What is localism and why is it a key trend for global brands today?
Global brands risk losing customer engagement to local brands if they don’t understand how to generate brand activation and communication at a local community level*
*Consumers are engaging at a local level, accelerated by the pandemic, and will continue to do so because of technological advancements combined with long-term work and lifestyle shifts.
Even before lockdowns accelerated change, people were increasingly engaging with the authenticity and sustainability of local products, helped by the ease of access and communication through technology.
With people being forced to stay at home during the pandemic, and to stay local, we witnessed a rise in local community-based engagement. Working patterns continue to shift post-pandemic, with many adapting to a more flexible home/office life. Demand continues to exist for local engagement.
Localism means that increasingly, global brands need to find a way to become part of a more grass roots conversation – and it’s key to do that with authenticity.
Recently, the team at Catalyx has seen first-hand how major brands in the US can move from a previously successful broad-brush, national campaign approach to one that embeds itself more directly within chosen communities – and gains high-value results for it.
For instance, Catalyx helped Mountain Dew to build more valuable connections to the community by focussing efforts on key local initiatives, destinations and events that targeted Midwestern adventure sports enthusiasts.
Then, when Pepsi were looking to optimise their engagement between the brand, consumers and their favourite NFL team, Catalyx provided consumer clarity on the need to recognise the unique differences and characteristics within each fan base and to provide more localised, targeted and effective campaigns.
Consumers are now asking “but what does this mean to me?” and brands need to consider the many differences in culture, geography, lifestyle and more to find a solution that fully connects with their community. One size definitely doesn’t fit all.
So, if you’re looking to stand out from the crowd, it’s clear that local storytelling is becoming increasingly important in our data-driven and highly connected society.
Catalyx can help you discover how to engage with consumers at a local level using our Consumer Activation System’s Consumer How To Win.
We’ll promise you the following benefits:
- Category localism opportunity areas
- 3-5 Engagement opportunities for local activation and communication
- Pen portraits of your consumers and how to engage them in localism
- Brand and opportunity audience mapping
- How your brand has a right to win
- How to win deep dive
To learn more about our Consumer Activation System and for consumer insight to unlock your brand’s potential growth, please get in touch with the Catalyx team here to discuss your requirements.