is the recent Pearson Test of English (PTE) campaign.
Globally, we started by digging deep into customer insights across multiple markets. We discovered that the one common emotion all test-takers experience—whether they’re in China, Brazil, or India—is stress.
Taking the PTE is a life-changing moment. Many test-takers have spent their entire lives preparing for this exam. Their families have made sacrifices, sometimes for generations, to give them the best education possible. Now, it all comes down to this one test. Will they get the score they need to pursue their dreams of studying or working abroad?
That pressure is immense, and it can hinder performance. However, we realised something unique about PTE: our test design actually helps reduce that stress. We’re faster, fairer, and simpler which means less anxiety about human bias or long waiting times for results.
From this insight, we developed our global creative platform: “Do It Worry-Free.”
The global message resonated across markets. however, it was our local teams who truly brought it to life. Our India team took the “Do It Worry-Free” platform and added their local magic. They translated the message into “Kar Befikar;” a colloquial phrase deeply embedded in Indian culture.
“Kar Befikar” roughly translates to “Don’t worry, you’ve got this,” but it’s more than just words. It’s something parents tell their children before a big exam. It’s what friends say to each other before a life-changing moment.
When I’ve shared this phrase with my Indian colleagues or friends, their faces light up with recognition. There’s a warmth and familiarity in those two words that no global campaign could achieve on its own.
The result? Our PTE campaign in India became one of our most successful ever. We saw record-breaking ROI, a significant boost in brand awareness, and a deeper emotional connection with our audience.
The benefits of a Glocal approach aren’t just external—they’re internal, too. By empowering local teams to add their magic to global campaigns, we’ve fostered a culture of respect and collaboration. Global teams trust local teams to make the right decisions for their markets, and local teams feel valued and heard.
It’s no longer a case of “us vs. them.” Instead, it’s a partnership—a shared mission to deliver the best brand experience for consumers around the world.
The building blocks of a Glocal approach are to start with a strong global foundation where brand guidelines and clear, consistent and rooted in customer insights. Then, empower local teams to adapt and localise to add their cultural expertise. Finally, foster a culture of collaboration to build strong communication between the global and local teams.
The Future of Glocal
In a world where consumers are more connected than ever, the brands that will thrive are those that can balance global consistency with local relevance. At Pearson, we’ve seen firsthand the power of Glocal. It’s a strategy that drives results, builds trust, and strengthens internal teams.
Ultimately, Glocal isn’t just a marketing approach, it’s a mindset. So, let’s embrace both sides of the coin. It’s about recognising that while we live in a global world, local magic will always be the secret ingredient to truly resonating with consumers.
