Should brands embark on global ad campaigns, or individual campaigns specifically tailored for each market?

Going by Carlsberg’s latest efforts, a unified ‘one size fits all’ approach is definitely the way forward.

UK audiences have been wooed by its ‘probably the best beer in the world’ campaigns for years. And combined with its ‘if Carlsberg did…’ ads, the brand has hit on a winning formula, achieving one of the most difficult goals in marketing – getting its strapline ingrained in society so that people adopt it as part of their everyday diction.

Carlsberg, however, is looking to establish a single, global positioning based on a new strapline: “That calls for a Carlsberg”. As such, the brand is sidelining its UK branding in favour of this new global approach, which could be bad news for the brewing giants.

You see, despite Carlsberg hailing from Copenhagen in Denmark, the UK is where 40% of the company’s profits hail from. So it’s only natural that many critics have already rounded on Carlsberg’s latest globalisation push, citing it as branding suicide. To ditch branding that has secured it a place in the UK public’s diction is, well, a bold move.

But as with any rebranding initiative, there’s a method in the madness. Carlsberg is going down the Coca-Cola route, attempting to create a genuine, global iconic brand identity.

As such, the new Carlsberg campaigns are being rolled out concurrently in almost 150 markets, and will be visible on TV, in cinemas, billboards, point of sale and, of course, social networks.

Carlsberg has done its homework and knows where it wants to be, so worrying about losing a share of the UK market won’t worry it too much when you consider the massive share of the many markets it can gain elsewhere. A unified marketing message is central to achieving this goal.

Are you looking to embark on your very own global branding initiative? If so, why not submit a brief, where our 10,000 strong army of creatives are on hand to take your brand to the next level.