What do you do if you need to expand your brand into new markets?
Expanding your brand into new markets can be as exhilarating as it is challenging. It involves stepping into uncharted territory with your products or services, and the potential for growth is significant. However, it’s not just about making a splash; it's about understanding the new market, tailoring your approach, and ensuring that your brand resonates with a new audience. To navigate this process successfully, you'll need to be strategic, adaptable, and focused on building meaningful connections.
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CHRISTINE A. MACKAY 🦎Visual Problem Solving at Salamandra.uk Animation Studios / Best-selling Author / Speaker / Chair
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Angelica Alcid CajucomVP - Marketing Manager for Innovations at Nestlé l Ex-Pepsico
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Steve Patti7X CMO/VP | 3X Sales leader | 2X Startup Founder | ex-agency CEO Automotive, Banking, Consumer Tech, B2B Tech…
Before you dive into a new market, thorough research is essential. You need to understand the cultural nuances, consumer behavior, and local competition. This knowledge will inform your marketing strategies and product adaptations. For example, if you're expanding to a region with different language preferences, consider translating your branding materials and adapting your messaging to resonate with the local audience. Understanding legal and regulatory requirements is also crucial to avoid any compliance issues that could derail your efforts.
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Expanding a brand into new markets from the perspective of using animation, involves a multi-faceted approach that leverages the unique strengths of animated content. The one that stands out for me is localising the content. While your brand's core identity should remain consistent, adapting your content to meet local tastes and cultural norms can significantly increase its appeal. This doesn't just mean translating the voice over but also adjusting cultural references, humor, and social norms to resonate with the local audience.
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Over the past years of handling multi-market development, it is imperative to understand a new market thru research especially when it comes to brand expansion. In most cases, the consumer behavior and cultural differences vary from one market vs the other and a thorough market research is important to understand whether your product will work or not. It is not an automatic template that one product is successful in one, could mean successful in all. Local regulatory understanding and compliance is also crucial in making the product work and succeed in the critical part of product development before you even reach the part of commercializing and launching of your brand.
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Expanding into new markets demands research, adaptation, and strategic outreach. Start by understanding the target market's culture, consumer behavior, and competition. Tailor your product and marketing to fit local preferences, ensuring your brand messaging is culturally relevant. Consider tweaking visual elements for better appeal. Establish local partnerships and leverage influencers for credibility and visibility. Navigate local regulations smoothly by staying informed. Use targeted marketing, especially on social media and local platforms, to engage with the new audience effectively. Successful expansion blends local relevance with your brand’s core values.
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Expanding into new markets requires careful planning, execution, & ongoing management. By following below steps & remaining agile & responsive to market dynamics, we can increase our brand's presence, capture new opportunities & drive growth in new markets. Understand new market customer need & Cultural understanding is must. Competitor’s product or service USP analysis have massive role to introduce & develop unique USP for our own product or service. Also need focus on Segmentation & target market,brand's offerings, messaging & marketing strategies to resonate & after sales services. Need to build brand awareness & set proper sales&distribution channels.Take a long-term perspective & focus on building sustainable growth in the new market.
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In my current role, I have ventured into multiple new markets. The most important aspect to look at is the customer base in the new market and if their purchasing power / buying habits align with the products you have to offer. Complete market research is crucial before going into new markets as it requires constant pre-opening, opening and post-opening efforts to ensure success in any new market.
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Expanding new markets requires detailed market and consumer research, which is crucial for successful entry and to accomplish long-term growth. First, market dynamics should be understood carefully. Habits and attitudes are critical to forming the brand entry strategy. Consumer preferences should be evaluated. From a business perspective, market size and growth trends should be analyzed in order to understand full business potential and define long-term goals. The competitive landscape should be monitored perfectly to focus on the most compelling aspects of your brand while positioning the products and creating visibility in the new market. Lastly, regulatory requirements should be understood in order to comply with local legislation.
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When expanding a brand or technology into a new market, it is critical to do the necessary voice of customer work to ensure fit with the core business of the stakeholders in the new market. Opportunities identified outside the core business (adjacencies) can offer new revenue streams and the promise of a new S curve for customers in the new market. But, quite often a subtle strategic and/or operational pivot(s) can translate to adoption delays. These delays choke enthusiasm within your organization and with potential customers. At Six Bridges, we have found healthcare markets will often support initially translating the value proposition to the core business followed by migrating to adjacent opportunities as market presence matures.
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To break into new markets, it’s crucial to dive into research, tailor your approach, and deploy smart marketing tactics. First, get a solid understanding of the cultural dynamics, consumer preferences, and competitive landscape of the area. Customize your products and marketing efforts to match the local tastes and ensure your messaging resonates on a cultural level. Revise visual elements to catch the eye. Forge partnerships with local entities and use influencers to gain trust and enhance visibility. Keep abreast of local regulations to navigate smoothly. Focus your marketing efforts on social media and community-specific platforms to truly connect with your target audience.
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A business needs to listen to the customer base and follow the customer to what they need and want. I always say that one must always be creating connections. We live in a world where connection is everything. You never know where a relationship will take you. Always focus on service. Service in this day and age that we are living in is so important and sometimes I believe brands forget how important it is. Always hire a expert and listen to what that expert is telling you. A expert that understands all aspects of the business so they can help you grow your brand in a new market. Most important advice I can give. Do your research! Ask a lot of questions before you sign on that dotted line. It will save you money.
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We need to do market research to know where is our brand positioning then we can decide What strategy we have to do and enter new market
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Each market needs a careful research. People in different regions prefer different thigs, think differently and have unique purchasing habits. Something as simple as expressions will not make sense if simply translated. For example "like mushrooms after rain" holds a lot of meaning in Latvia, while for others it sounds funny. You might consider having a native speaker to get the message across correctly. If possible get local advisor to help with legalities as they might get tricky.
Once you have a grasp of the new market, adapting your brand to fit local tastes without losing its core identity is the next step. This might involve tweaking your brand colors, logo, or messaging to align with cultural preferences. The key is to maintain the essence of what makes your brand unique while also showing respect and understanding for the new audience. It's a delicate balance, but when done right, it can significantly enhance your brand's appeal in the new market.
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Gamika De Silva
Group CMO Janashakthi Group. MARKETING EXPERT, INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP, RESULTS DRIVER
Market research is required and certainly will provide valuable insights. Important thing is the management need to make right decisions based on the insights. Selecting your research agency also will have to be done carefully based on credentials and relevant marketing understanding. They need to interpret the findings for decision making. Further I recommend that you do your own observations in addition to research
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For different markets you might need to show off different sides of your brand and adapt your presence in those markets. For example, if you are USA or Europe based business that want to expand in Middle East region, consider that you wight need to use different images for your digital presence.
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It’s important to have a solid brand strategy and a deep understanding of your target audience. I don’t agree with adapting your logo or colors as having a consistent brand identity is key to a truly global brand
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Branding is all about building.... - Trust - Authority It can be done using quality approach. Quality approach means providing quality service or quality content.
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The point on Brand Adaptation is quite intriguing, particularly the notion of tweaking brand colors, and logos, to align with cultural preferences. Most brands that come to mind, maintain a consistent identity globally. How do brands assess the risk and reward of altering their core elements for different cultural contexts? Are there notable examples of brands that have successfully navigated this balance, enhancing their appeal without losing their essence? I would be interested in exploring whether such changes have led to improved market penetration and customer loyalty, or if they risk diluting the brand's global identity.
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1. Conduct market research to understand the new market's needs, preferences, and competition. 2. Develop a solid marketing strategy tailored to the new market, including localizing your messaging and branding. 3. Build partnerships with local businesses or influencers to increase brand awareness. 4. Invest in cultural adaptation to ensure your brand resonates with the new market. 5. Continuously monitor and analyze performance metrics to optimize your strategies for growth.
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Adapting your brand for entry into a new market is essential for successful expansion. It involves m product development , messaging, and branding to resonate with the local audience while maintaining your core identity. This may include adjusting product features, packaging, pricing, and distribution channels to meet local preferences and regulations. Cultural sensitivity is key, as is ensuring that your brand remains authentic and relevant to the new market. By embracing flexibility and embracing feedback from local consumers, you can effectively adapt your brand and foster acceptance and loyalty in the new market.
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The brand may need adjustments based on local perspectives, including the audience, product, and competition. For instance, MediaMarkt opts for pink instead of red in countries where prominent local players already use red. Price positioning for brands like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger may vary from upper-mass to low-mass market in different countries. Some brands even change their name due to the peculiarities of the local language, such as Lada and Zhiguli. The same applies to design approach. In Europe, calm colors and minimalism tend to work better, while in Asia, messages should be vivid, short, and bright to attract attention. In general, having a playbook with global best practices is essential, but flexibility is still necessary.
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I recall a time when we were expanding our IT Product to a new geographical market. We had to subtly modify our logo and messaging to resonate with the local culture, while preserving our core brand identity. This delicate balance, when achieved, not only enhanced our brand's appeal but also demonstrated our respect and understanding of the new audience.
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When expanding your brand into new markets, consider market research, localization, partnerships, digital presence, pricing strategy, distribution channels, and effective promotion and advertising.
Forming strategic partnerships can be a game-changer when entering a new market. Look for local businesses or influencers that align with your brand values and have a strong presence in the market. Collaborating with them can provide valuable insights and access to established customer bases. These partnerships can take various forms, from co-branding opportunities to distribution agreements, but the goal remains the same: to leverage local expertise to bolster your brand's market entry.
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Beyond cobranding and distribution, one of the biggest leverage points is joint marketing. By identifying non-competitor companies targeting similar markets, you can explore ways to jointly share the costs of planning, production and execution of a wide range of marketing activities including: content (podcasts, webinars, digital assets, etc.), social amplification, online/live community engagement, paid media, events (online, hybrid, live), and much more. Strategic partners that already have developed networks can amplify your brand and solution messaging to reach segments unfamiliar with your company. Further, the "halo effect" of implied credibility from partnering with trusted third parties can accelerate know/like/trust relationships.
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In my experience, strategic partnerships are indeed a powerful tool for brand expansion. However, it's crucial to ensure that these partnerships are mutually beneficial and align with both parties' strategic objectives. It's not just about gaining access to a new market, but also about enhancing your brand's reputation and credibility. From a B2B perspective, these partnerships can also open avenues for new business opportunities and lead generation.
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Establish Partnerships: Identify potential local partners, distributors, or retailers who can help you navigate the new market more effectively. Building strong partnerships can provide valuable insights, access to networks, and local expertise.
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If you’re focusing on expanding your brand into new markets, it's important to start with comprehensive research to truly understand the unique characteristics and preferences of your audience within those markets. Building partnerships with local entities can provide invaluable insights & lend credibility to your efforts. A strategic approach might involve launching on a smaller scale initially or conducting pilot programs to collect feedback, allowing you to fine-tune your strategy based on real-world responses. Your digital marketing strategy is crucial in building awareness with your new audience. New markets require flexibility & a willingness to adapt based on continuous learning & feedback.
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Strategic partnerships represent a modern-day alliance strategy reminiscent of historical collaborations that shaped the world. Just as Napoleon Bonaparte allied with various European powers during his conquests, brands can align with local businesses or influencers to conquer new markets. Similarly, the Medici family's patronage of artists like Leonardo da Vinci parallels brands collaborating with creative influencers to capture the hearts of a new audience. Furthermore, the partnership between Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in founding Apple exemplifies how synergy between like-minded individuals can revolutionize industries, mirroring the potential impact of collaborative ventures in market expansion today.
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It has been my experience that you must build relationships with the local community through sponsorships, events, and collaborations with local businesses. This approach can help build brand affinity and loyalty from the ground up. Additionally, understanding and adhering to local regulations is crucial. Forge relationships with local regulators and consider partnerships with local businesses to navigate legal requirements more efficiently and gain market entry.
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Forming strategic partnerships upon entering a new market is key. Identifying respected partners in the industry, forging relationships with them and determining mutually beneficial methods of working together assists with networking, establishes your brand as trustworthy, and generates new interest amongst your market. Partnering with admired influencers ensures your brand is heard in a voice that connects with your audience which can be particularly effective.
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Establish relationships with key stakeholders in the new market, including customers, suppliers, distributors, and industry influencers. Networking and building trust are crucial for long-term success.
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Market research is the first step and is pivotal for expanding brands into new markets. People tend to avoid MR thinking that it is expensive and a waste of money, but without it actions are like throwing stones in the dark. Avoiding MR is an expensive mistake for which one has to pay later. This includes reviewing the existing business model and analyzing trends is crucial to understand each market's dynamics, including consumer preferences, cultural nuances, and competitors. However learning is a continuous process in business. Thorough research identifies growth opportunities, assesses demand, and tailors marketing strategies to resonate with the new audience, mitigating risks and optimizing market entry for success.
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When expanding your brand into new markets, forging strategic partnerships can be instrumental. Identify local businesses or organizations with established networks and expertise in the target market. Collaborating with them can provide invaluable insights, access to distribution channels, and credibility among local consumers. These partnerships can facilitate market entry, enhance brand visibility, and accelerate growth. By leveraging the strengths and resources of trusted partners, you can navigate unfamiliar territories more effectively and capitalize on shared objectives to drive mutual success in new markets.
Your marketing mix—the combination of product, price, place, and promotion—must be carefully tailored to the new market. This means considering local pricing strategies, choosing the right sales channels, and crafting promotional campaigns that speak to the local audience. Whether it's through social media, local events, or traditional advertising, your marketing efforts should be designed to engage customers in ways that are familiar and compelling to them.
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It's essential to understand the local market dynamics and customer preferences to tailor your product, price, place, and promotion strategies effectively. For instance, in the B2B IT sales sector, we often have to adjust our pricing strategies to accommodate different budget constraints and value perceptions across various markets. Furthermore, promotional campaigns need to be localized to resonate with the target audience, which often involves leveraging local influencers or partnerships.
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In my experience marketing is the key for success, you need to create new content and create new strategies which make your brand unique.
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Your marketing mix—the amalgamation of product, price, place, and promotion—is pivotal for success in new markets. Tailoring it meticulously involves localizing pricing, selecting fitting sales channels, and crafting engaging promotional campaigns. Whether through social media, local events, or traditional advertising, your efforts should resonate with the target audience, fostering genuine connections that drive growth and loyalty.
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Consumer centric has been proven to be the most effective way to get into a new market. Find the right consumer for your brand and talk to them in their own terms. Make them part of the brand and they will embrace you.
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Channel Optimization: Identify the most effective marketing channels to reach your target audience in the new market. These might differ from your usual channels (traditional media vs. popular social platforms). Pricing Strategy: Research the local pricing landscape and adjust your pricing strategy to be competitive while maintaining profitability. Consider currency differences and local purchasing power. Promotional Campaigns: Craft localized promotional campaigns that resonate with the new market's culture and buying habits. This might involve local events, special discounts, or utilizing regional holidays.
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Fine-tuning your marketing mix for a new market is key. Through my own experiences, I've seen the power of aligning pricing strategies with local economics and choosing sales channels that the target audience prefers. Crafting promotional campaigns that resonate culturally doesn't just capture attention—it builds meaningful, lasting connections.
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Whenever you are launching a new product or expanding into a new market, it is essential to have the 4Ps in place- product, price, place, and promotion. This is required because the local areas might have a particular pricing mindset and you need to identify to stand amongst the competitors as well as brush out the competition, if needed. Getting on to some advertisements in the local markets will give you a fare share of traction but, you need to leverage that traction through proper distribution of the products and by keeping a master product as per the need of the local markets, this will bring in something called locality trust, leading to more sales and a well established name in that particular market.
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Media consumption, perception of various formats and designs, and response rates may vary across different countries and cultures. For example, based on my experience, in the Czech Republic, users favor longreads, with email open rates exceeding 50%, whereas in Kazakhstan, it is five times lower. However, users there show a preference for PUSH notifications. You need adjust your marketing mix for each region respectively.
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Overall, a good marketing mix forms the basis for strategic marketing decisions and is a key factor in the long-term success of a brand. It enables companies to position themselves strategically, resonate with their target group and respond effectively to changes in the market environment.
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Marketing Mix: Develop a tailored marketing mix comprising product, price, place, and promotion strategies suited to the new market. This includes determining optimal pricing strategies, distribution channels, promotional activities, and product positioning to effectively reach and attract the target audience.
Engaging with customers in the new market is crucial for building brand loyalty. This includes providing excellent customer service, soliciting feedback, and creating a community around your brand. Use social media platforms popular in the market to interact with customers and create content that encourages participation and discussion. By showing that you value their input and are committed to serving their needs, you'll foster a positive brand image and encourage repeat business.
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When it comes to brand expansion, Something overlooked by smaller organisations, normally due to resources, is the ability to customize and communicate in a way that resonates with the new market. This is key and with the digital advancements now available along with social media - the financial restrictions and barrier to entry has been lowered. However, if there is more of a budget: 🔸 Establish a Local Presence: Set up physical pop-up offices or branches in target markets to establish a presence and build trust with local stakeholders. Hiring local talent and cultivating strong relationships with government bodies, industry associations, and community leaders can enhance credibility and facilitate a smoother expansion.
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When expanding your brand into new markets, prioritizing customer engagement is essential. Tailor your marketing efforts to resonate with the preferences and behaviors of the target audience. Leverage social media, local events, and community outreach to build rapport and establish brand recognition. Solicit feedback and actively listen to customer needs to adapt your offerings accordingly. Implementing personalized communication channels fosters trust and loyalty. By prioritizing customer engagement, you not only cultivate a loyal customer base but also gain valuable insights into market dynamics, enabling more effective strategies for sustainable growth and successful brand expansion in new markets.
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Engaging with customers in a new market is the cornerstone of cultivating enduring brand loyalty. Beyond offering exceptional customer service, it entails actively seeking feedback and cultivating a sense of community around your brand. Leveraging social media platforms prevalent in the market, engage customers with compelling content that sparks dialogue and participation. Demonstrating a genuine appreciation for their opinions and a steadfast commitment to meeting their needs not only enhances your brand's image but also fosters a loyal customer base eager to return. Through meaningful interactions and genuine connections, you can establish a strong foothold in the new market and pave the way for sustained success and growth.
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Local Customer Support: Make sure you have dedicated customer support in the local language and time zone of the new market. This shows your commitment to customers. Gather Feedback: Implement mechanisms to collect customer feedback and use it to constantly refine your offerings and marketing strategies. This demonstrates your responsiveness. Build Community: Foster a sense of community around your brand in the new market through online forums, social media groups, or local events. This deepens customer loyalty.
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One thousand percent! You must go and speak to your future clients/customers. They will tell you exactly what they want to buy. Work hard AND smart. You can speak to them: - at in person events - via social media direct messages & posting in communities - through interactive workshops - with surveys - by introducing early access programs - when creating a personalized demo or trial
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Jumping between social media platforms can feel like herding cats, can’t it? Engaging with customers in a new market is crucial and goes beyond just broadcasting your brand. It’s smart to focus where it counts—consider choosing just one social platform, on top of email, to really hone in. This lets you deliver the most value without spreading yourself too thin, in true 80/20 rule fashion. Choose the platform where your core audience is most active, and use it not just to showcase your brand, but to genuinely interact. Ask for their feedback, stir up some dialogue, and show you’re there to serve, not just to sell. This focused approach doesn’t just build loyalty; it turns customers into advocates.
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🔹Regularly monitor and analyze your audience engagement metrics to understand what's working and what needs improvement 🔹Track key performance indicators such as reach, engagement rates, conversions, and customer sentiment 🔹Use insights to refine strategies, experiment with new tactics, and continually optimize your approach to audience engagement and brand sharing in the new market
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Customer Engagement: Implement customer engagement initiatives to build relationships, foster trust, and enhance brand loyalty in the new market. This may involve leveraging various channels such as social media, email marketing, events, and customer support to interact with customers, gather feedback, and address their needs.
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Expanding your brand into new markets involves adapting your marketing mix. Here's a concise approach for each element: 1. Product: Modify features, packaging, or branding to meet new market needs. 2. Price: Analyze pricing to understand competition and consumer behavior. 3. Place: Identify effective distribution channels based on geography and consumer behavior. 4. Promotion: Develop a marketing plan tailored to local media and cultural nuances. 5. People: Train teams on new market culture, language, and preferences. 6. Process: Adapt business processes to meet new market expectations. 7. Physical Evidence: Enhance physical brand presence through design and packaging. Adapting your marketing mix to new markets is key to success.
Finally, remember that expanding into new markets is a continuous learning process. Stay informed about market trends and customer preferences, and be ready to adapt your strategies as needed. Regularly review your market entry performance and gather feedback to understand what's working and what isn't. This iterative approach will help you refine your brand's presence in the new market and ensure long-term success.
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Expanding into new market will take a learning curve. Especially if you expand into totally different culture. Don't get discouraged if somethings do not work out as you might have thought they will. Stay strong and open minded. Keep experimenting and adjusting your marketing strategy as you go. Revisit your goals and analyse what is working and what is not. And adjust your plan accordingly.
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Taking a brand into new markets, is like stepping into a new world. You have to get under the skin of what makes the culture unique, which won't happen all at once. It's a learning curve. As well as the upfront work that's done to approach the market, be adaptable, ask questions, and don't feel bad about changing. Build iteration into launch, so instead of putting a logo everywhere, imagine weaving a brand story into the customer community and seeing what goes well. Social media can help here. Teaming up with local influencers who align with your brand could be another approach. Saying all that, while adapting to "fit in" is right, you have to stay true to your brand, which may mean asking the ultimate question: is the market right for me?
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Be sure to continue to evaluate your strategies based upon the feedback from your particular market, This will allow you to remain competitive and sustain growth.
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I agree but brand has to learn local people’s culture & history of their country. Stay focused on their beliefs and culture and don’t try to create new segments without knowing their culture value.
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Monitor and Measure: Track key metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, conversion rates, and overall sales to evaluate the success of your expansion efforts. Be ready to make adjustments. Stay Current: Stay updated on market trends, regulations, and competitor activity. Adapting to changes swiftly is vital for long-term success. Share Knowledge: Ensure knowledge-sharing between your existing operations and the new market expansion team for cross-learning and best practice implementation.
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For any project, it is important to define clear key performance indicators (KPIs) related to market entry, such as customer acquisition rates, brand awareness levels, and overall market share. Regularly review these metrics to assess your strategy’s effectiveness. Implement mechanisms to gather customer and employee feedback continuously. Use this insight to make iterative improvements to your offerings and customer service strategies. As your brand gains traction in the new market, look for opportunities to scale your operations and adapt your strategies based on evolving market trends and customer preferences.
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Lo importante es tener la capacidad de pivotear tu producto o servicio para poder entender las necesidades reales del mercado. Es decir poder cambiar la oferta de valor la propuesta de venta la propuesta de comunicación y la propuesta de mar que tenga para poderse adaptar a las necesidades reales del mercado.
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I have found it helpful to try different things as options. Being open minded is key to bringing in disruptive changes. One never knows what may or may not resonate with an audience. Feelings are difficult to understand and sometimes actions speak louder than words. One has to experiment to figure out what really works. E.g. a story around a personal journey from a different culture may very well cut across and resonate with others if it is based upon reality and comes from an authentic intention to make a difference.
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You should always keep on trying new products and offerings in the new market to identify which is the cash cow, so as to leverage on that product to increase more and more of sales. At the same time, it is essential to also identify the question marks and dogs to make sure that you either change them as soon as possible or you take that out of the market to make sure that you are not hindering the image of the brand in that market as you are already new in that particular market. That is the reason why you always keep on wearing that learning hat, especially while going into expansion as it keeps you aware of the current situation and also, allows you to plan for the future keeping a sort of win-win situation.
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I have realized that learning does not stop from the degrees you get or the accolades you achieve. Learning is a daily experience from the people you meet and the situations you face. There is no textbook about life but there is one when you are willing to listen to others and take their knowledge and expand for different situations.
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How to expand into a new market: Review your current business model and target audiences. ... Think about future goals for your company. ... Research competitor markets. ... Complete market research on related product markets. ... Identify one target market to focus on. ... Get feedback from existing customer-bases.
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These are something more to add for establish barnd in new market. Take a long-term perspective & focus on building sustainable growth in the new market. Invest in talent development, operational excellence, innovation & brand building initiatives to strengthen your competitive position and maximize value over time. Environmental awareness & CSR activities will help to establish brand in new market quickly.
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I believe that to understand different cultures and people, you need to spend some time with them. If possible, travel to the area you are planning to expand your brand into. Spend some time with local people. Visit local places, stay away from tourist attractions. See everyday life in that area. It will give you insights like no other!
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It is always critical to ensure you have the resources to support inventory as you grow into a new market. If you don’t have an adequate inventory strategy to service this business you will spend resources that result in a long-term loss. The worst thing you can do is open a new market & then suddenly begin shorting inventory once people begin to adapt the product. Strategy & planning before entering a new market is key.
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Target audience is very crucial when looking to expand in new markets. Based on current experience and the feedbacks received, it's important to know what's working and what's not. Then focus sharply on the feedbacks. Plus getting a research done with reviews on new markets would definitely help.
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It was mentioned several times that the research is needed, but it should not only be local market and consumer behavior research. As soon as you define the target customer and your potential positioning, it is necessary to go into deep interviews regarding customer values, perception of your brand (if any) and your competitors, to test several communication hypothesis, etc. It would be good to visit your customers typical living areas, even the apartments/houses. It gives a lot of insights and reduce the probability of errors. To define "a plan B" is also a good practice, as not always the original approach wins, and you have to react quickly.
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Fantastic amount of wonderfully useful information. I would say that unless you plan to self-distribute in the new market (not likely), then you would need a distributor to handle your brand. Finding a good distributor and crafting a plan to support their efforts will be critical to having an impact in the new market. In addition to the financial resources required to fund the new level of inventory, one must allocate resources to support the brand - promotion, social media, sales staff, etc. It is not magic, it is hard work and requires getting in the trenches with your distribution partner.
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Monica Rutkowski Grippo
Marketing & Comms Leader | Heart-Led Brand Builder | Women's Health Advocate
One major question not addressed is “How do you determine the right market to expand to?” Things to consider: 1) Understanding your addressable market - What is the demand for your product or service in these regions? Does your target audience behave differently in these areas or have different needs? 2) Proximity to established markets - especially with retail or restaurant brands, consider implications for supply chain and marketing budgets to find footing across the country vs in neighboring regions or states. 3) Competition - are there established competitors you’re up against and how will you differentiate or position yourself differently?
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The essential first step is to understand in detail how you fit into the competitive landscape. What problems are you solving better than the competition, why would potential customers change, and then why wold they choose you? Be brutally honest, reassess where the business is going to come from, the exact circumstances, and from having gone through this process, all the positioning, messaging, channel choices etc. will flow.
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Understanding the WHY and the need behind your brand expansion is crucial. Clarity on your objectives will drive your strategy forward. Two things to consider: 🔸 Market Research: identify potential opportunities, consumer behaviours, and competitors in your target regions. Leverage data analytics and customer feedback to craft a tailored approach that resonates with your new audience. 🔸 Strategic Partnerships: Form strategic alliances with local businesses, influencers, or distributors to establish credibility and gain access to established networks. You can't just force your brand onto a new audience. Not every expansion is a great expansion. Build credibility in unfamiliar territories, and embrace cultural nuances.
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