Services: Brand and community research, program development, “localization” of global brand
Takeaway: Localize a global brand (build on attributes that matter to a particular community or region) for the greatest regional impact.
Story: The world’s largest brick-and-mortar retailer asked us to help them bring alignment to their corporate social responsibility efforts in key markets. The result was an extensive community-mapping process that uncovered the issues of greatest interest and concern to a particular region of the US. The outcomes involved integrating the community engagement efforts of Walmart’s foundation, its stores and its employees in an effort to better demonstrate the tremendous contribution that the retailer makes into the communities where it works.
With Walmart we applied our understanding of community-based organizations and used that to help Walmart leverage the appropriate aspects of their brand identity that resonated most within that particular region. The result was an improvement of local community relationships and building of the Walmart brand equity in the region.