The 90/10 rule, a global-local balance.

This approach is commonly used by international brands to strike a balance between maintaining a consistent global brand identity (90%) while allowing room for local adaptation, creativity, and flexibility (10%).

Global Consistency (90%)

• Brand Guidelines: A large international brand needs to maintain a consistent image across all markets to ensure brand recognition, trust, and coherence. This involves adhering strictly to brand elements like logo usage, colors, fonts, messaging tone, and core brand values.
• Centralized Strategy: Most of the brand's strategic decisions, such as positioning, overarching campaigns, and key messaging, are controlled by the central/global brand team. This helps maintain the brand’s global identity and ensures alignment with long-term goals.
• Economies of Scale: A strong centralized approach allows brands to scale their marketing efforts more efficiently across different markets, reducing duplication of work.

Local Flexibility (10%)

• Cultural Adaptation: International brands recognize the need to adapt to local tastes, preferences, and cultures. The 10% flexibility allows for local teams to tweak certain campaigns or projects to resonate with the local audience without diluting the overall brand identity.
• Creative Freedom: Local marketing teams or franchises can develop creative projects, campaigns, or even product variations to respond to market-specific demands, trends, or competitors. This flexibility enables the brand to remain relevant and competitive in diverse regions.
• Innovations and Local Campaigns: The 10% is also where experimentation and innovation can take place. New initiatives that succeed locally may eventually be scaled to a global level if they prove effective.

This approach is rooted in glocalization (a combination of "globalization" and "localization"). The glocalization theory posits that companies can leverage global efficiencies while tailoring their offerings and communication to local markets. The 90/10 rule is a practical application of this, where the global strategy serves as the foundation, and local nuances are considered to optimize market success.

Many global brands have successfully adopted the 90/10 rule, ensuring a consistent global presence while allowing room for local adaptation and creativity. Below are some well-known companies that demonstrate how this balance works in real-world branding strategies.

Known for maintaining a strong global brand identity, McDonald's adheres to brand guidelines in most regions, but they adapt their menu (such as offering McAloo Tikki in India or the Teriyaki Burger in Japan) and marketing campaigns to cater to local tastes and cultural preferences.

Coca-Cola has a globally consistent brand image, yet its local marketing campaigns often feature region-specific elements, such as music, celebrities, or local values, while adhering to Coca-Cola’s core brand message of happiness and togetherness.

Nike maintains a global brand strategy with the iconic swoosh logo and "Just Do It" slogan, but local campaigns, such as Nike’s women’s empowerment campaigns in the Middle East, are tailored to regional markets.

Embrace the Power of the 90/10 Rule

The 90/10 rule is a guiding principle for international brands seeking to strike a balance between maintaining a unified global identity and accommodating the unique needs of local markets. This creative freedom enables brands to resonate more deeply with specific audiences by aligning with their tastes, values, and traditions. It also allows companies to respond to local trends and competitors in ways that strengthen their brand's local relevance, making global brands feel more accessible and relatable to diverse consumer bases.

Where could flexibility add value, allowing local teams to innovate while staying true to your brand’s core identity? Implementing this principle can set your brand apart in today’s dynamic, multicultural marketplace.

For brands looking to expand their influence across global markets, the 90/10 rule is a powerful approach. By committing to a clear and consistent core identity while allowing space for local adaptation, companies can cultivate a brand presence that is both globally recognizable and locally resonant. This balance enables brands to be competitive in diverse regions, increase customer loyalty, and drive growth worldwide.