by Dale Taormino, CCI

One of the most common - and age-old - challenges in international business management is finding the right balance between global objectives and needs and local (regional) objectives and needs. This is a particularly acute issue when it comes to channel management and channel marketing programs. Given that the needs and objectives to consider are not just those of your own global organization - but those of the multitude of partner organizations whose engagement and commitment is needed to achieve your organizations goals.

In the 15+ years that I've worked internationally, I have rarely seen an organization find true balance. Like a pendulum swinging, we tend to ere on one side or the other. In one case I witnessed 6 separate partner co-op programs designed and executed on an individual country basis. The localization of these programs into 30+ languages resulted in significant inefficiencies. And then on the other extreme-a one-size-fits-all approach that resulted in a ‘USA only' fit and usage.

There can be advantages to each:

GLOBAL
• Centralized platforms
• Roll-up reporting & ROI measurement
• Consistent branding & messaging
• Better goal alignment
• Program admin efficiencies & economies of scale

LOCAL
• Greater partner awareness
• Higher adoption rates
• Tied to local market challenges & opportunities
• Targeted branding & messaging
• Local/Regional program ownership
• More flexibility & speed in making program changes

So what's the right balance? First, look to the program objectives and timeframe. Second, look at the program elements themselves and how they touch and impact your partners.

Partner Programs with their longer lifecycles and key objectives of being a framework your partners operate within can ere on the Global side. However, as you dive into the specific program elements - partner education for example - regional needs become increasingly important.

Shorter-term SPIF programs are a good example of where to ere on the Local side. Short term incentive programs typically require higher engagement and responsiveness by partners and must be closely tied to local market conditions, behaviors, etc. However, even with such programs there are elements that can be global - payment processing or the back end platform that manages claims for example.

So what's the answer, Go Glocal!