Whether to localize Facebook handles or maintain a global presence remains a challenging dilemma for brands, with many opting for the latter. As many as 85% of brands studied in L2’s report on European fashion maintain a global Facebook handle. In contrast, just 10% have a French page and 8% have a dedicated UK page; Ralph Lauren is the sole brand to maintain a German page.
Despite Europe’s lower social media penetration and smaller national populations, brands can leverage localization on Facebook to resonate better with local audiences. However, these strategies must be well executed.
The handful of brands choosing to localize their Facebook activity employ a variety of approaches. For example, Chanel’s page in France replicates the brand’s global content but adds translated captions, maintaining a standard global look and feel while ensuring that content is understandable. On the other hand, Ralph Lauren invests in creating localized content, posting frequently about local events on its UK-specific Facebook page.
Regardless of which approach they choose, brands must invest in both human and financial resources to produce relevant content. Additionally, to successfully localize, they must support posts with sufficient media spend to drive visibility.