What’s Your CQ? How To Lead Globally With Cultural Intelligence
Co-authors Katherine Melchior Ray (L) and Nataly Kelly in Cannes recently for the launch of their book, Brand Global, Adapt Local.
In a stunning demonstration of their ability to collaborate and connect effectively across cultures, time and geography, these two co-authors met only once in person 11 years ago, after following each other’s successful global marketing careers from afar.
And then they spent years writing a book together—remotely— with an ocean between them.
Nataly Kelly, chief marketing officer at Zappi, met Katherine Melchior Ray, now a lecturer on international marketing and leadership at University of California-Berkeley Haas School of Business, when Melchior Way was on her way to France and stopped in Boston, where Kelly lives.
It was the beginning of their friendship and work partnership resulting in the new book, Brand Global, Adapt Local: How To Build Brand Value Across Cultures. They recently reconvened in Cannes, France, for book promotion and panels on branding—for their second in person meeting in more than a decade.
“The world has never been more interconnected,” says Kelly, who was previously HubSpot vice president of marketing, after serving there as vp of international operations and strategy, as well as vp of localization. “This is a perfect time” for a marketing guidebook on navigating cultural strategies, she says.
“The world has never been so connected,” says Nataly Kelly, co-author of the new book, ‘Brand Global, Adapt Local.’” @zappi #globalmarketing ”
“There could be no better time, as it is becoming even more important to connect when our alliances are torn apart,” says Melchior Ray, who has spent a quarter of a century as a senior executive in branding at Nike, Nordstrom, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hyatt, Shiseido and Babbel.
Growing up in what she calls “a multicultural environment” in San Francisco, Melchior Ray says she speaks German, French, Spanish and Japanese. For Kelly, growing up in rural Illinois, she taught herself Spanish from a language textbook and soon learned French, German and Italian. Early in her career, she was a Spanish language translation and interpreter for U.S. immigrants.
Read more from Gloria Feldt on global connection
In addition to languages, another type of fluency is critical for businesses to succeed across the world. The necessity for global brands to be fluent in cultural intelligence is urgent, says Kelly. “People are moving across digital spaces” so companies, products and services need to reflect and value mobility as well as fluidity with cultural needs.
“Sharpen your CQ— cultural intelligence— to succeed in #leadership, #marketing and branding in many different #cultures.”
Up to 70% of international mergers and acquisitions fail due to the inability to comprehend different cultural values, Ritika Gupta writes in LinkedIn. “Additionally, communication styles vary widely across cultures. What is considered direct and transparent communication in one culture might be perceived as blunt or rude in another. These differences can lead to misunderstandings and a breakdown in collaboration.”
Read more in Take The Lead on having a global perspective
Some companies are enormously successful at it—including Salesforce, Nestle, Tommy Hilfiger and Goldman Sachs—who keenly localize marketing efforts to carefully align culturally with the specific market community.
“Consumption is a byproduct of culture, oftentimes a vehicle by which we make our culture material. Culture influences our social needs which in turn are satisfied by consumption. It’s inescapable,: Anastasia Karklina Gabriel writes in her 2024 book, Cultural Intelligence for Marketers.
Cultural misappropriation in business matters is unfortunately frequent, just as there is an historic gender gap in understanding women consumers, says Melchior Ray. Working in branding for Nike in the footwear sector, she says the common response for the female customer was, “Shrink it and pink it.” She adds, the industry “spoke to women as alternatives to men.”
“Historically in footwear and activewear, to appeal to women, brands just performed “shrink it and pink it,” says Katherine Melchior-Ray @katherinemray_m #gender #branding #globalmarketing”
Kelly agrees. “Most advertising still skews male. There is still a long way to go for women’s representation, beginning with conceptual input.”
Cultural intelligence is the goal and building a framework within brands to “balance consistency with customization” is critical. That is because costly mistakes happen, brands collapse and earnings suffer when brands do not invest in cross-cultural strategies that express the value of cultural context and storytelling.
Cultural misappropriation in branding is not just inconvenient, it is expensive.
“Mercer’s Cultural Integration Snapshot Survey reveals that cultural integration issues negatively impacted at least $1 million of value in over 70% of cases, with over $5 million in lost value in nearly 25% of transactions,” according to HR Daily Advisor.
“Cultural misappropriation in branding is not just inconvenient, it is expensive. Learn about a country, community’s culture and earn trust as a brand. #marketing #consumers #culturalintelligence ”
“The number one mistake is doing things in a performative way,” says Kelly of non-diverse leadership within companies. “They don’t have enough diversity at all levels,” so they are bound to make mistakes in messaging and product.”
Read more in Take The Lead on global leadership transparency
Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead, writes about the difficult to adapt and shift cultural tendencies. “Whether from inertia and the human desire for stasis or because no one relinquishes power easily, the invisible cage of culture fences in our thoughts. It creates our biases both visible and unconscious, the latter being by far the harder to change.”
The two biggest challenges for global brands in the next five years are speed and trust,” the authors write. “As AI floods the digital space, consumers struggle to distinguish between real and AI-generated content, making trust more fragile than ever. Brands must prove their authenticity, maintain transparency and consistently deliver on their promises across cultures to stand out.”
With the current level of disruption in the world “ between protests across the nation, crises in Iran and India,” it’s a scary time, says Melchior Ray.
Complicated by a tight economy, and massive layoffs in tech, Kelly says, “People are treated as more disposable than ever.” So at this time, branding your business as “showing up for me and proving I’m not a throwaway consumer,” can go a long way towards customer loyalty and company viability.
Still, Kelly says, “I’m hopeful that positive disruption will win out.”
Having lived and worked around the world, Melchior Ray says she has observed, “America is one of the most transactional cultures. Most cultures are more relational.”
Learning to adapt products and services and the branding that defines them sensitively to a distinct culture is key to success now, Kelly says. “Adaptability is huge.”
Read more in Take The Lead on global leadership
Expanding internationally requires following key steps including “balancing universal brand values with market needs.” Thinking global leads to winning locally, the authors write. What also works is “pioneering new territories to set industry standards on your terms. Innovation thrives from foreign ideas, when fresh approaches are introduced, they write.
“Balance universal branding with market needs to earn consumer loyalty in different cultures. #branding #CQ #leadership #savvy”
Storytelling is essential and builds trust across cultures. “Culture is where brands create meaning. The strongest brands craft narratives about universal values that resonate in local culture to create emotional connections and lasting bonds with their customers,” they write.
Have cultural humility, learn from mistakes and know that “trust is earned, not assumed,” they write.
These suggestions for building a brand, also work for individuals, says Kelly. “If you’re building a career, you need a strong sense of self and you learn what you’re not good at. It builds self-awareness. Adaptability and humility is when you connect with someone and build a diverse network for yourself. That is what will get you ahead.”
