One digital standard for several countries
When each country runs its own website, campaigns and reporting, results cannot be compared and budget is wasted. I set one standard for websites, paid media, SEO, email and tracking across seven EU countries, and I align local teams and agencies on shared KPIs. What follows is what such a standard contains and the order in which to introduce it.
What goes wrong without a standard
- The same word means different things. One country counts a submitted form as a lead, another counts only a booked consultation.
- Tracking differs, so numbers from different markets cannot be added up.
- Agencies report the metrics that look good for them.
- Work is repeated. The same campaign is built seven times in seven ways.
Management cannot say which market performs, and budget follows habit.
What is set centrally and what stays local
| Set centrally | Left to the country |
|---|---|
| Tracking plan, event names, conversion definitions | Language and tone of voice |
| Website structure and templates | Offers and promotions |
| CRM fields and lead statuses | Channel mix within the agreed budget |
| KPI definitions and report format | Local rules on claims and data |
| Rules for briefing and selecting agencies | Local partners and events |
The test for each item is whether a difference between countries makes the numbers harder to compare. If it does, it belongs in the standard.
Pick a few shared KPIs
Choose KPIs that every market can measure in the same way, and write each definition on one page: what counts, from which system, and who owns it. Qualified enquiries, cost per qualified enquiry, the share of enquiries that reach a consultation and online sales are typical candidates. Keep the list under ten.
The monthly report
Report results and ROI to management every month, in one format: one page per market and one summary. For each market show the shared KPIs against target, the spend, what changed since last month and which decisions are needed. Because definitions and tracking are the same everywhere, the markets sit in one table and can be compared line by line.
Working with local marketers and agencies
Local marketers and agencies work from the same brief template and report in the same format. Review monthly: what changed, what it cost, what it returned. Select agencies on the same criteria in every country, so that changing an agency does not change the numbers.
Languages and claims
Local versions are not copies of the original. Each version passes a translation check and a check against the claims rules before it goes live. The workflow is described in the article on marketing claims under medical review.
A sequence for the rollout
- Audit tracking, budget and reporting in each market.
- Write the standard: tracking plan, definitions, templates.
- Rebuild tracking and reporting in one or two markets and compare them with the old numbers.
- Roll out to the remaining markets, and name one person who owns the standard.
Objections you will hear
- “Our market is different.” Part of it is. Put those parts on the local list and keep the numbers comparable.
- “This adds work.” Templates and one tracking plan remove repeated work. The effort sits in the first months, when someone has to write the standard and rebuild tracking.
- “Our agency already reports.” Ask for the shared KPIs in the shared format. An agency that cannot provide them has told you something.
What it delivered
After I unified online marketing across seven EU countries, online sales rose by 42% and costs fell by 7%, with less manual work and fewer errors. The standard covers websites, social media, tracking and KPIs, with automation for SMS, PPC and email on top.
In pharma terms, a global head office with country affiliates has the same problem. The standard sits at headquarters, and the affiliates adapt it to local rules.
Setup and delivery is one of the four ways I work with companies. See Working together on the home page.