TV viewers may recently have spotted an advertisement for the global fast-food chain McDonald's which tells us the company opened its first store in Australia in 1971 and has since localised its products.

"There wasn't anything Aussie about it back then. But we got hold of it and started giving it a local flavour," the voiceover states in a broad Australian accent. "And before long McDonald's was as Aussie as a bloke in a ute and a singlet."

We learn that the McCafe is an Australian invention and has been introduced all around the world, and that "Maccas" has localised its burgers with beetroot.

What the marketing team of the US-owned food giant appears to be attempting is to at least create the perception that it is a local brand, even if the reality is different.​

Recent research from UNSW Business School suggests this could be a smart move.

Gary Gregory, a senior lecturer in the School of Marketing​, says its possible to be a local brand at the same time as being an international brand – and the combination is a powerful one.

Read more at BusinessThink.