Target goes global: Oh, Canada!
Canadian law in provinces like Quebec requires all advertisements,
government publications and virtually any printed item to provide
both French and English translations, which in many cases
results in both languages appearing in a single ad, in product
packaging and other materials where retailers, manufacturers
and distributors wish to avoid doubling their packaging budgets.
government publications and virtually any printed item to provide
both French and English translations, which in many cases
results in both languages appearing in a single ad, in product
packaging and other materials where retailers, manufacturers
and distributors wish to avoid doubling their packaging budgets.
A Cautious, Deliberate Approach to Growth
When Target Corporation began considering its market potential outside of the United States, they chose Canada to open just a handful of stores quietly: the list of concerns, issues and logistical challenges was daunting, and the risk meant decision-makers at Target insisted that the solutions under consideration had to prove viable in the real world, with fully stocked stores and a steady stream of customers.
The bilingual challenge is far-reaching
With Quebec's strict rules requiring French to be recognized as the primary language of the province, Target (along with many other retailers, including U.S.-based companies in Canada for many years) faced a challenge logistically, since inventory in Quebec could not be used by stores elsewhere where the primary language, English, was not included by suppliers exclusively serving Quebec.
Cultural considerations get Target's attention
The unique challenge prompted Target to recognize that despite the many similarities Americans share with Canadians, there were cultural issues that went beyond linguistics and logistical concerns.
Meet the team that launched Target's first stores outside of the United States in 2013...
Target understood that irreperable damage could result from its employees being unfamiliar with the culture of the communities it served. In 2012, a year before the first Target Canada was scheduled to open, the company headquarters in Minneapolis decided to commit significant resources toward ensuring its staff at every level would spend 2012 in Canada:
Multiple delegations were relocated North to learn as much as possible about the nation and its people, and the distinctively Canadian nuances that Target needed to fully appreciate, including educating its workforce in advance to avoid unintended slights and hopefully arriving not as distrusted outsiders but welcomed warmly as 'honorary Canadians.'
Protecting the Brand & Consumer Trust
BECAUSE TARGET'S BRAND is so closely linked to consumer loyalty, confidence in the quality of products it sells and a culture steeped in the importance of excellent customer service, Target sought to announce their arrival in a manner consistent with store openings in the U.S.
THE DELICATE BALANCE was in creating enough public awareness to attract a steady flow of shoppers, but not too many: innumerable issues were still being resolved as unanticipated problems required quick and complete resolution.
My involvement in the Canadian experiment
The strategists at Target wisely decided that too much was at stake to limit assigning the substantial promotional campaign in an either/or choice: while choosing the U.S. design and marketing teams would ensure the Target brand would be executed by creative resources who knew all of the endless corporate identity rules, exceptions, quirks and the "Nevers!"
Three subcontracts of separation
I became involved almost by accident: Target had hired several Canadian ad shops, but also found Canadian non-profits and community groups to highlight the company's tradition of charitable support and sponsorships in the communities it serves.
The Canadian firm InNetwork, Inc. was hired for their social media expertise and ability to harness 'influencers' that cause items to go viral. They had been brought on by a non-profit marketing company called Crescent Group which Target retained.
What I did and why it mattered
Target's big challenge and worry: protecting the integrity of its brand and messaging while inserting Canadian cultural and historic nuances wherever possible. InNetwork asked me to help them comply with Target's strict corporate ID rules, but in a way that would allow them to creatively reach the edge without actually crossing the line of violating any rules.
As a consulting Creative Director, I worked to ensure InNetwork's great ideas never diluted Target's brand or messaging, and worked with Target in advance to avoid any surprises about our intent or the care taken to remain compliant. It worked fantastically for all sides, and it was a great project with extremely talented collaborators.
One of the French-language promotional videos produced by Target as it entered the Canadian retail market, which includes a significant number of non-English speakers and entire provinces which mandate French as the official primary language for government and business matters. The law in Quebec requires all products to be labeled in French; failure to comply will prevent any store from selling your product...
Target Canada - National Headquarters
Ontario, Canada
