Geopolitical tensions, trade conflicts and growing protectionism are increasingly shaping international markets. Supply chains are coming under pressure, while consumers are demanding local products more than ever before. For companies, this means that global strength alone is no longer enough and, paradoxically, can even be a competitive disadvantage; local relevance is becoming essential. This is exactly where glocal marketing comes in, combining global efficiency with local proximity.
In this issue of Glocal Marketing, we invite you to discover new perspectives on this area of tension. For example, in an interview with Antonio Gnocchini, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Purpose at diadora, you will learn how a brand with a strong heritage benefits from its Italian origins and association with Italian design and craftsmanship, as well as from its strong adaptation to regional markets – and how this balancing act can be achieved through leadership. A recent study on the international marketing of wine shows that heritage-based brands in particular need to be strongly emotionally charged and that companies often rely on the wrong (and rational) purchasing arguments. Another article examines the extent to which sustainability is a successful selling point and how this varies from country to country.
The legal perspective is not neglected either. While the Digital Product Passport (DPP) summarises all components of a product, including materials, information on reparability and disposal, and will be mandatory in the EU from 2027, we give you recommendations on how you can use glocal marketing to turn this regulation into a competitive advantage. Finally, using numerous case studies from Stella McCartney and IFF, we introduce you to the concept of proximity branding and show you how and when regionalisation, nearshoring and local production can be used specifically for brand building.
We hope you enjoy reading this issue and look forward to your feedback and discussion with you on this extremely important topic!
Prof. Dr Peter Fischer