How should I play with AI+brand going global?

Brand globalization is entering a whole new stage.

In recent years, Chinese companies have transformed their manufacturing capabilities into the ability to capture global market share. However, the core competitiveness in the future will no longer be just about products, but rather content power, communication power, and user connectivity.

AI precisely provides unprecedented leverage in these three areas. AI+brand globalization is no longer just a buzzword, but a trend. The key is not “whether to do it,” but “how to play it.”

Image source: Internet

Marketing trends have changed, and strategies must be upgraded

The “2025 Innovation and Development Report on AI Empowering SMEs’ Global Marketing” released by OneSight points out that in the post-pandemic era, global marketing has entered a dual-driven stage of “incremental customer acquisition + stock activation.”

The demographic dividend is fading, economic growth is slowing, and consumption diversification has become the norm. Whether ToC or ToB brands, all face the challenge of declining customer acquisition efficiency. Meanwhile, content fragmentation and platform differentiation continue to intensify, and marketing is shifting from the “single-platform viral hit” model to omni-channel linkage + refined operations.

Against this backdrop, brands have more touchpoints, while consumer attention is decreasing. Social platforms are becoming the preferred battleground for brands going global, but under the “content+algorithm” logic, brands seeking long-term influence can no longer rely solely on throwing money at the problem.

As of the time of the report, among global mainstream social platforms, TikTok’s monthly active users have exceeded 2 billion, with an average usage time of 47 minutes, ranking first in the world; YouTube Shorts has surpassed 15 billion daily views; Instagram, Snapchat, and others have also strengthened their short video and interactive content modules.

Behind these platforms are AI recommendation and content recognition algorithms. If brands want exposure, they must “adapt to AI and leverage AI.”

Image source: OneSight “2025 Innovation and Development Report on AI Empowering SMEs’ Global Marketing”

AI is reshaping the content and communication system of globalization

For brands going global, the first step is “to be seen,” and content production is exactly where AI shines.

The report mentions that TikTok Shop has launched an AI short video generation tool. Merchants only need to upload product keywords to instantly generate short video ads tailored to the local market, supporting multiple languages, localized copywriting, and even adjustments to emotional tone and style.

In traditional workflows, a content team might need two weeks to complete video materials, but now, with the help of AI tools, multiple versions can be automatically generated within hours, saving significant time and effort.

Coca-Cola’s AIGC advertisement is a classic case of AI+brand marketing. The ad integrates 3D modeling, Stable Diffusion image generation, and live-action content, becoming the first AI-driven global creative campaign.

Image source: Coca-Cola’s AIGC advertisement

Data-driven decision-making is the core advantage brought by AI

Marketing is not a battle of single-point creativity, but a contest of full-chain efficiency. Another major value of AI lies in its ability to connect previously fragmented links—creativity, placement, feedback, conversion, repurchase—into a closed loop that can be predicted and optimized.

The report points out that brand owners’ attitudes towards AI are becoming more rational: 90% of advertisers believe AI is a business opportunity, but 45% also think it poses competitive risks, mainly because “competitors may adopt AI faster than we do.” Essentially, this is a race of technological decision-making power—whoever can use AI to more accurately predict trends, adjust strategies, and optimize placements will run faster.

Currently, platforms like TikTok and Meta are deeply embedding AI into their advertising systems. Meta uses AI recommendation engines to improve ad relevance by 20%; TikTok leverages collaborative filtering and behavioral prediction to strengthen its “You May Like” distribution mechanism, helping brands find high-potential users. For small and medium-sized brands, this means placements are no longer about spending money for volume, but about precise ROI calculation.

Image source: Internet

Multi-platform, multi-market: AI helps brands “keep the right rhythm”

In different markets, on different platforms, and under different cultural backgrounds, content acceptance and social playstyles vary greatly. A key value of AI is that it can help brands quickly understand their target audience and say what they want to hear, at the right time and in the right way.

On this topic, the report also provides data insights for several regional markets:

In the US, TikTok has the largest user base globally, with more than 110 million social commerce users, accounting for 42% of US internet users; in Southeast Asia, e-commerce penetration has exceeded 60%, making it the fastest-growing region worldwide for three consecutive years; in Japan, TikTok-driven “interest seeding” behaviors have led to 16% impulse purchases, far higher than other platforms; in India, 52% of households already use connected TVs, and CTV advertising is growing rapidly.

In these markets, if brands still use the old “one version fits all” approach to content, they will soon be eliminated. AI enables “localized fast runs” for content distribution and platform context adaptation, helping brands quickly test and find the right rhythm at low cost and high efficiency.

Image source: OneSight “2025 Innovation and Development Report on AI Empowering SMEs’ Global Marketing”

Case studies prove AI is not empty talk, but a practical capability

The overseas case of Qiaqia Sunflower Seeds provides a clear paradigm for AI+localization. In the Indonesian market, Qiaqia launched coconut-flavored sunflower seeds tailored to local tastes and collaborated with top DIY influencer @ahan.zm to promote the product. Their co-produced short video achieved 3.5 million views and 200,000 interactions, driving sales growth of up to 15%.

Moutai’s cultural export strategy is another typical example. Moutai used AI to assist its content team in integrating solar terms, festivals, and poetry-wine culture with overseas users’ aesthetic preferences, publishing customized images and videos on Facebook and X platforms to build cultural identity among users.

In both cases, AI is not only a tool for improving content creation and communication efficiency, but also a key bridge for connecting cultures, understanding markets, and achieving localized communication.

Qiaqia Sunflower Seeds going global in Indonesia

The underlying logic of globalization hasn’t changed, but the tools have

It’s clear that the essence of brand globalization has always been about connecting people and delivering value. But as AI becomes the new technological tool, brands need not just to keep up with trends, but to use the right methods.

AI is not a panacea, nor is it a source of short-term explosive power. Its real value lies in helping brands establish a path for sustained growth in complex and ever-changing global markets, with lower costs, higher efficiency, and stronger adaptability.

In other words, brand globalization is no longer a game of throwing budgets, but a process of “competing in internal strength.” The future belongs more to those who truly understand AI, make good use of AI, and know how to let AI serve their brands.