Small World, Big Reach: How RWS Small World Studio Shapes Global Creative That Connects Locally

In 2025, the demand for content across an ever-growing list of platforms and markets is increasing exponentially. Brands, as a result, are faced with a pressing question: how do you maintain a consistent global identity, while being relevant – meaningfully – on a local level? Small World Studio, the creative production arm of RWS, is positioning itself as the ideal partner of brands and agencies looking to bridge this gap.

With a philosophy that places ‘global’ as the starting point, rather than the usual afterthought, they are transforming the way brands approach their creative content strategy and execution – doing so with a unique mix of boutique service upholstered with RWS’ global infrastructure.

Global First, Local Always

We sat down with James Alexander to find out more about this mission. James is nearing three decades of experience in content and leadership roles across creative industries. Originally a writer and editor in print, he’s worked his way through publishers, agencies and startups, resulting in management roles where he’s now leading the charge with RWS Small World Studio.

For Small World Studio, global-first isn’t just about adapting language for a brand’s international markets; it’s about making content that truly works across borders, working with local teams, creatives, and cultural experts at every stage of the process. “We don’t just bolt on cultural and linguistic capabilities at the end. We mix strategy, creative, cultural, and logistical skills together from the outset,” James explains. “This ensures that the content is both globally consistent and locally resonant.”

The studio is built on the foundations of this very philosophy; the idea that thinking internationally should be baked into a project from its beginnings.

A Seamless, End-to-End Offering

This integrated approach is what allows Small World Studio to maintain brand guardianship across campaigns, ensuring that the core brand identity doesn’t experience dilution as it travels across markets. It’s what James refers to as a “holistic blending” of services that he sees as being the real superpower. Rather than following a linear production model, where global content is created first and then retrofitted to local markets, Small World Studio operates more like a boutique agency. With a direct line to senior members of the team, they provide hands-on service tailored to the needs of each client.

“It’s important to understand that we span the entire lifecycle of a project,” says James. “We’re not just here for the localisation phase. We offer everything from market insights, campaign strategy validation, cultural consultation and martech consultation, all the way through to creative adaptation, transcreation, production and media fulfilment.” The comprehensive nature of the Small World Studio works to help brands avoid costly rework down the line, while ensuring of course, that their messaging lands with equal impact across all markets.

Uncompromising Creativity

One of the key differentiators for Small World Studio is the ability to be an independent partner, free from the agency group model, and at the same time backed up by the powerhouse that is RWS, with its wide global footprint and 9000 employees. “It’s a real sell for us,” James points out. “We’re not competing with creative agencies; we’re supporting them. We help their content sing on a global stage while maintaining its relevance locally. It's a collaboration.”

A critical part of the model is the ability to streamline processes. In a world where marketing budgets are tighter, and turnaround times ever-shorter, this is more essential than it is desirable. “By consolidating creative production, transcreation, and translation, we can eliminate the duplication of effort that so often happens when brands work with multiple vendors,” James tells me. In practice, this means aiding brands in going to market faster, with less friction, and fewer inconsistencies. While this may sound like a recipe for cutting corners, Small World Studio’s approach to efficiency never sacrifices creativity. “It’s about being smarter,” James says.

And this means leveraging an extension network of in-market creatives and bringing the right talent with the relevant local knowledge and expertise at every step of the process. So Small World Studio will work with highly experienced creative copywriters when it comes to transcreation, or local planners and strategists to develop or validate a campaign creative strategy, for instance. “We have experts on the ground who understand the local market, its cultural sensitivities, and its linguistic nuances,” says James.

Their central management team, comprising seasoned professionals, amalgamates decades of experience across creative agencies, production and linguistic services, to operate as an extension of a client's team. “That’s something our clients really appreciate. They’re not just getting a transactional service; they’re getting a partner.” It’s about more than creating content, it’s about helping their clients succeed on a global stage.

How it Works

“There's a real convergence happening right now between what different types of agencies are offering,” James explains. “We operate most effectively in that space between a creative agency and a production agency. We’re helping to bridge that gap.”
Success for clients is delivered through the vehicles of three simple pillars.

1. Creative Consultation

This is where campaigns take root. Through market insights, campaign strategy validation, and cultural consultation, every idea is informed by local trends and cultural nuances. “We provided tailored market insights that give agencies and brands a clear understanding of consumer behaviour, brand perception, market & cultural trends and competitor activity in different markets,” says James. Beyond these services, Small World Studio extends its creative expertise by offering global shoot consultation too.

This service helps clients navigate the complexities of global production, from regulatory considerations to cultural sensitivities (set design and props, wardrobe, talent casting, language delivery, etc.) that could impact how a campaign is received.

By being involved in the shoot planning phase, Small World Studio aligns every element – from creative direction to design and art – with the client’s objectives across markets.

Client requests can take many different shapes and forms and the team is always happy to engage their vast network of in-market creatives to deliver solutions to a wide delivery of needs. As was the case for Nike, who wanted to understand how language inclusivity had evolved in certain gender-driven languages with a view to creating a linguistic communication strategy that would inform their local market language style guides and ensured the brand continues to innovate and stay relevant amongst their local audiences.

2. Creative Language

Here, Small World Studio addresses the often overlooked challenge of crafting language that connects across cultures. Unlike traditional localisation services that may focus on basic translation, Small World Studio takes a more idiosyncratic approach.

They have the expertise to craft marketing copy from scratch as well as to adapt it to other languages and cultures following a similar approach to copywriting. They work with in-market copywriters who understand the creative process and can ensure the end copy feels natural, relevant and accurately nuanced, so that it engages authentically with local audiences.

They can also tap into RWS' vast linguist network and market leading language technology, as well as deploy a range of human-in-the-loop services to safeguard GenAI-enabled workflows.

3. Creative Production

This is where strategy and language come to life. This pillar encompasses a wide array of services, from creative adaptation to design extensions and voice-over management, all the way to broadcast clearance and media fulfilment. Their integrated approach to production ensures brand guardianship remains a core value.

Whether it’s digital campaigns, social content, or even TV ads – Small World Studio is hellbent on ensuring every piece of creative content is tailored for the target market without losing the original intent of the campaign.

For brands with global aspirations, this pillar is a game-changer. As James explains, “We streamline production processes by consolidating creative adaptation, design, and localisation efforts, as well as supporting martech innovation and consolidation.”

For brands managing multiple channels and formats, Small World Studio’s ability to handle media fulfilment and clearance for different regions adds further value – the result is campaigns that go live smoothly regardless of the platform.

One of the most intricate aspects here is the voice-over management service. It’s all about delivering messaging that hits the right note – literally and figuratively – regardless of where that content is being aired.

It Can Be a Small World, You Know

At the heart of RWS Small World Studio’s mission is a simple, shared goal: unlocking global understanding. In today's fragmented media landscape, the ability to create cohesive, meaningful, global campaigns that work locally, leveraging human expertise and AI-improved processes, is more important than ever. By bringing together creative consultation, linguistic and cultural expertise, production capabilities and the larger RWS localisation infrastructure under one roof, Small World Studio offers brands the tools they need to shape their content around the world – and connect with consumers in every market. For brands looking to truly speak the language of their audience, it will be partners like this who are set to meet the tall task.

In an industry where consistency and adaptability are often at odds, Small World Studio seems to have found a way to master both – proving that a small world can indeed have a big reach.