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If you want to expand your business to other countries, you need a strong global identity

Transforming a regular business into a global entity isn’t a child’s play, and it takes years of strategic dedication coupled with customer satisfaction. If you ever want to get your brand name to the world, then, you need to start working on one particular aspect of your branding today: the brand identity.

In order to become a global business entity, you will need to expand your business and move into foreign countries, which means going out of your comfort zone, and moving to compete in another man’s land against local competitors. Indeed, most local businesses you find around today someday dream of becoming a global presence too. But will they all realize this dream? Don’t think so! Transforming a regular business into a global entity isn’t a child’s play, and it takes years of strategic dedication coupled with customer satisfaction. If you ever want to get your brand name to the world, then, you need to start working on one particular aspect of your branding today: the brand identity. Having a clear brand identity is what will distinguish your business from a crowd of competitors, improve your reputation, and convince your customers to always come back for more. Ever wondered why consumers instantly fall in love with a Nike product, or a Rolex wristwatch? The trick is in the brand identity, and I’m not talking about the company’s charming logo or welcoming website, but the brand’s personality, which is built through years of consistency and hard work. Your brand identity projects your personality and determines customers’ perception of who you are. It defines your value proposition and has the ability to transform occasional viewers into lifelong loyalists.

So, here are some tricks to help you build your brand identity as you expand your business to other countries.

Work towards achieving brand consistency
Even if you are operating locally, consistency is a very crucial aspect of a business, and it determines, to a great extent, the level of success your business enjoys in the market. When you are now moving your operations to foreign countries, you cannot afford to compromise your standards in whatsoever way. In simple terms, no matter where you are, your products and services will always be the same. In order to achieve this, you may need to thread a central theme through your staff training efforts, so that no matter where you are, your business would always offer a consistent customer experience and messaging. 

Develop customizable campaigns
Even though you are trying to achieve a consistent level of delivery across all your branches, it is still very important for you to put into consideration the different cultural factors of each country you are moving into. Setting up a business in a foreign country presents its own unique challenges – in the form of culture, practices, and language – and on top of that, local consumers in these countries would expect you to adjust your delivery to fit their practices. So what do you do? Learn as much as you can about the cultural standpoint of the country you are heading into, then, ensure your approach is custom-tailored to the country. For instance, if you are a beverage producing company and you are heading into a region that doesn't fancy sugary items, you may have to customize your product to suit the needs of this region, without necessarily compromising your brand identity. 

Vet all brand employees
The fact that you want your business to go global means that you want your brand to be present in different countries and regions at the same time. But how would you oversee all your branches? After all, you can be in two places at the same time. You have to hire representatives that will, on your behalf, vet the staff representing your brand in these foreign countries. However, that is not to say you shouldn’t check in on your foreign-based businesses. For instance, if you have a business in the US, but you live in the UK, you can pay an unexpected visit to your branch in the US using your ESTA visa. That way, you will have a good idea of how your brand is represented globally. If on getting there you realize that your employees and representatives aren’t representing you well, you may choose to replace them.

Address issues immediately
In a world where over a billion people use social media, the last thing you want is people badmouthing your brand on social platforms. So, equip your employees with the right tools they need to manage and attend to online complaints, issues, and queries before they escalate into something defaming. As a rule, always ensure you have the right tools to address issues and deliver solutions before you set up your business in a region. 

Understand the competition
Understanding the competitive landscape and wider market dynamics will help you identify your competitive advantage and better target your branding efforts. But it can also help you discover some allies. Indeed, it is natural to consider others in your market as competition, but sometimes, they may be a part of the solution to a broader challenge. So, you need to spend some good efforts on understanding the dynamics of the competition you have in your global market.

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