Report: Explaining local nuance to international HQ dogs Aussie marketers

Explaining local marketing nuances to international HQ has come up as one of the biggest battles Australian marketers are facing right now.

A new survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of HubSpot and LinkedIn looking into the macroeconomic hurdles Australian marketing teams are experiencing found 86 per cent spending too much time educating their HQ on Australian nuances and needs. Nearly half (49 per cent) also believed senior leaders in regional or global offices are often misaligned with local marketing.

In addition, the report indicated a lack of understanding around channels most effective in markets, where the areas of greatest impact are. There’s also an assumption a global approach will work the same way in every market. This was reported more often by CMOs in the survey (41 per cent) and VPs or equivalent (33 per cent) than managers (29 per cent).

Not surprisingly, 99 per cent of respondents said their businesses are facing challenges. On the top of the list are corporate silos (44 per cent), followed by under-resourced teams (33 per cent).

Top priorities, meanwhile, include contributing to the growth of the business through implementing effective local strategies (39 per cent), and increasing focus on building awareness and affinity (31 per cent).

Team building is seen as a vital part of delivering this, and 49 per cent of marketers are focusing on hiring and retaining great talent. Given the increasingly tough battle for skilled professionals, it’s worth noting marketers are looking for better employee benefits (37 per cent) and improved hiring strategies (24 per cent) when seeking a new employer.

When it comes to the to-do list, marketers in organisations of 500 employees or more were found to be more likely to be prioritising developing a new go-to-market strategy (41 per cent), delivering return on investment (34 per cent) and developing in-language content (37 per cent). This contrasted with small businesses of 20-49 employees, which recorded 28 per cent, 22 per cent and 24 per cent respectively.

The YouGov / HubSpot / LinkedIn report was based on a survey of 1000 marketing leaders in Singapore and Australia, evenly split, conducted in September 2022.

“One key component to creating a strong, contextual and relevant experience with customers is through localisation, yet this is an area in which our research has identified a chasmic disconnect,” HubSpot director, APAC, Kat Warboys, commented.

“Marketers in the regional or local offices are keen to tap into opportunities to lead strategic marketing instead of just executing on a global plan developed by HQ. If they are afforded this opportunity by their global counterparts, not only will their brands connect on a much deeper level with their customers, but they will also build unwavering customer loyalty which will lead to sustained business growth in the long run.”

LinkedIn Marketing Solutions head of APAC marketing, Sarah Tucker, was pleased to see Australian marketers intending to expand and invest in teams.

“This signals to the industry there is an opportunity to increase local marketing efforts with additional on-ground presence and that Australia can also lead the way for the sector globally,” she stated. “Marketing teams who continue to demonstrate resilience and efficiency while also focusing on how to continue to be creative will be able to make a little go a long way in these times. Which will ultimately help brands on their growth trajectory.”

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