Think Global, Act Local: Strategies for Tailored Marketing

With over 20 years of experience working across many borders, Gretel Perera, head of PR at Expedia and President of L500, has mastered the art of localizing campaigns for diverse markets, adapting messaging, and understanding local landscapes.

Having a global mindset helps strengthen your marketing and PR expertise. I’ve been working in international PR for more than 20 years and I can personally attest to the fact that I am a stronger PR professional due to my ability to work across borders and recognize the need to localize campaigns to meet local market needs.

The ability to adapt your messaging and campaigns for each country is an essential skill as you grow in your career. As a PR professional working at a global company, you regularly provide strategic guidance on how to effectively communicate a product or service in a particular country. One size does not fit all, and as a PR professional, you need to be able to adapt your messaging in order to serve diverse customer needs and preferences.

I am lucky to have worked at several great global companies throughout my career, including Expedia Group, Roku, Evernote, and Dell. At each company, I’ve had the opportunity to either launch a new product, service, or brand in a different country. This comes with a lot of challenges and opportunities, but the important part is understanding the local media landscape, how consumers receive information, what channels are most effective, and what messaging resonates most with consumers. It’s important to have a deep understanding of a market before launching any campaign.

Having a global mindset will position you as a more viable candidate and will help you grow in your career as a marketing leader.