Brand Mix

I've been on both sides. Cursing the corporate marketing people in Europe who just didn't get it and had no clue about our local needs. Laughing out loud in the corporate headquarters as we got yet another elaborate rationale from a market that wanted to do things their own way.

It's just human nature for us to see things from our own perspective. Hopefully, I'm not the only one who gets mad at cars when I'm cycling and mad at those crazy cyclists when I'm in a car.

Often these local vs. global disputes become a never-ending series of battles where the winners are those with the most political clout rather than the best case.

In my experience there's two ways that can help reduce these type of turf wars:

1) Strong brand differentiation and engagement: The clearer the brand story, the more common the understanding and the stronger the passion for that story, the more likely that everyone will see things from the same perspective
2) Respect: The more people get to know each other and work together the more likely they will increase their level of trust and respect.

Once you know someone and know that you are both supporters of the same cause you are much more likely to figure out common ground whenever you do see things differently.