Global insights: Embracing international and intercultural research for innovation
Summary
Many multinationals default to researching within US and European settings, missing out on the rich opportunities yielded by other cultures. We’ll inspire you to embrace the power of international and intercultural research, providing practical techniques to approach this work with sensitivity and impact. We’ll explore when and why to broaden your research, the benefits and trade-offs, and how to operationalize these methods to unlock deeper insights and fuel innovation across cultures.
Key Insights
-
•
Superficial localization like language or currency changes is insufficient for global market success.
-
•
Deep culturalization requires ongoing understanding of local values, beliefs, social norms, and history.
-
•
Sephora failed in South Korea because its makeup products and sales approach conflicted with local preferences for skincare and self-exploration.
-
•
iCare succeeded in India by adapting physical store design and product offerings to local height, price sensitivity, and dietary preferences.
-
•
Small cultural behaviors, such as the Filipino 'sari-sari' economy buying small product quantities, can significantly inform digital service models like Spotify’s mini subscriptions.
-
•
Cross-cultural research must uncover unconscious cultural drivers behind customer behaviors, not just surface actions or stated preferences.
-
•
Cultural nuances impact research logistics profoundly, such as time perceptions in Kenya and incentive relevance in Qatar.
-
•
Participatory methods like ethnography and emotional immersion reveal richer consumer insights than traditional interviews alone.
-
•
Businesses need collective alignment across teams for successful cultural adaptation strategies.
-
•
The best cultural adaptations are seamless to users, preventing friction like booking errors from overlooked date format differences.
Notable Quotes
"Do you have any questions before we start? Usually no, but one Filipino participant asked how old I am because it helps him know how to address me appropriately."
"Understanding local culture and context is often the make or break for success in global expansions."
"Sephora failed in South Korea because their bold makeup focus did not align with the local preference for soft, natural looks and skincare prioritization."
"I tend to avoid the term localization because it’s often mistaken as mere language translation; I prefer culturalization—it’s a deeper, ongoing process."
"iCare adapted to India by lowering cupboard heights and changing cafeteria menus to fit Indian tastes and lifestyle habits."
"The Filipino habit of buying products in small quantities stems from economic hardship and historical influences like pre-colonial trade practices."
"Spotify introduced weekly mini subscriptions in the Philippines inspired by the local 'tenny' culture of small purchases."
"Cross-cultural research isn’t just what people say or do—it’s understanding the unconscious motivators behind behaviors."
"In Kenya, flexible attitudes toward time caused delays in sessions, which stressed our team but were culturally normal."
"The best cultural adaptations fit so seamlessly into the experience that local audiences don’t even notice the difference."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Don’t force yourself into a job you know isn’t right just because you’re unemployed."
Corey Nelson Amy SanteeLayoffs
November 15, 2022
"The real juujitsu is how to get people to internalize insights, not just store them in decks or docs."
Jen Cardello Dr. Shadi Janansefat Alex WrightCurating insight: Strategies for integrating knowledge across research functions
March 11, 2025
"Design has a beautiful advantage in understanding the story needed to be market relevant and connect with audiences."
Kevin BethuneGatekeepers and Servant Leadership
January 30, 2020
"There are thousands of people making digital things every day, but we don’t call them designers."
Mark BoultonOps without Designers
November 7, 2018
"A common toxic behavior is glory seeking, like presenting work as your own when it was a team effort."
Darian DavisLessons from a Toxic Work Relationship
January 8, 2024
"With AI, we don’t want to save a few minutes here and there. We want something that has a large impact and can scale really fast."
Anupama DhareshwarFrom blueprint to bot: Designing resilient AI-powered services
November 19, 2025
"Make sure children understand they can stop the session at any time, and confirm they really get that."
Mila Kuznetsova Lucy DentonHow Lessons Learned from Our Youngest Users Can Help Us Evolve our Practices
March 9, 2022
"If design isn’t moving the needle on business strategy, designers feel disempowered and are often first to be cut."
Alfred KahnA Seat at the Table: Making Your Team a Strategic Partner
November 29, 2023
"We are map makers… helping businesses understand their customers so they don’t make the wrong decisions or end up somewhere they don’t want to be."
Robert SchwartzWe're Here for the Humans
June 9, 2017
