Think global, act local: Why customer-centricity will drive market success
A copy-and-paste approach won’t suffice for brands wanting to truly connect with new audiences.
Most brands get market expansion wrong. They think it’s as simple as launching a direct-to-consumer (DTC) site, turning on digital ads, and watching the sales roll in.
But in reality, that approach leads to soaring costs to acquire a customer (CAC), forgettable launches, and wasted budgets. It’s a case of over-reliance on the home-market playbook, paired with a poorly thought-out marketing strategy that prioritises short-term wins but rarely delivers sustainable growth.
Why? Because new markets aren’t just bigger versions of home markets – they’re entirely new ecosystems with different consumer expectations, cultural nuances, and competitive landscapes. And let’s not forget, your brand awareness is likely zero.
I’ve seen this first-hand in my role as a fractional CMO for a series of CPG startup brands, most recently intimate body care brand Luna Daily and pill organiser Dosey. From launching Luna Daily onto prestigious beauty retailer Sephora’s ‘Next Big Thing’ wall across North America to helping Dosey reverse-launch from the US to UK.
Without cultural relevance, brands are seen as “foreign” rather than “familiar.”
I’ve also been watching British toothbrush brand Suri’s growth in the US where it now makes up 40% of their total revenue – one lesson is clear: what works in one market doesn’t always translate to another. The way customers think, shop, and trust brands is different.
Take Liquid Death as a cautionary tale – despite massive success in the US, its UK expansion failed as a result of it replicating its US playbook without adapting to lower brand awareness and a different consumer market.
I began my career at household consumer companies like Casio, home to the iconic G-Shock & Baby-G brands, more than 12 years ago, followed by Chinese tech giant Huawei during its swift rise to a top 10 global tech brand. Throughout this journey I’ve seen that the most successful brands are those that adapt to trends, understand their market, prioritise relevance and thoroughly nail product-market fit.
They prioritise customer-centricity over convenience, localise marketing, and focus on long-term stickiness over short-term gains.
Copy-and-paste strategies don’t work
There are many reasons why a copy-and-paste strategy simply won’t cut it for brands eyeing market expansion.
The first pitfall of a copy-and-paste strategy is the skyrocketing cost of acquiring customers. Your local competitors already have loyalty, trust, and relevance, so you end up paying more per click and per conversion just to get noticed. For brands entering the US, it’s not uncommon to see CACs increase two to three times. While in the UK we are also seeing the reduced efficiency in digital ads alone for effectiveness in a post-cookie world.
The second trap brands fall into is thinking the US and UK consumer is the same. US customers might speak the same language as UK customers, but they don’t think the same way. British charm and humour might work brilliantly in the UK, but in the US, where clarity and directness are prioritised, that tone can fall flat. Without cultural relevance, brands are seen as “foreign” rather than “familiar.”
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Sacrificing the long on the altar of the short is a perennial temptation for brands, and it’s no different for those who might go down the copy-and-paste route. Paid ads can drive initial traffic, but unless there’s something more substantial to anchor the brand in the customer’s life, those customers won’t stick. Short-term awareness without long-term relevance is a costly mistake.
If you want to win in a new market, you need to be more than seen – you need to be experienced. That means going beyond the screen and creating a presence in the customer’s world. The increase in personalisation online is the start, but paired with showing up with a bespoke offer and reason to be there is what really stands out.
Be where the customer already is
When Luna Daily launched in the US through Sephora, it was the first brand of its kind to do so, but it wasn’t enough to just “be on shelf.” We knew the brand’s innovative spray-to-wipe format would be most compelling if people saw it in action. We did a series of on-ground sampling activations outside stores and in fitness classes across New York and LA. These were wellness hubs where people were already in a mindset of personal care, health, and wellbeing.
One moment sticks with me. While sampling outside Sephora, a customer approached me and said, “Oh, I’ve seen you on TikTok”. That moment was a clear example of why the merger of online and offline is essential. In addition, collaborating with local influencers and experts was key, getting them to experience the brand at events and in-store. When customers see you both online and in real life, it creates familiarity and trust faster. That’s where stickiness happens. In one quarter Luna Daily’s US brand search rose by 204%.
Retail partnerships aren’t just for sales – they’re for trust and awareness. Your retail partner’s credibility can transfer to your brand.
With a resurgence in experiential marketing we’re seeing that brands can’t just play online but instead create localised community ecosystems. Meet your customer in their daily routines. The places where your product is naturally useful or makes sense are the places you should be seen. Furthermore, you can’t be everywhere – know your target personas, meet them in their city or state and focus your energy here.
When Suri, a company that sells sustainable and slick electric toothbrushes while addressing the pain point of terrible battery life, launched into trendy LA supermarket chain, Erewhon, it wasn’t just a distribution play. Erewhon is more than a retailer – it’s a cultural authority on wellness and sustainability. Being on those shelves gave Suri instant credibility. By being seen in a store known for curating the best of wellness, Suri became part of a trusted community. Getting on the shelves is step one – but it’s not where the opportunity ends. It finds ways to collaborate on activations, joint marketing and cross-promotions that increase visibility, build engagement and create hybrid experiences.
Retail partnerships aren’t just for sales – they’re for trust and awareness. Your retail partners’ credibility can transfer to your brand. Pick retailers who reflect the values of your brand and your customer, rather than just nationwide coverage, because unless it’s the right partner it’s unlikely to do well.
Build stickiness
The key to making US customers fall in love with a brand is to remain front of mind. US customers are generally more receptive to newness than UK customers, which is a huge advantage – but with so much choice, they also forget brands faster.
For Luna Daily, that meant sampling in gyms and fitness studios where customers already needed a freshen-up solution. For Dosey, which has a range of elevated medication holders that support destigmatising the act of taking pills, it meant partnering with leading local supplement brands so customers would see Dosey’s 7-Day pill case as a natural extension of products they already loved. Instead of trying to build a brand-new habit, we enhanced the customer’s existing routine.
Customers are open to trying new products, but only if they fit into their lives. Launch where the product makes sense, whether that’s a wellness studio, a local event, or a store where your customers are already shopping.
Start small and hire smart
A big mistake brands make in new markets is hiring local teams too early. It’s a costly move. US salaries are often double those of UK employees, and hiring someone unfamiliar with the brand can dilute its identity.
The smarter approach? Bring in people who understand the brand’s home-market charm but also know how to localise for a new customer. I help maintain the spirit of the brand’s home identity while ensuring it’s culturally relevant in a new market. Showing up in their world. Then hiring out an on-the-ground team when the time is right.
Start small and hire smart. Build an agile team of experts, like local content creators or brand ambassadors, who understand the market then expand as you scale. I have found this model to be highly effective, while I now specialise in bridging both markets on a fractional basis, offering shared learnings from brands that have done it before. With rising taxes and expectations for employers who hire staff full-time, this approach I have found has become even more popular.
To win in any market, brands need to do more than just exist – they must connect. Success comes from understanding the customer’s world, adapting authentically, and building relevance that lasts. It’s not about being everywhere; it’s about being in the right places, in the right ways, with the right message.
Having had first-hand experience doing this with brands, there are several pieces of advice I’d give to anyone looking to expand into a different market. These principles don’t just go for those in that specific situation, they can be applied to any brand looking to broaden their appeal.
Don’t over-rely on paid channels: Use Meta and Google, but don’t depend on them. Build grassroots advocacy with local partners – gyms, wellness spaces, and local stores.
Be in their world, not just their feed: Be active, not passive. The brands that win are the ones that actively show up where their product makes sense.
Don’t build a local team too soon: Instead of hiring a US-based team, use cross-market expertise to bridge the gap.
Merge online and offline: That moment a customer said, “I saw you on TikTok” while sampling outside Sephora? That’s golden.
Whether expanding into a new market or building a brand, success requires patience, cultural adaptability, and local graft. The brands that thrive don’t just ‘launch’ – they land with intention, embedding themselves authentically into their customers’ lives.
Hannah Rowe began her career working at household consumer tech brands Casio and Huawei in local and global roles, before transitioning to a series of VC-backed health and wellness startups leading brand and marketing. She now supports fast-growth CPG lifestyle brands as a fractional CMO, with a niche in launching UK brands into the US or vice versa. She was one of Marketing Week’s Top 100 in 2022.
