Part 3 of our ‘90 years of Finding a Better Way' series: Exploring how international sales evolved from local expertise to globally consistent connected intelligence
As brands expanded into new regions and international markets, success depended on more than reaching more customers. It required consistent execution, local expertise and trusted partnerships – lessons that are even more relevant today.
The 1980s and 90s were decades of ambition.
Brands that had successfully established themselves locally wanted national reach. National brands looked overseas, while international businesses sought consistent growth across multiple markets. Expansion was no longer the exception – it was the strategy.
But growth brought a new challenge.
How do you deliver the same brilliant brand experience in every market while remaining relevant to local retailers, customers and cultures?
It's a challenge global brands are still solving today.
Scaling is easy. Scaling consistently is harder
Expanding into new territories often meant managing multiple agencies, different sales teams, inconsistent reporting and varying standards of execution. Growth created complexity.
The brands that succeeded weren't simply those that entered the most markets. They were the ones that could scale without compromising quality, consistency or customer experience.
One lesson became clear - global consistency only works when it's delivered with local relevance.
Retailers, shoppers and routes to market differ from country to country. The most successful programmes respect those differences while maintaining a clear and consistent brand experience.
It's a principle that still underpins everything we do today.
As our clients expanded, so did CPM.
Throughout the 1980s and 90s, we extended our geographical reach and broadened our services to support brands wherever growth opportunities emerged. Field sales evolved into integrated retail execution, merchandising, field marketing and customer experience solutions, helping brands grow confidently across multiple markets.
But one thing never changed.
We're people people.
Whether supporting retailers in Milan, launching products in Paris or activating brands in Birmingham, our people build trusted relationships, understand local market dynamics and deliver exceptional experiences. It's how we've always helped brands translate global ambitions into local success.
Every new market brings new opportunities.
It also brings the temptation to start from scratch.
New agency.
New reporting.
New retailer relationships.
New ways of working.
But the most successful international brands don't repeatedly reinvent success.
They build on it.
The real advantage of working with one connected international partner isn't simply consistent execution.
It's connected intelligence.
A successful retail activation in France can quickly inform a launch in Italy. Insights from UK retailers can shape conversations in India. A new approach developed in one market can be adapted and refined across many others.
Instead of knowledge being trapped within countries, it becomes shared intelligence that helps every market improve.
Growth becomes faster.
Smarter.
More connected.
In 1989, CPM became part of Omnicom, strengthening our ability to support ambitious brands through one of the world's leading marketing and sales ecosystems.
Today, that gives our clients access to expertise spanning commerce, creative, media, CRM, data, technology and customer experience, alongside enterprise-grade governance, security and innovation.
It also means we can draw on capabilities that only a handful of organisations worldwide can offer. Through Omnicom's strategic partnership with Microsoft, we're able to harness cutting-edge AI, cloud technologies and advanced analytics to help brands make smarter commercial decisions and connect insight across markets.
Scaling internationally isn't simply about having people in more places.
It's about making every market smarter.
International brands still need partners who can launch products consistently, protect brand integrity and deliver outstanding retailer and customer experiences across every market.
They also need the flexibility to adapt to local cultures, retailer priorities and shopper behaviours.
That's why the future belongs to brands that combine globally consistent, locally relevant execution with connected intelligence that continuously shares learning across borders.
Today, CPM delivers integrated sales and customer experience solutions across multiple international markets through one connected approach.
Our Liquid Approach™ combines strategy, data, technology and amazing people to unlock commercial potential wherever brands operate. Every market benefits from shared insight, proven best practice and connected intelligence, while our local teams build the relationships that make execution successful.
Nearly 90 years ago, we helped brands grow one store at a time.
In the 1980s and 90s, we helped them grow across regions and borders.
Today, we help some of the world's most loved brands scale with confidence through globally consistent, locally relevant execution.
There is a better way to grow.
It’s one where every market makes every other market stronger.
Brands will continue to expand into new markets, but sustainable growth depends on more than scale. Success comes from combining globally consistent, locally relevant execution with shared intelligence, trusted local relationships and the agility to learn across every market.
Next in our series: From data to decisions - How sales intelligence and technology transformed field teams.