?? What the Best Global Brands Do Differently
Nataly Kelly
?? The Data-Driven CMO | ?? Harvard Business Review Contributor | ?? Latest Book: Brand Global, Adapt Local | ?? I help marketing leaders use data to win with consumers
The Interbrand list of the top 100 global brands for 2024 is out. This report is a fantastic read that shows how consumer behavior is changing and how the world's strongest brands are adapting in order to win.
Let's take a look at what the winning brands do best.
They Build Across Sectors, Not Silos
Top brands like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon don’t limit themselves to a single industry or customer segment. Instead, they innovate across sectors, creating ecosystems that deliver value in multiple areas of consumers’ lives. For instance, Apple isn’t just a tech company—it’s a leader in music (iTunes), personal health (Apple Watch), and entertainment (Apple TV+). This cross-sector engagement reduces dependency on any one market, creating resilience and compounding growth.
Takeaway: Explore how your brand can expand its value across multiple customer needs. Think about how your products or services can integrate into a broader ecosystem. You don't have to be a mega-brand or a huge company in order to add value in new, creative, and innovative ways.
They Invest in Brand, Not Just Performance
It’s tempting to focus solely on performance marketing—tracking clicks, conversions, and ROI in real time. But the world’s best brands take a longer view. They prioritize building emotional connections with their audience, creating meaning and trust that go far beyond a single campaign. Coca-Cola, for example, consistently invests in storytelling that resonates at a human level, fostering loyalty that spans generations.
Takeaway: Balance short-term tactics with long-term brand-building efforts. Invest in your brand’s identity, purpose, and emotional appeal to forge lasting connections. In planning season, it can be tempting to focus on just the year ahead, but marketers and brand-builders know that if you only think short-term, you can fail to grow the long-term value of your brand, and company.
They Lead with Customer-Centric Innovation
What do customers need today? What will they want tomorrow? The best global brands obsessively focus on understanding, anticipating, and meeting customer expectations. Nike, for instance, continues to push boundaries with innovations like self-lacing shoes and hyper-personalized fitness apps, staying ahead of trends and driving loyalty.
Takeaway: Use consumer insights to guide your innovation pipeline. Always ask, “How can we make life easier, better, or more meaningful for our customers?” The importance of listening to customer feedback is at an all-time high. Brands use to be able to rely on research they had completed in the past, but with consumer trends changing more rapidly, staying constantly connected to customers is key.
They Adapt at Lightning Speed
The only constant in today’s world is change, and the best brands are masters of agility. During the COVID-19 pandemic, brands like Amazon and Zoom thrived because they adapted quickly to shifting consumer behavior and market dynamics. They understood the urgency of the moment and acted decisively, strengthening their positions even in turbulent times.
Takeaway: Foster a culture of flexibility and adaptability. Focus on the future instead of clinging to old ways of doing things. Embrace new ways of thinking and people with outside perspectives at your business. Adopt an attitude of humility and openness toward change. Stay close to market trends and be ready to pivot when necessary.
They Have Purpose-Driven Leadership
Strong leadership plays a critical role in the success of top brands. Leaders of these companies ensure that their purpose isn’t just a mission statement but a guiding principle for every decision. Patagonia is a shining example: its commitment to environmental sustainability is reflected in every aspect of the brand, from its supply chain to its marketing.
Takeaway: Align your leadership team around a clear, authentic purpose that resonates with employees and customers alike. Make decisions that reinforce your brand values consistently. When brands lack this, it becomes very clear to customers. People want to support companies with a mission and values that align to their own.
They Stay True to Their Identity
While the best brands innovate and adapt, they don’t lose sight of who they are. LEGO, for example, has evolved its product lines, partnerships, and even digital experiences, but it has never strayed from its core mission: inspiring creativity and imagination in children.
Takeaway: Stay grounded in your brand’s identity, even as you innovate. Consistency builds trust, which is essential for long-term success. We can see clearly from the debate over Jaguar's new logo that sometimes brands make decisions out of lockstep with what consumers value about their brand.
(We tested the Jaguar logos using the Zappi platform; you can see the results below.)
What Can You Learn From the Best?
Whether you’re a startup building a name for yourself or an established company looking to scale, there are lessons you can learn from the best global brands:
The most successful brands aren’t just selling products—they’re delivering value, meaning, and connection in ways that inspire loyalty and drive growth, and in ways you can't always measure on a balance sheet.
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Grace Notes
What an honor to be featured this week on the Humans of Martech podcast with Phil Gamache . I love this podcast. Having worked at four different Martech companies, the topics are always so relevant and insightful for me.
And also, what a delight to see my beloved Quito, Ecuador, chosen as the cover art for this episode. It took me right back "home" to my apartment on the Avenida 6 de Diciembre, from where I would read El Comercio and then walk to my classes at the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar every day.
We covered a lot of topics, including:
You can listen, watch or read the full episode here! https://humansofmartech.com/2024/11/26/147-nataly-kelly-marketing-localization/
Other Ways to Connect with Me
Thank you for reading this newsletter! I hope you found it helpful.
Here are 3 other ways we can connect:
1. Get my latest books.
I have a new book coming out in 2025 (yay!) with Katherine Melchior Ray, an incredible global CMO and marketing leader who has led brands like Shiseido, Nike, Grand Hyatt, Louis Vuitton, among many others.
It's called Brand Global, Adapt Local, and comes out in 2025.
You won't want to miss it!
You can also get your copy of my most recent book, called Take Your Company Global.
It's such an honor for me that this book was endorsed by executives from Microsoft, Harvard Business School, Calendly, and HubSpot:
“Take Your Company Global is the definitive guide to building a global business in the digital age.” —Brian Halligan, Co-Founder and Executive Chairperson, HubSpot and Co-Author,?Inbound Marketing
Already have it? Liked it?
Please do me a favor and leave a review on Amazon.
2. Download my FREE guide.
Earlier this year, I wrote a 27-page career planning guide in the form of an eBook called Find Meaningful Work.
This guide helps you figure out your values (longer term statements that help you steer your career in the right direction) and determine your priorities for your next job (shorter-term areas of focus that matter to you in the here and now, aligned ith your values.)
You can find it here.
3. Book me for a talk or an interview.
I often do blog interviews, author talks, conference keynotes, and podcast guest appearances.
Comment below, message me on LinkedIn, or email me: nataly (at) borntobeglobal.com.
You can also reach out directly on my website, Born to Be Global.
Have a great week ahead. Thanks for reading!
Nataly
Co-Founder @ Humans of Martech | Growth and Martech Advisor
3 个月Awesome read, was hoping you’d mention Jaguar haha