In Conversation With: Allyson Stewart-Allen: Foreign Fails Part 1

Welcome to In Conversation With a new mini-series podcast from The Marketing Society. With Rachel Letham Head of Content and Communications, “in conversation with” Allyson Stewart-Allen, Marketing Society Member and CEO of International Marketing Partners, a consulting firm helping companies successfully internationalise. We will delve into both the global and local perspectives when it comes to branding.

We’ve seen over the years that one size does not fit all when going global. Companies often make incorrect assumptions that other markets are just like their home market. This can lead to expensive mistakes. 

In this episode:

Allyson shares her background and how living in Germany as a child sparked her passion for international marketing. 

Key challenges in global branding include finding the right balance between global consistency and local relevance. Businesses tend to swing between fully global or fully local approaches, when success requires an integrated approach.

Cultural intelligence is critical for global marketing success. Leaders need to actively listen to and learn from local teams to understand what will resonate in each market.

Allyson shares examples of companies that do this well to adapt their product offerings for different markets. 

In the next episode, Allyson will share examples from her "cabinet of curiosities" - case studies of successful and unsuccessful cross-cultural marketing campaigns.

You can watch the recording of this podcast here: https://youtu.be/Pr9UkDrIAQ8

Biography: Allyson Stewart-Allen

Allyson Stewart-Allen is a renowned advisor, author, speaker, broadcaster and Non-Executive Director focused on helping leaders and their companies to successfully internationalise. You’ve probably seen or heard her on Sky News, BBC News, France 24, DW News, CNBC, LBC or watched one of her 5 seasons of The Apprentice – or maybe attended one of the many leadership courses she runs for Oxford University’s Said Business School.

Originally from Los Angeles and based in London for over 30 years, Allyson applies her extensive international consulting experience, MBA education with Dr. Peter Drucker and French and German languages to the company she founded, International Marketing Partners.

Having advised over 260 organisations across 27 countries, Allyson helps leaders successfully and profitably span international and functional boundaries. She is the creator of the LinkedIn learning course Leading International Growth, as well as author of both editions of the best-selling book Working with Americans.