Did you know that localization can drive up to 50% in sales growth? According to an article from Harvard Business Review, companies that localize effectively not only boost revenue but also reduce inventory and markdowns. That’s because localization isn’t just about translating words; it’s about adapting your product, content, and experience to truly connect with each local market.
In fact, CSA Research found that 76% of consumers prefer content in their native language, and 40% won’t make a purchase if it’s not available. The message is clear: if you want to grow globally, you need to act locally.
In this article, we’ll look at six real-world examples of how global brands have used localization to build trust, increase engagement, and drive growth across markets. These cases show what’s possible when businesses make their products feel local, no matter where in the world they’re sold.
What Makes Localization Successful?
Localization isn’t always successful unless you do a few things right. The first step is identifying what markets you’re looking to enter; then these considerations can follow:
- Cultural and linguistic adaptation: Translate content accurately and ensure that names, colours, symbols, and humour fit local culture. This also means you need to understand social norms and avoid offending local values.
- Local user experience: Adapt the user interface, navigation, and imagery to reflect local expectations. For instance, you have to align the layout for right-to-left languages and adjust date, time, and number formats as locations demand.
- Compliance with regional standards: Do good research from the start so that you can follow local laws, regulations, and technical requirements. For example, adapt product sizing, nutritional labels, privacy policies, or home‑sharing requirements. Failing to meet legal rules can delay or block market entry.
- Support and communication: Provide customer service in local languages and time zones. You can even go further with marketing localization by offering campaigns that reflect local holidays and events.
There are many instances we can share, but the following localization examples show how leading brands applied these principles to achieve remarkable success.
6 Successful Localization Examples
1. Netflix: Local languages and stories drive global growth
Netflix is a streaming giant, but its growth depends on appealing to viewers everywhere. In 2019 and 2020, the platform added 98 million new international subscribers, a 33% year‑over‑year rise. This surge followed a push to provide content that speaks to local cultures.
Netflix developed a pseudo‑localization tool that helps engineers see how interfaces appear in other languages. It also invests heavily in dubbing and subtitling; the service now offers subtitles in 33 languages and audio dubbing in 36 languages.
Notably, investing in local production and language support, Netflix tapped into new audiences and strengthened retention. Localized content such as Spain’s Money Heist, France’s Lupin, and Korea’s Squid Game have become global hits.
Examples of successful Netflix localization strategies
2. McDonald’s: Respecting dietary and cultural norms in India
When McDonald’s entered India, it faced a unique challenge: around 38% of Indians are vegetarian and religious sensitivities prohibit beef and pork consumption. To honour these preferences, the company demonstrated effective product localization by removing beef and pork from its menu and creating local dishes.
Kitchens were divided into vegetarian and non‑vegetarian sections to prevent cross‑contamination. Pricing was also adjusted to suit local budgets; when McDonald’s launched in 1996, burgers cost about Rs 20 (about ₹115 today), making them affordable for a wide segment.
These changes had a measurable impact. Today, about half of the Indian menu is vegetarian and the McAloo Tikki burger accounts for a quarter of all sales.
3. Snickers: A global idea with local twists
Snickers’ campaign, “You’re not you when you’re hungry,” exemplifies successful marketing localization. It does this by adapting a universal message to local cultures while maintaining brand consistency. The core message is universal, but each market puts its own spin on it. Over 6.5 years, the campaign ran across 58 markets, using local celebrities, humour, and cultural references.
In the United States, the famous Betty White Super Bowl advertisement sparked 91 days of media coverage worth $28.6 million. In Australia, the brand created a “Hungerithm” promotion that monitored online mood and offered discounts when the internet “felt hungry,” turning social sentiment into real‑time pricing.
Different regions added their own flavour. Puerto Rico used popular DJs who played out‑of‑character music until an announcer explained they were hungry; this reached 3.2 million people.
In the UK, a timely tweet about a television presenter generated 5,000 retweets and 390,000 media impressions. Despite the diverse executions, all variations delivered the same message: a Snickers bar helps return to one’s true self.
4. Airbnb: Tailoring a global platform to local laws and languages
Airbnb’s success hinges on customizing the service to local regulations and language preferences. The platform boasts 6 million active listings across 220+ countries and more than 100,000 cities, with over 4 million hosts, and is available in 60+ languages. This geographic breadth would not be possible without localized support and legal compliance.
When Japan introduced a strict home‑sharing law in 2018, Airbnb’s listings dropped from 62,000 to 13,800 overnight. To recover, Airbnb launched a partnership ecosystem program that linked hosts with local demand channels and professional cleaning services. The company also adapted its platform to new regulations and resumed advertising only when hosts met legal requirements.
Airbnb Debuts Unique Partnership Ecosystem in Japan, Photo by Airbnb
In other regions, Airbnb uses machine translation for user‑generated content so travellers can read reviews in their own languages. Because they quickly adapted to new laws and supporting hosts, Airbnb restored supply after the Japan disruption. It continues to grow because travellers feel comfortable reading listings and reviews in their own language.
5. Shopify: Local payments and e‑commerce success for Petal & Pup
Shopify’s platform encourages merchants to localize their online stores by translating interfaces, showing local currencies, and complying with local tax rules. A major benefit of this approach is improved conversion: localizing currencies on product pages can increase conversion rates by about 40%.
A tangible success story comes from Petal & Pup, an Australian fashion retailer. The brand expanded into New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, and Canada using Shopify’s localization features. It displayed prices in local currencies, offered local shipping and payment methods, and accounted for tax and duties. This is why international sales now represent 20% of its total revenue.
Petal & Pup’s expanded revenue share shows that even a mid‑sized retailer can achieve meaningful results through localization.
6. Coca‑Cola: Personalizing packaging for Australia and China
Coca‑Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign shows how personalisation and localization drive engagement. In Australia, the brand replaced its logo with common first names on bottles. The campaign encouraged people to find bottles with their name and share photos on social media. As a result, sales jumped by over 4%.
The company extended the product localization concept to China in 2017. Instead of printing individual names, Coca‑Cola used popular nicknames such as “Classmate,” “Close Friend,” and “Sweetheart,” which better reflect Chinese social relationships.
Coca-Cola’s nicknamed bottles in China
The brand also partnered with WeChat and QQ to let users customise digital bottles and share them with friends. This adaptation leveraged the huge popularity of Chinese social media. The localized campaign was a huge success, increasing sales volume by 19% compared to the previous summer.
Partner with EC Innovations for Global Success
Localizing content and products requires specialized expertise that many companies do not have. EC Innovations offers comprehensive localization services that combine experienced linguists, deep cultural knowledge, and advanced technology.
Our teams work in over 140 languages and adapt software, websites, marketing localization campaigns, and technical documents for new audiences. We prioritize quality assurance and work with subject-matter experts to ensure accuracy.
When you need to translate a mobile app, adapt a marketing campaign, or meet local regulatory requirements, EC Innovations can help. We have decades of experience helping brands succeed globally.
Ready to Take Your Business Global?
If you are ready to start or expand your localization strategy, please contact us to discuss your needs. Our specialists will work with you to design a plan that fits your goals and budget. Investing in localization services today will pay dividends tomorrow as your brand reaches new customers and builds lasting loyalty.
