Global View – The World Cup & Social Media

 

Image Courtesy of Adidas.com

Over the past several weeks, we’ve been focused on the World Cup as has most of the world. But as we’ve been drawn into the fever, the controversies (Goal – England!), and the off-beat (Miniskirt scandal), we’ve also been working on several large global projects for our clients around the world. And just as you watch for the details of how your team won or lost, our clients have been watching to see how they will win or lose. Because, in global social media and online communities your team can’t take a dive to stop the action or disrupt the play. Instead you must be focused on the details and the flow of your effort.

By details, we mean not just the players but their skills. In the social media world that means understanding that Twitter in Japan is big and growing, but it is pretty much ignored in Italy. So in Japan, you want Twitter on your team. In Italy, we’ll let’s just say that we’d put Twitter on the bench for at least the first half. Facebook in Germany is a big scoring striker for the B2C focused company, but in B2B it’s a ball boy. While over in Japan, Facebook wouldn’t make the team. So as you look to expand globally, research your offerings in terms of your audience. It will help a lot in terms of the results you’ll achieve (or miss)… each player has a role in the game and on the team. Don’t offer up each player as a starter when some should be on the bench.

For online communities, the make up of your team is just as vital. But so is your coach who is focusing on the details of the game’s strategy & tactics while also being the one keeping their eye on the details. For example, your coach should understand that even though many platforms are able to work in a double byte language like Japanese, the audience may want both Japanese and English titles when using your community. Each of those little buttons that perform a task on the site must also be in the local language, yet often they remain in English. The devil is in the details…

We’re excited by the recent interest in globalization of social media and online communities by our clients and prospects. But just as regionalism really isn’t dead in the U.S., differences in cultures are far greater than the differences in languages alone. Don’t expect that the offering you provide in English will translate across to your next targeted area. Instead, collaborate with your audience to define their needs and select the tools that will help them the most.

Afterall, fans follow teams where there are players they can relate to and admire, not teams that continually frustrate them…

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