Unpacking the design of cross-border communication through digital channels: standardization vs. adaptation approaches

This study investigates whether and how multinational companies adapt or standardize the design and content of online communication across different channels when operating in different countries. We perform a content analysis of multinational companies’ websites and Instagram pages to analyze their online communication deployed in two markets: Russia and Italy. This study reveals three main approaches that multinational firms adopt when considering the design and content of websites and social media simultaneously: standardized convergence, adaptive convergence, and cross-media divergence. Furthermore, we confirm that country and industry are important variables to consider when developing cross-border communication in the online context. In closing, we provide some managerial implications and recommendations for further research on this topic.