Big Brands: Market Globally but Sell Locally
by Frank Reed on January 25th, 2010
It doesn’t matter how well known the brand is or how big the marketing budget is. What ultimately determines whether a purchase is made or not could very well occur at the local level.
Consider these scenarios.
1. Ginormo Computer Inc spends $100 million on a splashy campaign to introduce the latest and greatest version of their computers for business. There are ads everywhere and a social media blitz that has posts and tweets and everything else coming out of everyone’s ears. While the advertising is all well and good there still needs to be someone who connects Ginormo’s prospects with products that meet the consumer’s real needs, not just those that are ‘marketed’.
SMB (small and medium business) owner goes to the same VAR (value added reseller) that he has trusted for years to give his company the best technology solutions for HIS business.
The VAR hears about how Ginormo has introduced the latest and greatest from his prospect. Then the VAR filters that information for the prospect because he knows that Ginormo is notorious for terrible customer support and that they are masters of marketing but their technology is no better than ABC Computer who is cheaper, more efficient and easy to deal with.
Ginormo basically made a sale for a competitor by exposing the need for the SMB but not owning the relationship with the VAR well enough for him to sell Ginormo to the client.
Marketed globally, and with force, but no sale locally because of trust.
2. A local homeowner hears about the latest and greatest carpet from CarpetCo in a newspaper ad. She goes to her local carpet dealer and says she wants to buy the new carpet. Unfortunately the carpet store has less information than the consumer and isn’t even sure when the product may be available.
The carpet dealer does, however, work very closely with CarpetCo’s biggest competitor, RugsInc. RugsInc supports the dealer through e-mail campaigns and updates to his website about the latest promotions. As a result the local dealer always gets good reviews on local business sites like Yelp and CitySearch when he sells the RugsInc product because he is informed and on top of the situation.
The customer who was hot for CarpetCo’s product has now been swayed, on the personal and local level, that RugsInc is a better choice. The local merchant makes the sale and everyone, except CarpetCo, is happy.
So what does this mean to big manufacturers? It means that you can throw lots of money at telling the world about your product, and that will help. However, if you are not supporting the merchant at the local level that is selling your product alongside your competitors you could, in effect, be advertising your product but giving your competitor the sale.
How do you solve this? Be involved with your independent dealers. Support them rather than just expect them to perform. They need your big company touting your product in the big picture but they also need to feel supported on the local level. If they don’t they will wield their considerable influence on a sale that could result in your competitor getting the deal.
Market globally, sell locally. It’s not just a pithy saying. It’s a requirement. Do it.