The process of internationalization is often not just about taking a product or service abroad, but also depends on the cultural dominance of your brand.
The process of internationalization is often not just about taking a product or service abroad, but also depends on the cultural dominance of your brand and its destination country. In “Na Toca dos Leões,” (Refuge of Lions) where biographer Fernando Morais narrates the story of famed Ad agency W/Brasil, there is a passage about the agency’s internationalization process, establishing offices in the United States and Europe, which did not move forward. The reason is highlighted in an exchange between Washington Olivetto and Laurence Klinger, who was responsible for the Chicago office:
— “For this agency to work, you would have to live in the United States,” said Laurence.
— “No, for this agency to work we would have to have been born there,” replied
Washington.
At the heart of this conversation, there is an important point about the internationalization of companies of any nature. Generally, when a brand is planning to establish itself in another country, the general concerns are naturally more linked to the operation, where the stores will be located, what the stock turnover will be like, who the suppliers would be or what the logistics will be like, in short, vital points for any venture to become effective.
Observing successful companies that took the step, we notice a fundamental point where communication is very important: the transfer of cultures. Cases such as Havaianas and Granado are good examples in this sense, where in addition to placing the product on foreign streets, they need to build brand differentiation based on attributes they are known for in their country of origin and, more than that, identify which of these attributes are desirable for audiences in the destination country where they intend to operate.
In the case of Havaianas, after a solid repositioning of the brand in Brazil carried out in the 90s, the company embarked on its internationalization plan with an initial focus on Europe and the United States. In 1998, driven by the World Cup, the company intensified this movement. Despite Brazil not winning the tournament, Havaianas was aware that their flip-flops were winning over the Europeans. In these countries, they identified that the approach should value a relaxed lifestyle through colorful and cheerful campaigns. The narrative was based on valuing the brand’s relationship with Brazil, promoting the idea that each pair of sandals was a small piece of the country. In this sense, summer has always been in the spotlight, as shown by the “Always Summer” campaign.
