Marketing Module: International Marketing - Think Global, Act Local

This report delves into the 'Think Global, Act Local' marketing strategy, a crucial approach for multinational companies operating in global markets. It defines the concept, emphasizing the need to adapt marketing activities to local audiences while maintaining a global brand identity. The repor...Read More

International Marketing
“Think Global, Act Local”
7/6/2019

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“Think Global, Act Local”
“Think Global, Act Local” reflects that it is essential to modify the marketing activities to each
geographic listeners while preserving a worldwide brand. In rising global market, it is essential
for companies to earn the success in business that is possible with the method of think globally
and act locally. The aim of the paper is to present the definition or actual meaning of “Think
Global, Act Local” and to evaluate for the multinational companies so that they can familiarize
to the features of every separate market in which they are performing their business operations.
The paper shows the discussion that it is likely for the multinational businesses to think global
and to act global.
Today, Globalisation positions out majorly for community that range through the word as it is
considered as one of the explaining relationships of modern society and business in general with
the major multinational corporation specifically for which they are getting the benefits by
exporting their goods as well as services across the different areas of world. The companies in
present market avail the benefits in new marketplaces that comprise low prices of local assets as
well as effective geographical location and many others (Cabrera and Unruh, 2012). This has
been witnessed that companies provide revert to local needs of consumer as well as the nation-
wide political constraints without any major cooperation of financial efficiency. The different in
foreign market are required to acknowledge in effective manner so that the companies can
achieve the success.
In the terms of international marketing, “Think Global, Act Local” is considered as one of the
major principle that urges organisation to have the steady approach when selling the goods in
international market by adopting their strategic method associated with indigenous market where

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the companies are directing that is a resident method (IMS, 2019). “Think Global, Act Local” is
one of the finest approach that is used by every well-known and successful international brand
because this approach helps them to link the every area of sales and marketing. This major
consist of packaging, pricing, product features, type of sales channel and many others. The
effective implementation of “Think Global, Act Local” ensures that the multinational companies
are able to attain the economies of scale in marketing as well as sales of their brands in the
international market while at the similar time it remain appropriate to local market viewers
(Dudovskiy, 2012). For instance; McDonald’s a classic instance for this case who has adopted
approach of “Think Global, Act Local” with perfection without any issue. The company provide
the value of low prices as well as fast served tasty food that are easy to be used up by customers
in the global market. However, this is witnessed that McDonald’s menu also includes products
that reflects the local differences in every country (Metin and Kizgin, 2015). Some of the
examples of dishes that are served by McDonalds include: McRice Burger (South East Asia),
Black & White Burgers (China) and McLaks Burger (Norway) (IMS, 2019). Thus, it shows that
it is likely for company to think global and act local.
The method of “Think Global, Act Local” is majorly applied by company as an effective strategy
implementation with the motive to set the proper vision, long-term goals as well as objectives
and other (De Mooij, 2018). However, these adaptations are made by the company in every
market as per their culture as well as specification within any market. This approach helps the
company to set global vision that is essential to attain high profit in an effective way with the
support of intensive market expansions across diverse range of continents as well as countries.
However, the strategy considering this approach for the multinational companies needs not to be
rigid due to various marketplaces vary from one another in terms of radical system, faith of

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persons, culture, standard of life and many others. All these changes determine their image
majorly on the performance of client belief as well as also in different linked concerns (Haley
and Haley, 2016).
It has been witnessed that if any of multinational company attempts to accept the similar sort of
strategy in all the market even with the fact that the particular strategy is the only source of the
competitive advantage of company ins some of the specific markets with no provision would be
made for resident variances of above particular nature. Further, this is lead to misunderstanding
among the customers even contradicting in some different case with ultimately to disappointment
of organisation in particular market (Cabrera and Unruh, 2013).
“Think Global, Act Local” tactic is applied by improving the different amount of international
corporations and medium sized corporations who are scheduling for the extension of business in
the overseas market. This permits the organisation to plot majorly for the concentrated foreign
market entry approach and to accomplish needs of local consumer in every market (Shenkar, Luo
and Chi, 2014). There are different companies who has applied this concept in their business
which include Aldi who appreciate the benefit of approach with the help of different trial as well
as errors while other companies were highly proactive towards this approach when they become
reactive while applying the approach of “Think Global, Act Local”. In addition, it has been
found that this approach is not majorly adopted by small business units because this is not
appropriate for them as they are one who performs their business operations in the local market
instead of the international market. The reason behind it is that they require huge resources with
the investment that is not possible to be managed by them.

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In the end of the paper, this can be concluded that approach of “Think Global, Act Local” is
termed as strategy for MNC companies who apply the concept of thinking from the perspective
of global market and acting in local way. Many multinational companies are implementing this
concept in order to accomplish the success, improvement in business, expanding the operations
and many others. The multinational companies who are applying the strategy of “Think Global,
Act Local” is able to achieve the success which shows that it is probable to think global and to
act in local within international market.

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References
Cabrera, A. and Unruh, G. (2012) Being global: How to think, act, and lead in a transformed
world. Harvard Business Press.
Cabrera, Á. and Unruh, G. (2013) Think global, act local? Think again. People and
Strategy, 36(3), p.5.
De Mooij, M. (2018) Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes.
SAGE Publications Limited.
Dudovskiy, J. (2012) “Think Globally, Act Locally”: A Critical Analysis [Online]. Available
from: https://research-methodology.net/think-globally-act-locally-a-critical-analysis/ [Accessed
on 6th July 2019]
Haley, U.C. and Haley, G.T. (2016) Think local, act global: A call to recognize competing,
cultural scripts. Management and Organization Review, 12(1), pp.205-216.
IMS (2019) Think Global Act Local [Online]. Available from:
https://www.imsmarketing.ie/news/think-global-act-local/ [Accessed on 6th July 2019]
Metin, I. and Kizgin, Y. (2015) Multinational Fast Food Chains'" Global Think, Local Act
Strategy" and Consumer Preferences in Turkey. International Journal of Marketing
Studies, 7(1), p.106.
Shenkar, O., Luo, Y. and Chi, T. (2014) International business. New York: Routledge.

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