Globalization is making it more important to maintain an effective localized touch with field marketing. Marketers must differentiate between the marketing processes and content that can and should be centralized, and what must remain under local management. In this Viewpoint, Peter O’Neill, VP & Principal Analyst, Forrester, explains how marketers can localize while they globalize.

Key Takeaways

• With globalization come increasing requirements for meeting local needs—in terms of both the products and services delivered and the marketing of those offerings.
• There is much more to marketing localization than language translation.
• The biggest challenge is finding the right balance between global and local marketing responsibilities, control, and empowerment.
• As marketing continues its shift online, field marketers have an important role to play, mediating between digital media and person-to-person communication.