The Worldly Marketer Podcast

Dr. Michael E. Smith is an applied cognitive neuroscientist and consumer insights professional, who studies the connection between brain function, human behaviour and the decisions we make as consumers. Based in San Diego, California, he is the Founder and Principal Scientist at Adaptation Research, a boutique consultancy that he launched in 2017. He is also an Advisory Board Member at CloudArmy Neuro, a Vancouver-based software company that provides on online neuro-powered marketing research platform.

Before starting his own firm, Michael served as Vice President of Consumer Neuroscience at Nielsen, the market-leading consumer research firm. Previous roles include that of President at CorTechs Labs Inc, a medical devices company; Program Director in Cognitive Neuroscience at the US National Science Foundation; and Principal Neuroscientist at SAM Technology, where he directed research programs in the field of Neuroergonomics.

I've had the pleasure of featuring Michael on this podcast once before, on episode #095, when we discussed how consumer neuroscience applies to global marketing. In his current work, he is focused on identifying how the latest insights into human behaviour and consumer decision-making can help speed the transition to a more circular economy. And on that topic, he recently published a book called Inspiring Green Consumer Choices: Leverage Neuroscience to Reshape Marketplace Behavior.

In this in interview, Michael discusses the reasons behind the global "intention-action" gap when it comes to sustainable consumer behaviours, why consumer habits are so difficult to change, and how green brands can become more competitive in the marketplace. He also explains why the value proposition of a green brand may need to be adapted for different cultures, why brands should avoid greenwashing at all costs, and how marketers and policy makers can work together to incentivize greener consumer choices.

You won't want to miss this fascinating conversation!

Links:

• Michael's book: "Inspiring Green Consumer Choices"
• GlobeScan "Insight of the Week": the Aspiration-Action Gap
• Michael on LinkedIn

This episode was sponsored by the Globalization and Localization Association (GALA).

Emily Rakowski is the Chief Marketing Officer at EcoVadis, the world's most trusted sustainability ratings provider. Launched in 2007 and headquartered in Paris, EcoVadis helps businesses reduce risk and drive performance & innovation in their supply chain by evaluating their environmental, labor & human rights, sustainable procurement, and fair-trading practices.

The EcoVadis methodology, which is built on international CSR standards, covers over 200 industries across more than 160 countries. The organization now has nine offices around the globe, and it works with over 85,000 companies, including global brands such as Verizon, Johnson & Johnson, Subway, Coca Cola, Salesforce, Renault-Nissan, ING Bank, and Nokia.

With a B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Emily has over 25 years of experience in sourcing and procurement solutions. She spent many years in global marketing and demand management with both SAP and Ariba, and also worked in leadership roles at Ellucian, Kearney Procurement Solutions, Creative Good, and Kearney Consulting, where she managed marketing functions and consulting engagements for clients in the high technology, banking and energy industries.

Now based in the greater Washington D.C. area, Emily leads a global team of professionals, who cover all aspects of EcoVadis' B2B marketing, supporting the company's annual revenue growth, and helping to drive the overall business strategy. She was also instrumental in the success of EcoVadis' $200M funding round back in January 2020.

In this interview, Emily discusses the challenges of building a brand that engages stakeholders around the world and working with a globally dispersed marketing team. She also talks about the evolving language of Sustainability, and the trends she's seeing in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) conscienciousness among big global brands today. Tune in!

Links:

• EcoVadis website
• EcoVadis Resources site
• EcoVadis on LinkedIn
• EcoVadis on Facebook
• EcoVadis on Instagram
• EcoVadis on Twitter
• Emily on LinkedIn

This episode was sponsored by the Globalization and Localization Association (GALA).

Cynthia Dearin is the Founder & Managing Director at Dearin & Associates, an international business consulting company that helps its clients to access opportunities in fast-growing international markets. I've had the pleasure of featuring her on a previous episode of this podcast, namely episode #174, which came out back in early 2020.

Based in Sydney, Australia, Cynthia launched her consulting firm in 2013, and now works with a variety of manufacturing and tech companies that are looking to succeed in overseas markets. As an extension of her consultancy, she has also launched the International Business Accelerator, which helps SMEs speed up and de-risk their international expansion process, and get their products and services to the world.

From her early career as a diplomat, through her years working as a legal advisor and management consultant, Cynthia has now accumulated two decades of international experience. She has lived in France, the U.K., the U.S., North Africa, and the Middle East, besides her native Australia, and she speaks three different languages.

In addition to her consulting work, Cynthia is a successful keynote speaker, podcaster, and best-selling author. Her most recent book, which was published in 2021, is called Business Beyond Borders: How to Take Your Company Global.

In this interview, I talk with Cynthia about how the pandemic has affected her consultancy and her clients' international business efforts, and we dive into some of the top takeaways from her new book. Tune into our conversation!

Links:

• Dearin & Associates website
• Dearin & Associates on LinkedIn
• Dearin & Associates on YouTube
• International Business Accelerator
• Cynthia's book "Business Beyond Borders" on Amazon
• Business Beyond Borders podcast
• #GoGlobal Blog
• Cynthia on LinkedIn
• Cynthia on Twitter

This episode was sponsored by the Globalization and Localization Association (GALA).

Saleem Ahamed is the Chief Marketing Officer at Plastic Bank, an organization that is helping the world to stop ocean plastic, while improving the lives of those who help collect it. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Plastic Bank's mission is to empower the regenerative society by building ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities and reprocessing the materials for reintroduction into the global manufacturing supply chain.

Currently, the company operates in Haiti, Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Egypt, and works with over 17,000 collectors. So far, Plastic Bank has stopped over one billion plastic bottles from entering our oceans. That's over 20 million kilograms of plastic waste.

With a background in business and marketing, Saleem began his career over 25 years ago, working for Procter & Gamble in Europe. After more than a decade with Procter & Gamble, he joined Johnson & Johnson, where he eventually became Worldwide Director of Global Strategic Marketing.

In 2012, he decided to launch a business of his own, as Co-Founder and CEO of Silver Health Systems, a valet dental care company. After four years of this entrepreneurial hiatus, he rejoined Johnson & Johnson to take on a series of senior leadership roles – including that of Global CMO – in the company's Diabetes Care division.

In 2019, Saleem transitioned into the Cleantech space, when he took on the role of Chief Marketing Officer at Terramera, a Vancouver-based AgTech company focused on applying AI solutions to agricultural problems. Finally, in early 2020, he joined the team at Plastic Bank in his current position of CMO.

In this interview, Saleem talks about why Plastic Bank set up its operations in the countries where it did, the importance of driving the value proposition through strategic brand management, and how the organization now creates value on multiple levels for different types of stakeholders – from local plastic collectors to multinational corporate partners.

Links:

• Plastic Bank website
• Plastic Bank on LinkedIn
• Plastic Bank on Facebook
• Plastic Bank on Instagram
• Plastic Bank on YouTube
• Plastic Bank on Twitter
• CEO David Katz's TED Talk
• Saleem on LinkedIn

This epsiode was sponsored by the Globalization and Localization Association (GALA).

Laurence (Larry) Minsky is an advertising & marketing consultant with clients throughout the globe. He is also a full-time Associate Professor in the Communication Department at Columbia College Chicago. With a background in psychology, Larry started his career as an advertising copywriter over 35 years ago. He went on the become a creative director and marketing strategist, and eventually launched his own consultancy in 2003.

Over the course of his career, Larry has worked with for many of the world's top brands. He is known for developing effective cross-channel solutions that boost marketing ROI for his clients, and his work has been recognized with more than 125 industry awards. His client experience ranges from the Fortune 500, to startups and non-profits. Some of the global brands he has worked with include Amazon, GE, Kraft, McDonald's, and Unilever – to name just a few.

Last but not least, Larry is a successful author. His articles have been published by the Harvard Business Review, the European Business Review, and MarketingProfs, among others. He is also the author and co-author of several books on marketing & advertising, most recently Global Brand Management: A guide to developing, building and managing an international brand, which he co-authored with global branding expert Ilan Geva.

Links:

• Larry's book: "Global Brand Management"
• Larry's author page on Amazon
• Sean Duffy on episode #222 re. international brand strategy
• James Ellis on episode #201 re. global employer branding
• Datareportal.com article on voice search and other online search trends
• Larry on LinkedIn

The Worldly Marketer Podcast is a Verbaccino production.

Anna N. Schlegel is the VP of Product, International and Globalization at Procore Technologies, a company that provides cloud-based project-management software for the construction industry. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in California, Procore's mission is to connect everyone in construction on a global platform. With nine offices on three continents, the company now employs 2,500 people globally. Hundreds of thousands of users around the world rely on Procore's collaborative, multilingual suite of tools to manage all types of large-scale construction projects more efficiently and more profitably.

In the world of software globalization, Anna almost needs no introduction. I've had the pleasure of featuring her on this podcast twice previously. She is a recognized expert in Global Product Management and Enterprise Globalization Strategy, and she's one of the most well-known personalities in the Localization industry. She has been blazing a trail in Silicon Valley for over 25 years now, with many impressive achievements and accolades earned along the way. Before joining Procore earlier this year, she spent more than a decade driving global growth at NetApp, the Fortune-500 tech company known for hybrid cloud data services and data management. Previous tech companies that benefitted from her expertise include VMWare, VeriSign, Xerox, and Cisco Systems.

Throughout her distinguished career, Anna has always taken the time to give back to her profession, perhaps most notably as an original Co-Founder and past President of Women in Localization, the leading professional organization for women and their allies in the localization industry (cf. episode #035). She is also involved with a number of economic development initiatives with her native region of Catalonia.

Last but not least, Anna is the author of Truly Global: The Theory and Practice of Bringing Your Company to International Markets. She originally published her book in 2016, and just recently launched a revised edition.

In this interview, Anna explains why Procore Technologies has prioritized international growth as its #1 strategic initiative, how Anna is applying her three decades of experience to help the company achieve its global business objectives, and why she feels so passionate about developing stakeholder management and business savvy as part of true leadership in globalization. She also talks about new learnings that she has included in the recently-updated edition of her book, Truly Global, and she shares some valuable advice for today's ambitious tech CEOs.

Links:

• Procore Technologies website
• Procore Technologies on LinkedIn
• Procore Technologies on Instagram
• Procore Technologies on Facebook
• Procore Technologies on YouTube
• Procore Technologies on Twitter
• Anna's Truly Global Business website
• Anna's book "Truly Global" on the FriesenPress website
• Women in Localization website
• Aula Magna Business School website
• Aula Magna Business School on LinkedIn
• Anna on LinkedIn
• Anna on Twitter

The Worldly Marketer Podcast is a Verbaccino production.

Andy Andersen drives international growth at Tinder, the world's most popular app for meeting new people. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Tinder was introduced almost ten years ago, on a college campus, and has since evolved into the highest grossing non-gaming app globally. It is now available in 190 countries and over 40 languages, has been downloaded more than 450 million times since its launch, and has led to more than 65 billion matches – including more than 145 million new matches via its 'More Genders' feature.

Originally from Louisiana, Andy has a background in business and international studies, and he is fluent in English and Spanish. He has had a very interesting career path. In 2012, while he was still a university student at Louisiana State University (and the same year that Tinder got started), he launched a blog called Backpacking Diplomacy, which was focused on everything global from general travel tips to in-depth cultural immersion.

After a brief stint in Puerto Rico working in the hospitality industry, Andy relocated to Brooklyn in 2014 to take on the role of Linguist Recruiter at a New York-based language services company catering to the legal services industry. His foray on the vendor side of the translation & localization industry lasted the better part of three years. In 2017, Andy transitioned to the client side when he joined Tinder as Localization Program Manager, and he has been at the company ever since. In his current role, he is centred on international growth, and works with a team of 15 in-house specialists.

Besides his role at Tinder, Andy is an International Growth Consultant at AppLocalization.io, a consulting group of working international growth professionals, who help products reach the world through strategically customized localization, product, and user acquisition tactics.

Links:

• Tinder website
• Tinder on LinkedIn
• More on the "Underwear Effect"
• More on web globalization best practices
• AppLocalization.io website
• AppLocalization.io on LinkedIn
• Andy's blog: "Backpacking Diplomacy"
• Andy on LinkedIn

The Worldly Marketer Podcast is a Verbaccino production.

Sean Duffy is an international brand strategist and the Founder of Duffy Agency, a strategic marketing agency that specializes in international brand development. Headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, Duffy Agencyworks to fill the expertise gap that business typically experience as they set out to compete on an international stage. The agency has worked with clients from over 30 different countries and has collaborated with partner agencies in 50 other cities around the world. As CEO, Sean divides his time between Duffy Agency's main office in Sweden and its U.S. office in Boston, MA.

Born and raised in the U.S., Sean has over 30 years of experience working in strategic marketing. He began his career in Boston as a copywriter with BBDO, the global advertising agency, and later worked as Creative Director for an ad agency in San Francisco. In 1991, he moved to Stockholm, to work as Creative Director at Sweden's largest ad agency, Lowe Brindfors, which is now part of the Mullen Lowe Group. After 10 years with Lowe working exclusively on international marketing, he decided to launch his own agency.

In addition to his role at Duffy Agency, Sean is a Lecturer & Practitioner in Residence at the Lund University School of Economics & Management and a Mentor in their Masters Program in Entrepreneurship. He is also a frequent speaker on strategic international marketing and online brand management, and he draws on his experience working with dozens of global brands including IKEA, The United Nations, Saab, Volvo, Absolut, VF Corporation, Pfizer, and GSK. Last but not least, Sean is the author of an excellent new book called International Brand Strategy: A Guide to Achieving Global Brand Growth.

Links:

• Duffy Agency website
• Duffy Agency on LinkedIn
• Duffy Agency on Facebook
• Duffy Agency on Instagram
• Duffy Agency on Twitter
• Sean's book: "International Brand Strategy: A Guide to Achieving Global Brand Growth" (If you purchase this book via the Kogan Page website, you'll receive a 20% discount by entering the special offer code INTBRAND20 during the checkout process.)
• Sean on LinkedIn
• Sean on Twitter

This episode was sponsored by Vistatec.

John Yunker is a well-known pioneer in the field of web and software globalization, and he has been featured on two previous episodes of this podcast: episodes #059 and #182. He is the Co-Founder & President of Byte Level Research, an agency based in Ashland, Oregon, that specializes in researching, promoting and advising on best practices in web globalization.

For over two decades now, John has been helping companies improve their global content, their websites, and their software through specialized reports, consulting, speaking and training sessions. He has worked with many of the world's largest multinational corporations, providing them with web-globalization training and benchmark services.

In addition to his client work, John writes a well-known blog called Global by Design, and he is the author ofseveral books, including "The Savvy Client's Guide to Translation Agencies, The Art of the Global Gateway", "Beyond Borders: Web Globalization Strategies", and most recently, "Think Outside the Country: A Guide to Going Global and Succeeding in the Translation Economy". But he is perhaps best known for his annual Web Globalization Report Cards, which provide an up-to-date evaluation of how major global companies are performing relative to each other and to current industry best practices.

In this episode, John returns to the show to talk about his 2021 Web Globalization Report Card, which he published earlier this year. Tune in to learn about which global companies are leading the way when it comes to website globalization best practices, what they're doing to attract and retain more international visitors, and what some takeaways are for companies in the earlier stages of international growth.

Links:

• Byte Level Research website
• Byte Level Research on LinkedIn
• Byte Level Research on Twitter
• The 2021 Web Globalization Report Card
• Global By Design blog
• The Localization Institute class: "ReadySetGo: Global Navigation"
• John on LinkedIn
• John on Twitter

This episode was sponsored by Vistatec.

Ramsey Pryor is the Founding Partner at Port of Entry Partners, a consultancy that helps tech companies conquer international markets. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he works with his clients to define their expansion strategy, understand the local market conditions, localize their product offerings, hire world-class talent, build brand awareness, win top accounts, and evolve as a truly global organization.

With a background in Economics, Hispanic Studies, and Marketing, Ramsey has over 20 years of experience working at technology companies large and small. Before launching his own consultancy in 2021, he spent five years leading International Expansion & Sales at Branch Metrics, the third Fastest-Growing Company in North America on Deloitte's 2020 Technology Fast 500 list. During his tenure at Branch, he grew the company's international footprint from zero to over 100 employees and opened 12 global offices across LATAM, EMEA, and APAC.

In addition to his consulting work, Ramsey is a frequent speaker on international expansion, and he is a founding member of International Mastermind, a peer network of global operators from companies including Spotify, Shopify, Squarespace, Asana, HubSpot and other leading tech companies. He also recently launched The International Expansion Podcast, where he talks with industry colleagues about their experiences, learnings, and best practices around taking tech companies global.

Tune in for Ramsey's valuable insights on how today's startups are going from zero to international faster than ever, and how they can manage the inherent challenges rapid global growth.

Links:

• Port of Entry Partners website
• Port of Entry Partners on LinkedIn
• International Mastermind website
• International Mastermind on LinkedIn
• The Internal Expansion Podcast
• Ramsey on LinkedIn

This episode was sponsored by Vistatec.