International brands

Best Practices: International Brands
Through the Loop has been conducting an on-going study of best practices for international brands. This has included the analysis of two different leader brands operating in the same market. The brand pairs include: Levi's/Diesel, Adidas/Nike, Coca-Cola/Pepsi-Cola, McDonald's/Burger King. In addition, a number of brands are also referenced where appropriate. The following covers some of what has been learnt from this research.
The nature of international brands is changing. There are now different ways of doing business, new and different distribution systems as well as evolving communications channels. This means that during the 1990s, companies have had to reappraise how they market their brands in different countries. Consumer convergence and divergence co-exist.
Target Audience Segmentation
There tends to be either a highly focused or a multi-faceted target audience. For example, a company such as McDonald's or Coca-Cola will target divers...