The Department of Marketing and Retail Management in the College of Economic and Management Sciences, hosted the final session of Unisa’s virtual masterclass series themed "Glocalisation: Balancing global consistency with local relevance". The session brought together theory and real-world insights, tackling the question of "How to stay globally consistent while remaining locally relevant?", which is one of the most pressing challenges in modern marketing.

Opening the session, Prof Nombulelo Dilotsotlhe, Chair of the Department of Marketing and Retail Management, emphasised that in a globalised world, brands cannot afford a one-size-fits-all approach. She highlighted that maintaining a strong global identity must align with sensitivity to local contexts.

Keynote speaker, Mapula Bodibe, Chief Executive Officer of MTN South Sudan, drew on her experience across African markets to unpack how brands can successfully navigate diverse cultural and economic landscapes. For her, global consistency builds trust, recognition and efficiency, while local relevance builds connection. Bodibe noted: "What works in one market may fail in another, therefore, culture, language, and lived realities shape how brands are received."

Using global giants like Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Starbucks as examples, she demonstrated how consistent brand identities can coexist with tailored local experiences. Bodibe’s insights further illustrate that a unified brand promise can enable a flexible, market-specific execution.

The masterclass also emphasised that localisation extends beyond translation, it requires brands to rethink messaging, products, and customer engagement strategies for communities to feel understood and valued. Accordingly, this enables organisations to become anchored in communities.

As a key takeaway, the session accentuated that most successful organisations do not choose between global and local, but rather master both. By blending a clear global vision with on-the-ground understanding, brands unlock growth, strengthen customer relationships and build long-term relevance.

The session concluded with a call for continuous learning and adaptation. In a rapidly evolving global landscape, glocalisation is not a once-off strategy, but rather an ongoing commitment. The series further asserted that brands that listen, adapt and respect local realities remain resonant.

* By Lebogang Saule, Lecturer, Department of Marketing and Retail Management, College of Economic and Management Sciences