With the emergence of Asia as an economic giant on the world stage, communicators working for global companies should not be afraid of hyper-localisation and adapting their communications strategy for business success.

This was one of the key insights shared by panellists at a Finn Partners session at last week's PRovoke Asia-Pacific Summit, on the topic of 'Asia’s role in the changing world order and what this means for brands.'

Responding to a question raised by moderator Aman Gupta, managing partner of SPAG FINN, about how the new economic order is impacting their communications strategy, HP head of APJ and EMEA communications Jasmine Mobarek pointed to the principle of “global brand, local soul” as the best way to move forward.

“I think one of the challenges that I see as a communicator, and one of the key parts of my role is bringing that advocacy to what consumers in this part of the world care about and need…. I need to be that voice of the customer, because it's then my job to translate that into our storytelling opportunities, which ultimately is adding revenue to the bottom line.”

Mobarek believes that, for the first time in her 20 years in comms, there's a genuine recognition on a global scale that if organizations don't start investing and accelerating their growth in Asia, they can get left behind. 

Sung Lee, executive director of region communications and patient advocacy for APMA at Novartis, used the catchphrase “same, same but different” to describe how her company is adapting its strategy in Asia.

“We can relate with each other, but we are different. So let's talk about the difference here. It's about the cultural nuances in each and every market that we serve, and really being able to be there, relate and make it relatable for the local audience.”

Agreeing with this perspective, Finn Partners managing partner Naeema Ismail, believes that the cultural shift that has made Asia more prominent globally is responsible for making brands think differently.

“It's not just about how do we not just tackle this Asian market. It's really about how we get seen as an Asian brand as well, regardless of where we come from, because sometimes we get so caught up in the tools or the processes of things, but at the end of the day, our job is really about connecting.”

On the question of how the panellists see geopolitical diversity and concerns of Asia informing their communications outlook, the communicators offered interesting perspectives with examples from recent communications initiatives.

Mobarek highlighted that one of the things she is focusing on currently for the growth markets is pushing for approaches that are going to serve the company and help them grow, which she feels can be an unpopular opinion.

“And so it's for sure, a tension point, not just internally, but externally. Is it ruffling some feathers? Yes of course, for sure, and that's something that we have to actively manage and monitor. But do I believe it's the right approach of taking that hyper local focus that ladders back up to the global story and why I think we're starting to see a pay dividend.”

Mobarek added the example of trying out a different media approach while hosting her global CEO in Thailand and getting him to meet local influencers — and how those interactions provided consumer insights that he might not have had access to in Silicon Valley.

“I think we've been so afraid to lean in, to not create more tension that we've lost that hyperlocal need.”

Agreeing, Lee believes that it's no longer enough to roll out global campaigns in Asia.

“There is a regional toolkit. A lot of my work in the past few years and work with several agencies is to really tailor make from bottom up where it works for one country. Then how can we scale up and replicate across the region? Because that's your proof of concept, then you have the matrix to show our business partners. So that's really key.”

She gave the example of Novartis’s breast cancer campaign, which was tailored from country to country, not so much as moving away from the global strategy, which they have to abide by — but developing “policy shaping” campaigns  relevant for the market like the “Think Pink” and “Let her Smile” initiatives in the Philippines and Thailand, respectively.

Ismail brought in the agency perspective on how geopolitics in Asia is driving communications in the region. “I am actually working with a client right now. It is our global client, but in terms of reputation management and crisis, because of the geopolitical tension in our part of the world, we are taking the lead in the message on a global scale, because it doesn't make sense for someone in the US or in Europe to drive these messages…I find it interesting, and it's refreshing and I hope we do hear more conversations from clients where they do want to make it much more hyper local,” she said.

The panel also touched upon tech and digital innovation in Asia along with the global domination of tech brands from Asia. Both Lee and Mobarek agree that partnerships are the best way to leverage digital innovation from this region. Whether it’s the case of telemedicine where Novartis is partnering with public and private institutions along with NGOs at a local level to push usage, or HP partnering with innovators in Asia to marry their software capability with its hardware tools, global companies are starting the groundwork for such partnerships.

Ismail further highlighted the shift of Asian brands from the tech category dominating the global market and what this trend means for Western-headquartered MNCs competing in this space.

Mobarek agreed that competition is “super tough and super impressive” and that is the reason why comms and marketing are increasingly relied upon.

“And there are some products that are stronger and better than others, but I think, at a core, there's a lot of commonality, right? What really sets each apart is that brand love and that brand connection. So the pressure is on me and my team every day of how are we going out there and having those conversations and telling those stories and working with influencers and working with media to really bring that like connection to HP to combat some of the really, really strong competition in the market,” she said.